ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has defended South Africa's participation in recent BRICS Plus naval exercises that included Iran, amid criticism from the United States. He emphasized that the drills were led by China and that diplomatic protocols were followed regarding Iran's involvement. The government insists no breaches occurred, while an inquiry examines implementation of presidential instructions.
Fikile Mbalula, Secretary-General of the African National Congress, addressed concerns over South Africa's role in the BRICS Plus naval exercises during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The multinational drills, initiated by China, involved BRICS nations and extended to include Iran, drawing scrutiny from the US over potential diplomatic implications.
Mbalula clarified that South Africa did not originate the exercises but provided the necessary platform for their execution. He noted that Iran's participation, though not as a formal BRICS member, was managed through established diplomatic and security channels. 'These drills are not South Africa’s. South Africa was just availing its platform, which in our case [was] to allow BRICS countries to do this. Then they brought along Iran and then it is South Africa that intervened … yeah, it [Iran] is a member of BRICS. But at the end of the day, at the level of security in terms of diplomatic protocols, these issues were resolved there. So, our generals from the briefing that we got did nothing wrong,' Mbalula explained.
The Defence Ministry has confirmed an ongoing inquiry to verify if President Cyril Ramaphosa's directives on Iran's involvement were adequately followed. Despite external criticism, the government maintains that all actions adhered to international protocols, underscoring South Africa's commitment to multilateral engagements within the BRICS framework. This episode highlights the complexities of balancing alliances in global forums.