South African will unite to demand action for Palestine against apartheid this Saturday.Picture: Timothy Bernard/Independent Newspapers
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), in partnership with the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in the Western Cape, has called on all South Africans to participate in a march to Parliament in Cape Town on Saturday.
This march aims to show solidarity with Palestine and urges the South African government to take decisive action in support of the Palestinian cause.
IOL on Wednesday reported that the march advocates for the implementation of the Apartheid Bill and the sanctioning of Israel, drawing on South Africa's own history of apartheid as a backdrop for the struggle faced by Palestinians today.
The MKP emphasised the significance of this march as part of a broader global movement against what they describe as the "rogue apartheid state of Israel."
In a statement, the MKP Western Cape has called on South Africans to unite in this demonstration of "unwavering commitment to human rights, justice, and international solidarity" against the ongoing violations perpetrated by Israel.
"Israel’s occupation and oppression of Palestine mirror South Africa’s own apartheid past.
"We must stand against injustice and demand equal rights for all,’’ said the MKP.
The party highlighted the daily struggles Palestinians face, including forced displacement, arbitrary arrests, and severe restrictions on movement imposed by Israel.
MKP argues that these actions contravene international law, including the Geneva Conventions and various United Nations resolutions.
The PSC noted that while the South African government ratified the UN International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid in May 2024, the next step is passing legislation to ensure compliance.
This would make South Africa a global leader in the fight for justice by operationalising the country's commitment to the Apartheid Convention and implementing Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, said PSC.
The PSC's call for action comes against the backdrop of what it describes as a year of "escalated genocide" in Gaza, with more than 41,000 Palestinians killed, including 16,500 children, and widespread destruction of critical infrastructure.
The PSC and MKP both condemn Israel's actions beyond Gaza, including extra-judicial killings of figures like Ismail Haniyeh and Sayed Nasrallah, and the invasion of Lebanon.
These events, according to the MKP, demonstrate Israel’s "disregard for sovereignty" and its threat to international peace.
“The genocidal Zionist Israeli regime’s continued and unabated extra-judicial killings and illegal invasions are blatant violations of international law.
‘’Together, we can make a difference and demand justice for the Palestinian people,” the MKP said.
The march is expected to start at 10am from the corners of Hanover and Chapel Street in District Six and end at Parliament, where demands for the South African Parliament to pass the Apartheid Bill will be made. This move aims to enforce the country’s international obligations and establish Apartheid-Free Zones across the nation.
IOL Politics