“Are We Playing With Fire”: Cape Town Man Concerned About Presence of Foreign Military Ships in SA

• A Cape Town guitarist shared a video showing naval ships allegedly from China, Russia, and Iran at Simon's Town harbour
• The man questioned whether South Africa is doing the right thing by hosting the ships
• South Africans on social media defended the exercise, saying it's a BRICS drill and harmless

TikToker @austenramsaylewis, a Cape Town guitarist who shares music content on his page, posted a video on 8 January 2026 from his home overlooking the beach. In the video, he talked about the foreign navy ships docked at Simon's Town. He told viewers that seeing five vessels at once felt like more than just “playing with fire” and said the situation would be interesting, though he wasn’t sure how to feel about it, adding that people would likely have very different opinions. As he showed the scene, he noted that one ship appeared to be Iranian, with another believed to be Chinese, and a third, further away, that he thought was Russian.

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The man said it doesn't need much explaining, but he doesn't know if South Africa is doing the right thing. He mentioned that when it comes to politics, there's Iran, Russia, and China in the bay, and everyone knows what's happened with Venezuela and what's going on. He stated that he knows it's military training and bits and pieces, but this is going to stir some pots and cause a bit of trouble.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

What is the Exercise Will for Peace?

According to a report by the Daily Maverick, warships from China, Russia, and Iran are starting to arrive in False Bay ahead of a joint naval exercise hosted by South Africa from 9 to 16 January. By Thursday, a Chinese destroyer and support ship, along with an Iranian corvette and two support vessels, were already in the bay, with a Russian corvette and supply ship expected to follow on Friday.

China is leading the exercise, which has been loosely described as a “BRICS-Plus” drill, even though it isn’t an official BRICS event and not all member countries are involved. The Democratic Alliance has raised concerns, saying that training alongside these nations could conflict with South Africa’s non-aligned stance and that BRICS was never meant to include military cooperation.

SA defends foreign military ships

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Netizens shared their thoughts on TikToker @austenramsaylewis's clip:

@motshiidi questioned:

"You guys don't complain when it's Britain doing military drills here🤷‍♀️"

@Nkosinathi Jopi Mnda stated:

"True South Africans 🇿🇦 will stand in support on the stand against USA dictatorship."

@Ole wastes time scrolling said:

"I've never heard of Iran, Russia and China violating international law the way the US does."

@flosssssiee explained:

"This is the BRICS coming together NOT PLAYING WITH FIRE BRUH."

@Vyf en Twintig! asked:

"What's wrong with Russia, Iran & China being here? They are members of BRICS & so is SA."

More on SA and international relations

• Briefly News recently reported on President Cyril Ramaphosa considering action against groups that approached the US for intervention in South Africa.
• Protesters thought Maduro was held at the Pretoria US Embassy.
• Elon Musk challenged South Africa's BEE laws in controversial remarks, claiming they're discriminatory.

Source: Briefly News