The “Roaring Forties” – latitudes of very strong winds on the Atlantic, are not too far from the turbulent waters of the South African province of the Western Cape. Right there these days, it seems that a possible “collision” between the two opposite poles of global power :the West and the BRICS, has been postponed.
Namely, at the beginning of August, China, Russia and the Republic of South Africa confirmed that in November they will hold the third joint naval manoeuvres “Mosi III” in the waters of the Western Cape, close to Cape Town. At the same time, it was officially announced that the Chinese Navy will lead the actions during those manoeuvres in the Atlantic.
By the way, the previous trilateral naval exercises: Mosi I (in November 2019), and Mosi II (February 2023), were held in the South African waters of the Indian Ocean between the ports of Durban and Richards Bay, with sharp criticism from the West at the expense of Pretoria’s geopolitical priorities. To make matters more spicy, the “Mosi III” naval manoeuvres were scheduled during the G20 leaders’ summit (November 20-23) in Johannesburg, the economic capital of South Africa.
And then, like on the Atlantic, in mid-August, things began to “stir” in South Africa, between the Ministry of Defence and the political administration of that country in Pretoria, more precisely the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa. And that, after General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the National Defence Forces of the Republic of South Africa, met in Tehran on August 12th with Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces of Iran.
How did General Maphwanya’s visit to Iran, came to be, president Ramaphosa was also very interested. Namely, the cabinet in Pretoria officially announced that “the President was neither informed nor did he approve Maphwanya’s trip to Iran” (!).
Later it turned out that the visit in question was planned for last year, but was postponed for this year, with the “green light” from Matsie Angelina Motshekga South Africa’s minister of Defense and Military Veterans. General Maphwanya handed over the visit report to the Minister Motshekga, and she is “satisfied” with that document, South African Ministry of Defense recently announced.
In the meantime, Captain Hassan Maqsoudlou, the commander of the First Naval District of the Iranian Navy, attended a briefing in Cape Town on September 6: “Iran confirms that it is joining the naval manoeuvres of the BRICS members, in the waters of the Republic of South Africa,” the “Tehran Times” titled its reported on the occasion.
In the meantime, president Cyril Ramaphosa requested and held a private conversation with General Maphwanya, and official Pretoria announced yesterday that the visit was an “expression of continued cooperation” with Iran.
On the same day, General Siphiwe Dlamini, Department of Defence Head of Communications, announced that the “Mosi III” naval manoeuvres were being postponed “in view of activities related to South Africa’s presidency”.
On the other side of the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump has already confirmed that he will not attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg in November.
Time will tell what “roaring events” might awaits South African waters of the Atlantic.
