The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has disavowed threats made by a former commander, Sylvester Mangolele, who called for the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa from office.
A video of Mangolele went viral on social media, where he demanded President Ramaphosa’s resignation within 48 hours or face forced removal, citing constitutional violations as the primary reason.
In a statement on Tuesday, the army distanced itself from Mangolele’s remarks, emphasizing that he does not represent the SANDF. SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini stated, “The SANDF condemns Sylvester Mangolele’s utterances with the contempt it deserves.”
The army clarified that Mangolele was dismissed from the defence force in 2018, though the statement did not provide details about the reasons for his dismissal.