Picture: The soldiers participating in Exercise Will for Peace 2026
By REGINALD KANYANE
18 January 2026- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said Iranian warships took part despite reports of a presidential order to exclude them. The DA said conflicting South African National Defence Force (SANDF) statements raise concerns that civilian authority was ignored.
DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans and Member of Parliament (MP), Chris Hattingh said they call for an urgent parliamentary debate to enforce accountability. Hattingh said what is now unfolding around Exercise Will for Peace 2026 looks less like confusion and more like defiance within the SANDF.
“Despite credible reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa, as Commander-in-Chief, instructed that Iranian warships be excluded from the exercise, Iranian vessels nevertheless took part. This was followed by contradictory explanations, deleted SANDF communications, and a shifting official story that continues to change as more facts emerge.
“That is not normal nor is it acceptable. And it cannot be brushed aside. The situation is made worse by the Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, publicly hailing Iran’s participation, only for events to unfold in a manner that appeared to defy a reported presidential instruction,” he said.
Hattingh further said when senior officers publicly signal one direction and events on the ground follow that direction, parliament is entitled to ask a hard question: “Was lawful civilian authority ignored?” He added that this is not a technical or procedural dispute.
“It goes to the heart of how our democracy works. In South Africa, the military is subordinate to elected civilian leadership. If orders from the Commander-in-Chief can be sidestepped, diluted, or quietly ignored, then civilian oversight becomes meaningless.
“The Minister announced a Board of Inquiry only after the exercise had concluded. That cannot put Parliament on hold. Boards of Inquiry are internal processes that often drag on for years behind closed doors. Accountability cannot wait,” said Hattingh.
He said that is why the DA has called for an urgent parliamentary debate. Hattingh said South Africans deserve immediate answers.
“Who gave the final approval? Whose instructions were followed? And why did senior SANDF leadership appear to act in defiance of a presidential directive? If this reflects a wider culture of insubordination at senior command level, including the Chief of the SANDF and the Chief of the Navy, it must be confronted now.
“The SANDF cannot be allowed to operate with parallel lines of authority. The DA will pursue full parliamentary accountability, insist on consequences where authority was defied, and defend the principle that the military remains firmly under civilian control,” he said.
The Guardian 