ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has sharply criticised the chief of the navy, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, after the admiral issued a public warning about South Africa’s deteriorating maritime security capabilities.
Lobese, who was speaking at the Navy Gala Concert 2025, said the navy’s prolonged absences at sea caused by ageing vessels, shrinking budgets and unserviceable equipment had left the country vulnerable to drug cartels, human traffickers, illegal miners and maritime criminals.
His remarks triggered swift backlash from the ANC and the defense ministry, who accused him of overstepping his role and undermining government.
Mbalula said Lobese’s comments violated long-standing principles governing national security and the conduct expected of senior officers.
“There is what is called national security. There should be boundaries. There are things that you don’t say. Even as a cabinet minister, there are things today that I cannot say, I need to get permission, state secrets. If I have to say them, they must be declassified,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula warned that public political commentary by senior officers threatened the integrity and discipline of the defence force.
“A general of the army [to] just ascend to a podium of a gala dinner and address soldiers with politics. How are you going to expect those people to listen to you tomorrow or the other day when you go and moan? Because politics is about moaning. It’s about the right to reply,” he said.
Mbalula argued that complaints about budgets or capability shortfalls should be addressed through internal channels not public platforms.
“When I tell you as an army that I’ve got problems, I don’t have money to do one, two, three, so you can’t fall into line whenever I command you. When I reply back, I will be subject to charges of mutiny. How are you going to deal with that when generals are just doing things like this?” Mbalula asked.
“If that army turns out to be political, then we are in trouble. This thing called defence force is not a guerrilla army. It’s a national defence force of the Republic of South Africa. It must be respected. And if generals are not respecting it, we are going to tell them, no, you are basically running our country down,” he said.
Mbalula referenced a former soldier “dismissed a long time ago” who allegedly appears in social media videos declaring that he is toppling the president.
“Only to find that he’s dismissed from the defence force but he addresses people every weekend, and he presents himself as somebody who has capabilities to conduct a coup d’état.”
He said the growing trend of security figures making inflammatory public statements was dangerous.
Mbalula drew parallels with the controversy surrounding SANDF chief, Gen Rudzani Maphwanya, who travelled to Tehran in August and reportedly called for closer political and military ties between South Africa and Iran.
“As the ANC, we never issued a statement when our general of the army was attacked for the things he said in Iran, because he’s a general. We respect our general. He said things there that others may not like because he represent an army,” said Mbalula.
Maphwanya’s comments led to a sharp rebuke from the Presidency and Dirco, that he had overstepped his mandate by venturing into foreign policy.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya later confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa would meet Maphwanya and that action would be taken.
The department of defence and military veterans distanced itself from Lobese’s remarks, saying it had “noted with concern” the statements made at the gala.
“Vice-Admiral Lobese made an unfortunate statement that cast aspersions on the leadership of government,” the department said.
It described the comments as “inappropriate, disingenuous and unfortunate,” and confirmed the minister would be “taking appropriate steps to deal with this unfortunate outburst, worse still from a senior person at his level.”
The department stressed that Lobese’s comments “do not reflect the official position of the department”.
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