South Africa – As the nation prepares for another round of demonstrations in support of the Palestinians from various sectors of civil society, including recent marches by the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) this week, a significant number of pro-Palestinian supporters and EFF representatives feel the ANC’s efforts to champion the rights and liberation of the Palestinians are insufficient.
Despite their vocal endorsement of a ceasefire, the provision of humanitarian aid, and the quest for a solution to the decades-long suffering, displacement, dehumanisation and humiliation of the Palestinian people, many argue the ANC should take more decisive action.
Sihle Lonzi, the President of the EFF Student Wing, criticised the ANC, suggesting it is somewhat hypocritical for them to express support for the Palestinians without taking more substantial measures, such as removing the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria.
“You can’t have a government that is in power marching to the Israeli Embassy as if they are an opposition. They must take a decisive position, to side with the truth and to side with human rights and remove the Israeli Embassy.”
In addition to publicly declaring their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinians during their demonstration at the Israeli embassy on Monday, Lonzi highlighted their protest was not just an appeal to South Africans but a call to the global community to stand against injustice.
As he stated, “We cannot remain neutral. We must always side with those who are weak, [victimised], and oppressed.”
SMread| Spaza shop tragedy: Urgent action needed to protect children’s lives
It Takes the World to Liberate People from Apartheid
Contemplating the consistent backing of Israel and its actions by Western leaders and governments, Lonzi remarked that such support is not surprising, given the historical tendency of Western leaders to align themselves with oppressors and overlook the plight of the oppressed.
This pattern is exemplified by the fact that, during South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, various liberation groups and individuals were branded as terrorists, including the iconic figure Nelson Mandela, who carried that label for years, even after the end of apartheid.
Along with the EFF’s firm stance and vocal support for Palestinians and their resistance fighters, there is a recognition that in the face of deep-seated and institutionalised oppression, ordinary people hold a significant amount of power.
“We’ve been seeing those demonstrations taking place in the UK, the United States, Turkey and many other countries where the ordinary citizens themselves are the ones who are standing up against their governments. Because they don’t want blood on their hands, they don’t want to participate in genocide. They don’t want to participate in the undermining of human rights in Palestine by the racist Zionist governments of Israel.”
The EFF believes that liberation is not achieved solely through governmental bodies, politicians, and lawmakers but rather through the global community’s solidarity and unity. This is why they appeal to the international community, as the South African liberation struggle was only as successful with their support.
Despite efforts by the Israeli regime and their Western allies to suppress the voices of Palestinians, reporters, and politicians, including cutting off internet and communication services in Gaza, they cannot silence the ordinary people who tirelessly advocate for those who have been voiceless.
