Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has instituted a probe into how his directions concerning excluding an Iranian vessel have been ignored in the course of the Train MOSI III Will of Peace, and has appointed an investigative panel led by Justice B.M. Ngoepe as chairperson
Justice Ngoepe shall be assisted by Justice Ok. Satchwell, Justice M.M. Leeuw, and R. Adm (JG) P.T. Duze. The Panel will report on to the President.
Asserting the transfer on Thursday, 26 February 2026, the Presidency defined that: “The instituting of the panel pertains to the failure to heed the instruction by the President that the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran should not take part within the Chinese language-led Train Will of Peace 2026 that befell in South African waters”.
Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President, additional defined that the relocation of the inquiry from the Ministry of Defence and Army Veterans to the Presidency is to make sure an unbiased and timeous probe.
The President is, by way of part 202(1) of the Structure of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the Commander-in-Chief of the South African Nationwide Defence Power.
The Panel will examine and make suggestions in relation to the circumstances surrounding the train, the components which will have contributed to the failure to look at the President’s order, the individual or individuals accountable, and the implications to comply with.
“The Panel may have the facility to summon any member of the defence power and/or public service it wants, and to request all paperwork, together with categorized paperwork, to fulfil its mandate,” said Magwenya.
“President Ramaphosa has directed that the Panel should end its work and report back to the President inside one calendar month of its institution.”
The President might, on compelling trigger proven, lengthen the interval of the Panel’s proceedings.
Resulting from nationwide safety concerns, the work of the Panel shall be confidential.
“President Ramaphosa might, on the advice of the Panel and the Minister, resolve to publicise or to not publicise all or any portion of the outcomes of the Panel’s investigation,” stated Magwenya.
