Will for Peace Report: Millions Spent, Accountability Still MIA

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

The Democratic Alliance notes the Presidency’s announcement earlier this week that President Cyril Ramaphosa has received the panel’s report into the failure to implement his instruction that Iran’s navy must no longer participate in Exercise Will for Peace.

The Presidency says the President will consider its recommendations, but that the report will remain confidential on national security grounds.

The instruction was straightforward. Yet investigating its non-implementation involved a stalled Ministerial Board of Inquiry, a Presidential Panel, extended deadlines and millions in legal costs.

The announcement comes 243 days after the panel’s appointment on 26 February. Its original reporting period was one calendar month. The Presidency now says an extension was justified, without explaining the full sequence of extensions.

The President’s parliamentary reply disclosed R3,943,735 in invoices for the evidence leader and junior alone. This excludes the separately funded costs of the judges and rear admiral. The full taxpayer bill remains undisclosed.

In a functioning, accountable military within a constitutional democracy, a President in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief should be able to establish within 30 minutes who received his instruction, to whom it was passed and whether it was implemented.

Determining individual culpability may require formal proceedings. Establishing what happened to a clear order should not require months and millions.

South Africa’s international partners are watching. The President’s response will demonstrate whether civilian authority over the SANDF is enforced.

The DA calls on President Ramaphosa to publish the findings and recommendations, with specifically justified redactions, disclose the full cost and announce consequences for those responsible.

Parliament must receive sufficient information to exercise meaningful oversight, including confidential briefings where necessary.

National security is meant to protect the country from its enemies, not to protect commanders from their Commander-in-Chief or used as a standard reply for every embarrassment the Presidency and Minister of Defence cannot explain.

Today confirms that the President has the report.

He must now show South Africans that his authority still carries consequences.