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The South African army chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya, faces a counterpoup in his country of origin following the release of alleged comments he made during an official visit to Iran, which, according to analysts, could further complicate the already turbulent relations between South Africa and the United States.
The comments, which seemed to suggest that Iran and South Africa have common military objectives, occur at a time when Pretoria is trying to repair relations with US President Donald Trump to stabilize trade.
Last week, a 30% commercial rate on South African goods entering the United States was launched, alarming owners of companies in the country. It is despite President Cyril Ramaphosa try to appease TrumpIncluding by leading a delegation to the White House in May.
Here is what you need to know about what the chief of the army said and why there is a counterpoup to this:
What does the army chief say in Iran?
Meeting his Iranian counterpart, Major-General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi in Tehran on Tuesday, Maphwanya would have declared that the two countries had close ties, according to the Iranian press agency, Press TV and Téhran Times.
“Commander Maphwanya, recalling Iran’s historic support for the anti-apartheid fight of South Africa, said that these links had forged a lasting link between the two nations,” said press television article.
According to the Tehran Times, he continued by saying: “The Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common objectives. We always hold alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world. ”
Maphwanya would also have condemned the “bombing of civilians of Israel being in line for food” and its “continuous aggression in occupied West Bank,” said Tehran Times.
His visit, the publication quoted Maphwanya saying: “Wears a political message” and comes “at the best possible time to express our sincere feelings to people who love peace”.
On the other hand, General Mousavi praised the genocide affair of South Africa against the “Zionist regime” at the International Court of Justice, and declared that the effort was aligned with Iran policies, according to Press TV.
He also condemned the military and economic actions of the United States and Israel against Iran as “violations of international laws and standards”. He added that the Iranian army is ready to offer “a more decisive response in the event of renewed aggression,” said Press TV.
How did the South African government react?
Thursday, the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the president was not aware of the visit of General Maphwanya to Iran, although such a trip was normally approved by the Ministry of Defense, not by the office of the President.
Ramaphosa appointed Maphwanya army leader in 2021. General, in South Africa of the apartheid era, served in the wing of the African National Congress Army (ANC), which began as a release movement and commanded a parliamentary majority until 2024.
The presidency spokesman Vincent Magwenya, during a press briefing, said that the general’s decision to visit Iran was in itself.
“At this period of increased geopolitical tensions and conflicts in the Middle East, we can say that the visit was badly informed, and even more, the general should have been much more circumspect with the comments he made.”
He added: “We are in the delicate process of resetting political relations with the United States, but more importantly, the balancing of the commercial relationship in such a way that the commercial relationship is mutually beneficial.”
Likewise, the Ministry of International Relations and the Ministry of Defense have dissociated the government from the alleged comments from the army chief.
“It is regrettable that political and political statements would have been made … The Minister of Defense and Military Veterans (Matsie Angelina wordshekga) will engage with General Maphwanya on his return,” said a statement from the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Party of the Democratic Alliance (DA), one of the four parties that form the government of South African coalition, calls on the chief of the army to judge before a military court for “roughly misconduct and a flagrant violation of the Sandf code of conduct (national South African national defense force”.
“According to the Iranian state media, General Maphwanya went far beyond his constitutional and professional mandate, promising common objectives ” with Iran, approving his position on Gaza and calling for a deeper strategic alignment,” the DA said in a statement on Thursday.
“Such political declarations are explicitly prohibited for the agents serving, violate the duty of political neutrality of the Sandf and undermine the constitutional principle of the civil control of the army,” added the party.
American and South Africa relations have been at their lowest level for decades, which makes it a particularly sensitive period, according to analysts, because it follows the war of 12 days of June between Iran and the American-Israeli coalition.
President Trump slapped a price of 30% on South African products entering the United States as part of his vast pricing wars in April. The United States is a major destination for South African products such as cars, precious metals and wine.
Trump’s main reproaches with Pretoria include South Africa causing a genocide case against Israel, the ally of the United States, in the International Court of Justice, in the midst of the war in progress in Gaza. He previously accused South Africa of strengthening links with Iran.
Trump also wrongly claimed That white South Africans are persecuted in the country under the majority black leadership of the ANC, the main political party of the country to which President Ramaphosa belongs. He also claims that South Africa is Land confiscation belonging to the whites.
White South Africans are a rich minority and largely of the descendants of Dutch settlers. Afrikaner governments checked the country under the racist apartheid system until 1990.
South African wealth, in particular land, continues to be disproportionately controlled by the country’s white population. In recent times, Fringe groups, extremists Afrikaner saying that whites are targeted by blacks have emerged, pointing cases of white farmers attacked by criminals on their agricultural land.
Elon Musk, Trump’s unique advisor before their public benefits in June, also made allegations of white persecution and affirmed that the trade laws of the South African government prevented its Internet company from operating in the country.
It referred to laws demanding that foreign companies belong in part to blacks or other historically disadvantaged groups, such as people with disabilities.
The South African government has denied the accusations of Musk.
In early May, Trump’s government admitted 59 white “refugees” in a resettlement program intended to protect them.
Previously, the United States, under former president Joe Biden, were in Loggerheads with South Africa On its close links with Russia and his vocal criticism of Israel.
The latest incident echoes a scandal in 2022 when a sanctioned Russian cargo cargo called Lady R accosted at the naval base of the city of Simon in the Western Cape, said analyst Chris Vandome of the Chatham House reflection group. The United States said at the time that the South African military supplies had been charged on the ship and used in the Ukraine war, said that South Africa denied.
“This lies in the formation of the South African foreign policy and the lack of clarity and coherence which created this confusion by which people think they say things in accordance with what the nation thinks,” he said.
How did South Africa try to appease the United States?
On May 21, President Ramaphosa conducted a delegation At the White House in order to “reset relationships” with Trump and hopefully, obtain lower price agreements.
During the stormy meeting, however, Trump refused to retreat from his allegations of white persecution, despite Ramaphosa specifying that South Africa was confronted with a generalized crime in general, and that there was no evidence that the whites in particular were targeted.
South Africa, during the meeting, proposed to buy American liquefied natural gas and invest $ 3.3 billion in the American industries in exchange for lower prices. The delegation also agreed to examine the laws on the country’s property.
However, prices of 30% Trump entered into force last week. Analysts say that it could include up to 30,000 South African jobs in danger, in particular in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.
Meanwhile, the Ramaphosa government has promised to take new measures to facilitate the burden of manufacturers and exporters. On Tuesday, the Minister of Commerce Parks Tau told journalists that South Africa had submitted a revised proposal to Washington, without giving details.
General Maphwanya’s statements this week, therefore, “could not therefore come at a worse time” for South African diplomatic links with the United States, said security analyst Jakkie Cilliers of the International Security Institute, addressing South African state television, SABC.
“So that the Head of the National Defense Force pronounces so clearly and so unequivocal at that moment is remarkably politically sensitive,” said Cilliers, adding that the general could be invited to resign on his return.
What did General Maphwanya said?
Maphwanya, which, according to the presidency, has returned to the country, has not published public declarations on controversy. We do not know how the government could sanction it. President Ramaphosa is expected to meet the military chief for information sessions in the coming weeks, said a spokesperson for the presidency.
