“Will for Peace” Deepens the Problem

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

The SANDF’s announcement of Exercise WILL FOR PEACE 2026, a China-led naval exercise involving foreign navies in South African waters, does not solve the concerns raised around MOSI III, it confirms them.

MOSI III was postponed because of its political and diplomatic sensitivity ahead of the G20 summit. That sensitivity has not disappeared. It now appears the same strategic exercise is simply continuing under a new name and softer language.

This exercise is being led by China and includes participation by Russia and Iran, both heavily sanctioned and both involved in active conflicts.

Hosting and training with such forces cannot be described as neutral or non-aligned. It is a political choice, whether the government admits it or not.

Calling the exercise “WILL FOR PEACE” does not change the reality. At the same time, China is conducting large-scale military exercises rehearsing a possible invasion of Taiwan. Using the language of peace to describe this kind of military alignment is misleading.

South Africa’s policy of non-alignment is losing credibility because our words and actions no longer match.

South Africa’s entrance to BRICS was purely for economic purposes and not to challenge or undermine the international rules-based order through blatant and weaponised antagonism brought about by rogue-aligned military exercises.

While the government insists it is neutral, defence cooperation with democratic partners is falling apart. Joint exercises with the United States have been cancelled, U.S. participation in AAD has failed, and trust is being damaged.

Parliament has not been properly briefed on the “WILL FOR PEACE” exercise, its costs, its command structure, its legal status, or its diplomatic consequences. That is unacceptable. These decisions affect South Africa’s foreign relations, trade, security, and reputation — and they cannot be made behind closed doors.

The SANDF exists to defend South Africa and its people, not to provide a platform for global power politics.

The DA will therefore request a full parliamentary briefing on Exercise WILL FOR PEACE 2026, including its objectives, participants, leadership, costs, and implications.

South Africa’s defence and foreign policy must be transparent, constitutional, and principled and certainly not being quietly reshaped through military exercises that contradict our stated neutrality and damage our standing in the world.

As more time goes on South Africa’s BRICS membership has rendered South Africa a pawn in the power games being waged by rogue states on the international stage.