The Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed concerns that South Africa is deepening ties with Russia and Iran, following recent naval exercises involving Brics+ countries, in Cape Town.

According to the Department of Defence (DoD), the drill forms part of a China-led joint, inter-agency, inter-departmental, multinational exercise that is being hosted in South Africa between January 9 and 16, under the theme ‘Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities’.

“Exercise Will For Peace 2026 brings together navies from Brics Plus countries for an intensive programme of joint maritime safety operations, interoperability drills and maritime protection serials… This theme reflects the collective commitment of all participating navies to safeguard maritime trade routes, enhance shared operational procedures and deepen cooperation in support of peaceful maritime security initiatives,” the DoD said.

However, the DA is less than convinced that they are multinational exercises, calling it “deliberately misleading” and pointing out that Brics is not a military alliance.

DA Spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh said the bloc has no defence role or shared military plans to warrant such exercises.

“Calling these drills ‘Brics cooperation’ is a political trick to soften what is really happening: government is choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran. That is not multilateralism. It is selective alignment. The proof is simple. Two founding Brics members, India and Brazil, have again stayed away. They did not take part in MOSI I, MOSI II or Exercise Will for Peace. That tells us this is not a Brics exercise. It is a narrow political choice being labelled as something broader,” he warned.

South Africa’s stance of non-alliance, he said, is being damaged through what the party says is political theatre.

Further, Hattingh claimed that the DoD was undermining the Government of National Unity’s (GNU’s) Statement of Intent, which touts non-aligned foreign policy, by participating in military exercise with State such as Russia and Iran.

The DA further warned that trade could be compromised.

“South Africa has the right to choose its partners. But the ANC [African National Congress] does not have the right to unilaterally make these choices and then hide those choices behind false labels and diplomatic spin. The Democratic Alliance will not allow the ANC to keep hiding behind the language of “non-alignment” while quietly choosing sides. It violates the spirit and working of the GNU statement of intent, undermines South Africa’s credibility on the international stage, and sends the wrong diplomatic signals to all our major trading partners,” Hattingh stated.