The SANDF says former navy commander is out of order

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has detached itself from plans to unseat President Cyril Ramaphosa from his office.

SANDF was reacting to a video created on New Year’s Day doing the rounds in various media platforms by former navy commander Sylvester Mangolele who commanded Ramaphosa to report to the training college in Gordan’s Bay in the Western Cape to submit his resignation within 48 hours or face the music.

“In 48 hours, I do this to save you from the embarrassment of applying section 35 of the Constitution and the section… of the Criminal Procedure Act to arrest you as a declining critical capabilities of the state through immediate directed intervention as directed by an act of Parliament,” Mangolele said in a clip circulated countrywide.

“I am asking you to redirect all your resources and everything to the law that you have written, and all people must follow. The law that you are failing to uphold. You are declining to defend. You are declining to respect it.”

SANDF spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini said however that Mangolele was dismissed in 2018 following a legal battle that was found against him.

“The SANDF distances itself from comments made by Sylvester Mangolele on social media. Sylvester Mangolele was dismissed from the defence force in 2018 and does not speak on behalf of the SANDF. The SANDF condemns Sylvester Mangolele’s utterances with the contempt it deserves. His comments are not reflective of nor represent the SANDF in any way, shape or form,” Dlamini said.