Rise Mzansi leaders addressed the media in Rosebank on Monday.- Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has demanded the removal of SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya due to his politically charged comments made in Iran, along with Defence Minister Angie Motshekga for her defense of him.
- Zibi has condemned the general’s remarks, calling attention to the lack of strategic awareness and the mismanagement within the defense forces, pointing to a history of poor audit outcomes.
- The comments have generated controversy, particularly in light of the already frayed relations between Pretoria and Washington, with the Presidency seeking to distance itself from Maphwanya’s remarks.
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has urged for the termination of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) general Rudzani Maphwanya following his politically charged remarks during a trip to Tehran last week.
As chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Zibi posits that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga should also be dismissed for attempting to back Maphwanya.
In his role as president of Rise Mzansi, the watchdog committee chair expressed his frustration during a press briefing in Rosebank on Monday, primarily due to his awareness of the department’s persistently poor audit results over time.
Rise Mzansi joins the call for action after the DA suggested that Maphwanya be court-martialed.
“The general was out of line. If I were Cyril Ramaphosa and I were the president, I would tell him he’s retiring on the 31st of December and somebody is taking over on the 1st of January and name that person,” Zibi said.
He remarked that generals or military officials should refrain from making political statements.
What the general said in Iran should have been expressed by Angie Motshekga instead; her reluctance to confront the issue doesn’t absolve her of responsibility. She is misguided, and if I were president, I would dismiss her from her position as defence minister for her lack of suitability and zero strategic insight, much like the general who is devoid of strategic understanding and diplomatic maturity, believing he is a politician when he is not.
Maphwanya’s recent trip to Iran sparked significant controversy as state media there reported that the general had expressed political loyalty to Iran, a known adversary of the United States.
This statement surfaced amid rising tensions between Pretoria and Washington, with the Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) distancing themselves from Maphwanya’s comments.
Zibi also raised concerns regarding the necessity of the trip, which Motshekga claimed had received approval in 2024.
There was nothing pressing that justified the general’s visit to Iran.
“Why is that interaction important? We have $3.2 billion of trade with the United States annually. With Iran, I think it’s about $160 million.
“There is a feeling by South Africans that he’s a general, so he should be able to say anything. Nonsense, that’s ill-discipline; he must be fired. And it’s not the first time the defence forces have gone rogue,” Zibi said.
I can provide detailed accounts of how these individuals have undermined the army, including decisions to purchase outdated equipment and undertaking repairs on an old ship for diplomatic reasons. Diplomacy is not their responsibility.
He mentioned that he has received both confidential and non-confidential briefings regarding the state of the defense department from the Auditor-General.
“They hold the poorest audit outcome records of any government department over the years, by a significant margin. They reject civilian oversight and often use the term ‘civilian’ in a derogatory manner within the defense forces.
“These are the individuals making reckless decisions in the army, and we are expected to coddle them while they waste taxpayers’ funds and publicly make foolish statements abroad.
“The military is in disarray; those individuals have ruined it, and now this man is making political declarations overseas.
“It highlights the extent to which the president has allowed individuals to operate with impunity during his administration, which is the real issue,” Zibi concluded.
