In the biting cold of a Johannesburg winter morning, hundreds gathered in Soweto on Saturday, 21 June 2025, for a historic Palestine Solidarity Walk. The event, hosted by Salaamedia as part of a tour featuring renowned Palestinian photojournalist Belal Khaled, drew a powerful parallel between South Africa’s fight against apartheid and the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Participants, draped in Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, began the walk at 8 a.m. from the iconic Regina Mundi Church, a historic site of anti-apartheid resistance, and proceeded to the Dlamini Mosque. The march was a visually striking display of unity and a poignant call for global action, organised by a coalition including The Seth Mazibuko Foundation, COSATU, and Africa 4 Palestine.
The event aimed to connect the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprising with the current situation in Gaza, which has seen a devastating death toll of over 55 900 since October 2023, according to the territory’s health ministry.
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Speakers at the event drew direct lines between the historical injustices faced by Black South Africans and the current plight of Palestinians. Inayet Wadee of Salaamedia spoke of a “press genocide,” highlighting the killing of over 200 journalists in Gaza in just over 600 days. “We have heard constantly the cries of a nation,” Wadee declared. “We have witnessed the screams from charred and rotting bodies in burning tents… and sometimes words alone cannot be sufficient to express the injustice.”
Seth Mazibuko, a 1976 Soweto Uprising veteran, shared an emotional testimony, comparing the violence of that era to the scenes unfolding in Gaza today. “When I see what is happening in that area, I get very emotional,” he said, recalling the bodies of children mowed down on June 16th. “The world is watching children being mutilated.”
Activist Amaarah Garda delivered a rousing call to action, urging governments to move beyond rhetoric. “What we are doing today is saying to the South African government, to all governments, that if they don’t take action against the genocidal apartheid colonial state, we will,” she proclaimed.
Garda stressed that true solidarity must be consistent, condemning racism and xenophobia within South Africa itself. “It cannot be that I am supporting Palestine loudly, calling for decolonisation… but I am racist,” she challenged the crowd. “Our hope is that South Africa and Palestine can be partners in liberation, not just in struggle.”
The walk served as a powerful testament to the enduring bond between the two nations, transforming the streets of Soweto into a symbol of a global call for justice and freedom for Palestine.
Image: Nasreen Naidoo/Salaamedia
