Call for probe into SANDF's 'failure to follow orders'

ACTIONSA has called for an urgent parliamentary investigation into what it describes as a grave breach of the constitutional chain of command by senior officials in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) during recent joint naval drills in Simon's Town.

- MURRAY SWART

In a letter to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, ActionSA requested an immediate probe into reports that senior SANDF figures allegedly failed to comply with a direct and lawful instruction issued by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief.

The controversy centres on Exercise Will for Peace 2026, a multinational naval exercise conducted from Simon's Town last week. Media reports have alleged that the president issued specific instructions regarding how the exercise should be conducted, particularly in relation to the participation of the Iran.