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General Maphwanya Remains SANDF Chief, Beyond the Legal Retirement Age

Statement by Chris Hattingh MP – DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans:

South Africa’s Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, is 65 years old and still in office, five years beyond the normal military retirement age. Parliament has asked why. After six weeks, Minister Motshekga could still not answer.

The SANDF retirement age for uniformed members is 60. Staying on beyond that age is not automatic. It requires a lawful, formal and time-bound extension, properly authorised and disclosed to Parliament. That disclosure has not happened.

The issue was raised directly in the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on 5 December 2025. Instead of answers, Parliament got evasion.

Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa told the committee he would “find out.” Deputy Minister Richard Hlophe dismissed the matter as “not on the agenda.” Faced with this stonewalling, the Committee agreed to write formally to the Minister of Defence demanding clarity.

Six weeks later, there is still no response — a deliberate refusal to account.

Ordinary SANDF members are forced to retire or medically boarded, often in their 50s. But when it comes to the most powerful uniformed position in the country, the rules suddenly become flexible, opaque and politically inconvenient.

This is not about age. It is about the rule of law and oversight.

  • Who authorised the continued service at 65?
  • On what legal basis?
  • Was the extension effected before he turned 65?
  • For how long was the extension granted?
  • And why is Parliament being kept in the dark?

The DA will also pose parliamentary questions to establish exactly what provision the Minister relied on to extend General Maphwanya’s term, who took the decision, and whether this extension was effected before he turned 65.

Silence does not protect the SANDF; it damages its credibility. In a constitutional democracy, rank does not place anyone above the law. Parliament cannot be ignored.

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