Angie Motshekga Defends SANDF Chief Over Iran Visit, SA Divided As She Contradicts Presidency

• Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga has come out in defence of General Rudzani Maphwanya
• The Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been criticised for his trip to Iran
• South Africans are divided by Motshekga's comments, while also criticising President Cyril Ramaphosa

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

Angie Motshekga has defended a trip of General Rudzani Maphwanya to Iran, saying he did nothing wrong.

The Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) recently conducted a trip to the country, where he met with Iranian military officials. He was criticised for comments he made during the meeting, as he reportedly pledged common goals with Iran and endorsed its stance on Gaza.

The trip came at a time amid tensions with the United States of America, with the Donald Trump administration unhappy with South Africa’s relationship with Iran, but Motshekga believes the timing is just a coincidence.

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What did the Motshekga say?

Speaking to TimesLIVE Premium on 15 August 2025, the Minister of Defence said she sanctioned the general’s trip in 2024, before Trump was elected as president. Motshekga made the comments on the sidelines of the National Dialogue in Pretoria.

“It’s a coincidence that the trip coincides with the tensions between Iran and the US and that we are negotiating on tariffs. This invitation is from last year. I sanctioned it last year. The event was postponed, and they then communicated back to say Let’s continue, but the visit had already been sanctioned,” she said.

Motshekga also said that she thought the media had taken his trip out of context because it aligned with the tensions between Iran and the US. She added that she hoped the USA understood that the trip had nothing to do with tariffs, but was just the work the department does with different countries. She stated that the general also visited Cuba and Japan recently, but those trips weren’t criticised because they didn’t feature Iran or America.

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Motshekga’s comments contradict the Presidency’s

Motshekga’s comments contradict those of the Presidency. During a media briefing at the Union Buildings on Thursday, 14 August, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that the trip was ill-advised. He said the general should have been more careful with the comments he made, which delved into the area of foreign policy. Magwenya also confirmed that the president was not aware of the visit.

“The president didn’t know the general was visiting Iran, nor did he sanction the visit,” Magwenya said.

While Magwenya said that action would be taken against the general, Motshekga said that this would not be the case.

How did South Africans react?

Social media users were divided by Motshekga’s statement, with some criticising her, while others criticised Ramaphosa. Some noted that he fired Andrew Whitfield for taking an unauthorised trip, and should do the same in this case. Some even defended the General, agreeing that he said nothing wrong.

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Sedick Gydien said:

“Of course, a President with authority, and one to admire, would fire both of them immediately. But Rama is the President of procrastination, and a weakling. So don’t expect much, maybe another Commission.

Anna Palmer noted:

“Whitfield got fired for going on a trip without Ramaphosa’s permission.”

Tshiamo Rakgokong stated:

“The minister and the General must be fired. At the workplace, it is called gross insubordination. An instant dismissal offence.”

Pat Green said:

“Just as Andrew Whitfield was fired for an unapproved trip, so should General Maphwanya receive the same sanction.”

Gerhardt Breytenbach added:

“And people wonder why the SA ship is sinking faster than the Titanic. The whole world is laughing at us. Banana republic, here we come.”

Schalk Van Heerden asked:

“Ramaphosa says something else😂. Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?”

Barry Nell stated:

“If it were an unapproved trip, then he must be dismissed. The President has set a precedent.”

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Roy Khaulela said:

“This time I'm with her. He did nothing wrong. He was just expressing his views.”

Mtolo Mmely Mmeli agreed:

“For the very first time in my life, I agree with you, Gogo Motshekga. Nothing wrong was said by the General.”

DIRCO slams General's comments

Briefly News reported that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) slammed Maphwanya's remarks.

The South African National Defence Force chief met with the military leadership of Iran and expressed solidarity with the Iranian army.

The Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, also shared his thoughts on the General's comments.

Source: Briefly News