South Africa's army chief stirs diplomatic storm following his remarks while in Iran
The rhetoric placed Pretoria squarely in the orbit of one of Washington's most sanctioned adversaries—awkward timing, given South Africa's already strained ties with the United States over its relations with Tehran, Beijing and Moscow.
South Africa's top soldier has stirred a diplomatic storm after high-profile meetings in Tehran, Iran, prompting his defence ministry to publicly remind him that foreign policy is not in his remit.
General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force, visited Iran this week for talks with Major General Amir Hatami, the Iranian army's chief of staff.
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The two men pledged to deepen military cooperation against what they called "global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches."
In remarks carried by Iran's state media, General Hatami hailed South Africa as a "special" partner in Tehran's African strategy and praised Pretoria's "firm stance" against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the war in Gaza.
General Maphwanya was equally effusive, declaring that "the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals" and that both nations "stand alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world."
The rhetoric placed Pretoria squarely in the orbit of one of Washington's most sanctioned adversaries—awkward timing, given South Africa's already strained ties with the United States over its relations with Tehran, Beijing and Moscow.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute claims South Africa's deepening relationship with Iran has come at the cost of its democratic values, citing Pretoria's repeated defence of Tehran at the UN and the IAEA, as well as its willingness to host Hamas officials.
It even speculated about Iranian financial support to the ruling African National Congress, noting the party's sudden ability to settle a large debt after filing the ICJ case.
The Defence Ministry's clarification was swift and pointed.
Matters of foreign policy, it stressed, are "the sole prerogative of the President and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation," not the military.
The minister will "engage" the general on his return.
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