South Africa’s ruling ANC government, along with other political parties, NGOs and solidarity groups have called for a permanent ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The call was made as thousands marched through the streets of Johannesburg on Wednesday to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People under the theme “Unite Against Genocide, Ceasefire Now.”
“The march is important because it’s a fight against the genocide,” ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said.
“Ours is to guarantee the self-determination of the Palestinian people, and fight the occupation of their land by the brutal apartheid state of Israel.”
He said the ANC has been “in this struggle for the longest of time. We are against the system that oppresses people.”
Former Intelligence Minister Ronald Kasrils told the protestors that “we will boycott and isolate Israel until it hurts them. We stand by the Palestinian people fully in our total support.”
A senior Hamas official said during a media briefing in South Africa on Wednesday that the “political conflict” between Israel and the Palestinian nation cannot be resolved militarily.
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He further said that “Gaza is not lost, Gaza will rise, the Palestinian people will rise, they will never be defeated, it is Zionist Israel that will be defeated.”
Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa, reportedly told local broadcaster SABC: “We want the Israeli ambassador to go. We want South Africa to cut ties with Israel and all corporations belonging to Zionists.”
Meanwhile, South Africa’s cabinet has not yet taken a decision on the parliamentary vote to close the Israeli embassy and cut diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said there was a separation of powers between Parliament and the Executive, according to a South African media report.
“At this stage there is no decision to completely cut ties with the Israeli government notwithstanding the level of displeasure that the South African government has expressed with respect to the actions of the Israeli government,” the report quotes Magwenya as saying.
South Africa’s Parliament Votes to Suspend Relations with Israel
The government has referred Israel to the ICC to investigate its military actions in the Gaza Strip. It has also requested the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
It has recalled its diplomatic staff from Tel Aviv, as well as issued a demarche to the Israeli ambassador in South Africa.
Israel, meanwhile, recalled its ambassador to South Africa for consultations.
Regular mass protests in support of the Palestinian people have been held across South African cities since Israel’s latest aggression on the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll of Israel’s war has risen to over 15,000 Palestinians, including over 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women.
(PC, ANADOLU)
