A recently published article by renowned writer, activist, and political scientist Sisonke Msimang poignantly draws parallels between the lives of Black South African mothers and Palestinian mothers, highlighting their shared role in bearing witness and struggling for freedom in their homelands.
Msimang was a guest on Salaamedia’s News and Views show with presenter Selaelo Makhwidiri, speaking about the heartlessness and shamelessness of the apartheid state of Israel.
Msimang recently published ‘Even if you hid me in your arms, they would kill me’.
According to Msimang, this is the first time many people are witnessing the raw, uncensored visuals of a genocide being livestreamed through their digital devices, leaving many unsure of how to respond. This sense of powerlessness led her to write.
“And though it may seem more bleak because the technology of violence, the impunity of the Israelis is even more so than what we experienced, I think that we have an obligation to keep our eyes on Gaza… because other people did that for us, and it was in their watching and the actions that they then created on the basis of their watching that we were able to find freedom.”
In her article, Msimang recalled the testimony of Catherine Mlangeni, the mother of anti-apartheid activist and human rights lawyer Bheki Mlangeni, to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Catherine recounted the horrific manner in which she found her son, who had been assassinated in 1991 when an explosive device planted in a cassette player detonated.
“And so she had to witness this horror of finding her son with the cassette tape that essentially blew him up. So it’s a very viscerally damaging scene to view, and of course, it happened in front of his son and his wife. And so she came to the TRC to testify—to talk about what she had seen—but she also had a lot of memories about what it had meant to be the mother of an activist,” Msimang said.
“And one of the things that happened in the TRC is that we focused in on the moment where activists disappeared, were killed, died. And in fact, what many people had were long memories of how they lived with activism, how they were activists themselves, but how they survived the regime.”
Msimang described how Catherine hid her son, lied to the apartheid police, and when they found him at home, protested—placing her body between the police and her son, insisting they could not take him without her. Catherine knew that those taken by the police often never made it to the station and were never seen or heard from again.
This was not unique, and similar images of Winnie Mandela placing her body between police and community could easily be evoked.
“I think Palestinian women, Palestinian mothers have a very long and a similar history to Black women in South Africa, of putting their bodies on the line.”
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Msimang also referenced an iconic image that captured the world’s attention: Ahed Tamimi, standing near an Israeli tank.
“One of the things that we have witnessed in the genocide is the inability of that kind of courage to find its way to stop the bombs. Because you can stand in front of a tank and you will make eye contact with the person who is driving that tank, and there is maybe a sense of hope that our humanity might find its way through—you’re taking a chance. As Catherine Mlangeni and so many Black women were taking a chance when they did that, and so there was still a sense of shame, even in that horrible situation,” Msimang said.
“I think what is now clear is that there is no sense of shame when it comes to Palestine and when it comes to what the Israeli forces will do to women, to children. The genocide disconnects the capacity for that kind of change in the moment—a change of mind is no longer possible.”
While this reality is bleak and difficult to think about, Msimang emphasised that the world’s eyes must remain fixed on Gaza. People must speak out and appeal to the sense of shame that still exists in those in power.
She drew comparisons between Catherine Mlangeni and the mother of Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, who was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on March 24, 2025.
Msimang noted a feeling of familiarity with Shabat’s mother when she recalled her son telling her that danger was everywhere, that wherever he went, danger followed, and that she should not prevent him from walking toward it—because he would do so regardless.
“We are familiar with the heroism and the courage of so many freedom fighters who walked towards danger, like so many people in Palestine at this moment.”
One of the similarities between the two apartheid regimes, she noted, was the targeting of journalists and outspoken individuals, often through kidnappings.
Thirty years into democracy, South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority continues to operate the Missing Persons Task Team to trace those who disappeared.
Another parallel is the apartheid regime’s vast expenditure on propaganda.
“They spent a lot of time, money, and energy on manufacturing lies, and we see similarly with Israel. So we see that the biggest shield for Israel is this word ‘Hamas’—everything is Hamas. And in service of this shield, Hamas, we’ve seen clearly over 100,000 people who have been killed by the Israeli forces. And we also know that enshrined in international law, it is very clear: you cannot bomb places where there are civilians without taking adequate measures to get those civilians out of the way.”
Part of the reason why she writes is to make the connection to the memories. Msimang explains:
“To the role of mothers, to the visceral experience of how it feels to watch your loved ones be taken, killed, maimed by forces that exist to oppress you, is one that is so human. It’s such a strong human connection and one that African people in South Africa know very well. And so in part I write to remind people of this connection.”
It was particularly important for younger Black South Africans to remember and fully understand these historical connections and who assisted in the struggle for freedom.
“Of course people always free themselves—we are led by Palestinian people and what they demand and what they ask for. So we often have to keep quiet about what we think the future should look like because we have to listen to Palestinians. But in the same way, we also know that it was the support of the world that helped Black South Africans to free themselves.”
Image: sisonkemsimang.com
