The current Gaza conflict has drawn strong condemnation from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who called it a “genocidal onslaught and slaughter of the people of Palestine.”
He compared the challenges faced by Palestinians to those that South Africans went through during their own turbulent history in a news release.
“As we have looked at the sufferings of the Palestinians, we have seen similar features of what the Palestinians are going through as what we, as South Africans, went through,” President Ramaphosa expressed.
Ramaphosa continued, asserting the gravity of the situation unfolding in Gaza. “What is unfolding now, in Gaza, is beyond being unjust. It is genocidal, and that is why we are dubbing it as a genocide against a people and a collective punishment against innocent people,” he declared.
In response to the dire circumstances, President Ramaphosa called for an immediate ceasefire. He emphasized the urgency of halting what he perceives as a genocidal onslaught, expressing the collective responsibility to prevent further suffering.
Previous action
The South African government has warned its people engaging in or considering engagement in the Gaza conflict in a previous, severe statement.
Reports that some South African citizens may have joined the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to fight in Gaza have deeply concerned the country’s foreign ministry. The ministry stressed that such behavior might violate international law and subject those responsible to prosecution in South Africa. It has been stated that the State Security Agency (SSA) is actively searching for anybody connected to this conduct.
