Saturday, 16 August 2025: The South African Communist Party (SACP) denounces the manufactured public controversy following the visit of the Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Iran. The visit was part of South Africa’s long-standing bilateral relations with Iran. Among the reactionary commentators on this trip was the right-wing, Western imperialist-aligned neo-liberal party called the DA, criminalising this properly sanctioned trip.

The SACP condemns the criminalisation, altogether with the attempt to stir up anti-Iran hysteria through vague, unsubstantiated claims about South Africa’s defence-to-defence engagements with Iran. This is not the first time the reactionaries have used the same tired script to smear legitimate relations between our country and Iran, as well as the BRICS member states.

Defence co-operation, as are investment and trade relations between sovereign nations is a normal, internationally recognised practice. South Africa’s co-operative engagements with Iran are no different from those we hold with other states, including Western European and North American states.

Yet selective, Western imperialist aligned outrage shows a clear bias, one that parrots Western geopolitical agendas while ignoring South Africa’s right to an independent, sovereign foreign policy. The right-wing hypocrisy is glaring: there is deafening silence when the South African government engages in defence meetings and co-operation with the likes of the United States and Western European states. But when the counterpart is Iran, hypocrites mount a public crusade. This is nothing but partisan political opportunism dressed up as concern.

The muddled response of the South African government towards the trip is not only also concerning but problematic as well. The SANDF chief’s comments in Iran regarding political and policy questions reportedly included South Africa’s adopted, and correctly articulated policy positions on Palestine. This reflects South Africa’s international relations and co-operation policy, including solidarity.

The government, and the Presidency in particular, appears to have begun to act to isolate and punish the chief of the military for the alleged contravention of military code regarding political statements and policy statements made during the trip. This action is not an objective act of correcting the defence conduct of a soldier but is a political capitulation to Western-aligned imperialist, right-wing pressure directly influenced by the imperialists’ political interests. It clearly appears that the government is being cajoled to project itself as pro-West and anti-Iran.

The SACP has also observed a developing tendency in the media to compare General Maphwanya’s visit to Iran with the trip of Andrew Whitfield, former Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperation. This comparison is incorrect as General Maphwanya’s visit took place within the framework of military regulations with the full knowledge of the Minister of Defence whereas Whitfield’s visit was unauthorised.

The SACP rejects the impending acts of isolation and scapegoating of General Rudzani Maphwanya to appease Western imperialist forces and their domestic agents, compromising South Africa’s sovereign right to formulate and implement its own foreign policy, including on defence co-operation. Any actions by the government towards General Rudzani Maphwanya as Military Chief must be based on strengthening our military institutions and their capabilities, improving our defence co-operation agreements with other states to which we have full sovereign rights.

The SACP rejects any attempt at dictating which nations South Africa may have bilateral relations with, including defence, trade and investment. We will defend our country’s right to build relations based on mutual respect, equality and solidarity, free from the dictatorship of Washington, Brussels, or their local political surrogates. We call on all progressive forces to resist these smear campaigns and to stand firm in defending South Africa’s sovereign right to conduct its international relations and co-operation policy in the interests of the people, not the whims of imperialist powers, their mouthpieces or domestic agents.