‘Mandela would be smiling’ - SA govt believes it's on right side of history with Israel genocide case
On Friday, the South African government got its first win at the ICJ which ordered Israel to ‘take all measures in its power’ to prevent a genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
- South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
- Israel Hamas conflict
- International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola and South African Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela attend the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ahead of the hearing of the genocide case against Israel brought by South Africa, in The Hague on 11 January 2024. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - The South African government believes it is on the right side of history with its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
On Friday, the South African government got its first win at the ICJ when the world court granted it some of the provisional measures it sought.
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These include, among others, Israel ensuring its army does not commit genocide against Palestinian people and for its government to allow for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The ICJ did not, however, order a ceasefire.
On Friday, members of the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), stopped short of hoisting Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola into the air following the delivering of the ICJ ruling.
Lamola said South Africa’s first democratic president, Nelson Mandela, would be proud of this government’s feat.
“I am very humbled. I believe Mandela would be smiling in his grave. We stood on his shoulders, and we did him very proud by standing on the issues that he would have advocated for himself.
“As you are aware, the Genocide Convention was one of the conventions he advocated for very vociferously.”
Deputy Minister of International Relations Alvin Botes said it was part of South Africa’s foreign policy to not stand idly by in the face of injustice.