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President Ramaphosa’s admission on Wednesday that the process for Exercise Will for Peace 2026 was flawed makes this a chain-of-command failure, not merely an operational issue. On the facts now clear, accountability demands decisive presidential action and full public disclosure of how this failure will be addressed.

From the outset, the DA called for transparency and parliamentary scrutiny. Since then, it has emerged that Iranian warships participated despite credible reports of a presidential instruction to exclude them; official explanations shifted repeatedly; communications were deleted; and the Iranian vessels remain in South African waters. Independent analysis confirms a serious breakdown in command, control, and civilian oversight.

Crucially, despite announcing a Board of Inquiry, the Minister has not appointed it or published its terms of reference. Accountability cannot wait on a process that does not exist. The President must now step in, assert control, and make clear to Parliament and the public what corrective action will be taken, by whom, and on what timeline.

Given the President’s admission and the Minister’s demonstrated inability to provide clear leadership, the DA is calling for a judicial inquiry to establish who authorised what, who knew when, and who failed to act. This is no longer about operational detail; it is about the chain of command and constitutional accountability.

The DA is also calling for an urgent parliamentary debate to test this publicly and on the record. That debate must be matched by decisive action from the President and the transparent disclosure of his plan to restore civilian oversight and command integrity.

Civilian control of the military underpins South Africa’s democracy. When that control is weakened, the constitutional order is put at risk. The DA will ensure accountability is enforced at the highest level.

Issued by Chris Hattingh MP - DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans