Cape Town – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has disassociated itself from the statements made by a former Lieutenant Commander in the South African Navy Sylvester Mangolele.
In a video on social media, Mangolele recently called for the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa and threatened to do so within 48 hours if the he did not resign.
A senior naval officer is threatening to remove Pres Cyril Ramaphosa by the end of today if the president fails to report to the naval college at Gordons Bay to hand in his resignation. pic.twitter.com/zicN2TGl3A
— The Instigator (@Am_Blujay) January 2, 2024
SANDF, has, however, distanced itself from Mangolele’s remarks, confirming that he was dismissed from the military in 2018 due to misconduct.
“The SANDF condemns Sylvester Mangolele’s utterances with (the) contempt it deserves,” said SANDF spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini, according to IOL.
The SANDF said that Mangolele’s statements were not on behalf of the military and condemned his utterances, saying that they do not reflect or represent the SANDF in any way.
Mangolele accused Ramaphosa of violating the constitution and failing to address issues affecting the people.
He said that he is undertaking this action “in service and defence of my country and its people, in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”
“We are not playing games anymore, we must drive and lead this country in accordance with the Constitution,” he said, adding that the SANDF was the last line of defence if State organs failed.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
