by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – BY attending the 47th anniversary of the Revolution Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a South African cabinet minister has added to some criticism her country is aligning itself with Iran, despite its controversial human rights record.
Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, attended the event held by the Iranian Embassy in Pretoria last Friday.
The attendance seemed to be government-approved, with her department posting on its official page that she would “deliver the message of support.”
This adds to the hostilities between members of the government of national unity (GNU) at the helm of South Africa.
The African National Congress (ANC) of President Cyril Ramaphosa, and its biggest partner in the government, the Democratic Alliance (DA) are at loggerheads over the issue of Iran, and this is the second time in as many months that relations with Iran have featured in a fallout.
The first incident was the naval exercise of the BRICS group, of which Iran is a member and South Africa hosted.
Regarding the latest incident, DA lashed that Chikunga’s actions were a blight on South African democracy and a violation of the nation’s foreign policy rooted in the principles of the constitution.
The DA believes it is ironic that the South African Minister for Women was attending a diplomatic event held by a country which has been accused of stripping its women of their human rights and continuing to uphold a deeply patriarchal society by militant force.
“The women of South Africa deserve to know that this is what their minister publicly advocates for and supports,” said Ryan Smith, DA spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation.
“The DA as a member of the GNU condemns this act of diplomatic recklessness in the strongest possible terms. We reject the ANC’s attempt to subvert the constitution and hijack the South African government to trample upon the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights.”
The DA has previously accused the ANC-dominated government of siding with autocrats yet claiming a non-aligned foreign policy.
Critics argue the government sides with another fellow BRICS member, Russia, in its conflict with Ukraine. South Africa is also on Palestine’s side in the conflict with Israel.
The Iran Revival Hub is a national and inclusive platform dedicated to the reconstruction of Iran after the Islamic Republic.
It expressed concern and objection to Chikunga’s department’s recent commemoration of the Islamic Republic’s 47 years in power.
“This action cannot be regarded as a matter of diplomatic nuance or symbolic protocol. It represents a serious moral misjudgment,” Iran Revival Hub stated.
“For an institution entrusted with defending the dignity and rights of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, such a gesture is not merely contradictory.”
South Africa now risks further aggravating ties with bullying rival, the United States, which is one of Iran’s arch-enemies.
The US administration of President Donald Trump administration in 2025 issued a high-profile executive order accusing South Africa of reviving its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military and nuclear arrangements.
The South African government and its nuclear energy agency has dismissed the claims. Trump has threatened “very strong action” if the Iran regime proceeded with the crackdown of anti-government protesters.
Overall, the US’ executive order alleged South Africa’s so-called aggressive positions against the US and its allies, specifically naming South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
– CAJ News