The ANC is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Nomvula Mokonyane has told RT
The Israeli government’s goal is to eliminate the Palestinians, the first deputy secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, has told RT in an exclusive interview. Pretoria filed a genocide case against Israel with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in late December 2023.
Mokonyane said the situation in Gaza in which children are killed in a hospital is “an act against humanity,” adding that South Africa took the case to The Hague to “stop [Israel’s] intention of eliminating the Palestinians.”
The ANC’s goal “is not about being against the people of Israel. We’re against the system, Zionism, the capture of sovereign states, and against genocide,” she stated.
Years ago, the women and children of Palestine stood with the ANC against Apartheid in South Africa, while they were also “in an occupied environment and also being exploited by the Israeli government,” Mokonyane said.
The South African politician noted that there was a time when Africans thought the South African Apartheid government “would never come to the table. And it took international isolation that they realized that they cannot continue like this. Even with Apartheid Israel, the world will have to come to that realization.”
Mokonyane said the ANC is calling for an immediate ceasefire and urgent action to aid in the delivery of humanitarian goods.
In the event the court rules to the contrary, it would be “the court’s own responsibility” to explain “what would have driven them not to appreciate that this is actually a violation of the genocide convention,” she added.
Mokonyane said South Africa should be “guided and advised by the people of Palestine themselves,” and the ANC wants to remain “on the side of humanity.”
South Africa’s case against Israel for genocide was heard by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Thursday. Pretoria requested a preliminary ruling to persuade West Jerusalem to suspend its military campaign in Gaza. Israel has strongly denied the allegations of genocide.
Thousands of rockets were fired by Hamas during their invasion of Israel on October 7. In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive bombing campaign and ground invasion against Gaza.