Serious accusations of military chiefs ignoring Cyril Ramaphosa’s orders

Chris Hattingh, DA Spokesperson on Defence, has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to take decisive action linked to the flawed ‘Will for Peace’ process.

The Exercise Will for Peace 2026 was a multinational naval exercise held off the coast of Cape Town from 9 to 16 January 2026.

It was sold as a diplomatic mission, but it has spiralled into a major political crisis, which made headlines globally.

The Will for Peace exercise involved allegations of insubordination, deleted evidence, and a breakdown in civilian control over the military.

Ramaphosa has reportedly issued a directive that Iranian warships should only participate as observers.

This directive was aimed at avoiding escalating tensions with the United States and other Western allies.

On Sunday, 25 January 2026, City Press reported that the military and navy received this directive in November, December, and January.

Despite this, Iranian vessels, including a corvette, were seen actively participating in drills in False Bay.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) initially posted on social media about Iran’s active participation.

However, when this issue hit the headlines and became a political hot potato, the SANDF swiftly deleted the posts.

Reports suggest the Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, may have ignored the President’s orders.

City Press reported that military chiefs blatantly defied Ramaphosa’s order to exclude Iran from naval exercises.

The DA wants decisive action from President Cyril Ramaphosa

Hattingh said the process linked to the Will for Peace 2026 exercise was flawed, making this a chain-of-command failure, not merely an operational issue.

“On the facts now clear, accountability demands decisive presidential action and full public disclosure of how this failure will be addressed,” he said.

“Iranian warships participated despite credible reports of a presidential instruction to exclude them.”

Hattingh said official explanations shifted repeatedly, communications were deleted, and the Iranian vessels remained in South African waters.

“Independent analysis confirms a serious breakdown in command, control, and civilian oversight,” he said.

Crucially, despite announcing a Board of Inquiry, the Minister has not appointed it or published its terms of reference.

“Accountability cannot wait on a process that does not exist. The President must now step in and assert control,” he said.

“He must make clear to Parliament and the public what corrective action will be taken, by whom, and on what timeline.”

The DA is also calling for a judicial inquiry to establish who authorised what, who knew when, and who failed to act.

“This is no longer about operational detail. It is about the chain of command and constitutional accountability,” he said.

“Civilian control of the military underpins South Africa’s democracy. When that control is weakened, the constitutional order is put at risk.”