The Republic of South Africa is preparing for general elections later this month, and as the date when South Africans prepare to cast their ballots approaches, some analysts are claiming the results might be influenced by a war over 7,000 miles away.
A new report by Al-Jazeera details the incongruous relevance of the Israel-Hamas war in the upcoming South African election, with all of the major parties attempting to stake out a winning foreign policy position on the conflict which continues to ravage the Gaza strip.
During a pre-election panel discussion in Surrey Estate, a predominantly Muslim suburb of Cape Town (South Africa’s most diverse major city, with a large white population), a heated confrontation occurred when a resident interrupted the speaker, shouting, “We cannot allow supporters of baby killers to talk to us,” according to Al-Jazeera’s report. The man was one of many residents gathered to hear representatives from 10 political parties ahead of the upcoming general elections on May 29.
When Riad Davids, representing the Democratic Alliance (DA)—South Africa’s main opposition party known for its support of Israel—took the stage, he faced loud boos and jeers from the audience. The crowd’s hostility prevented Davids from delivering his speech and forced him off the stage.
The issue of Palestine has been a significant topic in the election debates, with the South African government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), openly supporting Palestine. The ANC has condemned human rights violations by Israel and has taken the country to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
The DA, in contrast, did not support the government’s decision to take Israel to the ICJ and has faced criticism for its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict since the war began in October. Despite its historical support for Israel, the DA claims a neutral position.
“The DA stands in solidarity with both Palestinians and Israelis who seek a two-state solution. The DA stands against radicalism and violence. We reject any sentiment that seeks to annihilate either Israel or Palestine. We embrace rationality based on peaceful co-existence for both a secure Israel and a free Palestinian state. We embrace the right of both Palestinians and Israelis to statehood and sovereignty,” the DA said in a statement following the October 7 attacks, titled “Straight Talk: The DA is on the side of peace in Palestine and Israel.”
In the Western Cape, where the DA has governed for the past 15 years, it has typically received support from working-class Muslim communities like Surrey Estate. However, the current anger in the community suggested a shift in sentiment as residents accused the DA of complicity in what they described as genocide in Gaza—an ironic inversion of the situation in the United States, which has seen Muslim voters alienated from the left-wing party they historically supported as a result of Israel’s war on Hamas.
“It is sad that in a Muslim area, where we have a Muslim audience, you want to deny someone the opportunity to speak,” Davids pleaded with the audience, per Al-Jazeera. The crowd responded with chants of “free, free Palestine,” and two Palestinian flags were waved every time the crowd heckled him.
Meanwhile, in the nearby suburb of Rylands, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed residents at a public meeting, reinforcing the ANC’s support for Palestine. Wearing a keffiyeh, Ramaphosa stated his government’s intent to ease visa restrictions for Palestinians traveling to South Africa.
“We will make an exception so that our brothers and sisters from Palestine can come here, not only as refugees but for a variety of reasons,” he said, according to Al-Jazeera, receiving applause.
During a question and answer session, ANC member of parliament Mandla Mandela, grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, questioned Ramaphosa on why South Africans fighting in the Israeli army had not been arrested. Ramaphosa pledged his government would take action.
The community’s strong support for Palestine was evident, with many attendees wearing Palestinian colours and banners behind Ramaphosa declaring, “The ANC stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine.” This display of solidarity is consistent with the ANC’s campaign events, which have frequently featured support for Palestine.
Recently, the ANC participated in the first Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine in Johannesburg, aimed at holding Israel accountable for its actions against Palestinians. At the event, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor reiterated the government’s view that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid and called for stronger measures against it.
“There can never be peace if the Palestinian people are not free … We should be ashamed that 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza,” she said, per Al-Jazeera.
Days before, during a national May Day rally, the ANC led a march in Cape Town in solidarity with Palestinians. “You, as workers, need to join this fight to fight for those who are oppressed around the world. And today as South Africa, we have stood up for the rights of those in other parts of the world [who] are currently being subjected to torture, to violence and genocide,” Ramaphosa told the country’s workers. “And that is why as a country and yes, as an alliance, we have stood firm in our support for the people of Palestine. And that is why we say ‘we want Palestine to be free’,” he said, drawing applause.
The ANC has long compared Israel’s policies towards Palestinians to apartheid-era actions against Black South Africans—a canard which is frequently repeated by who often accuse Israel of being an “apartheid” regime, borrowing the Afrikaans to draw a comparison to South Africa’s system of de jure white minority rule for most of the 20th century. Ironically, blacks under apartheid in South Africa enjoyed many de jure legal rights which are not provided by Israel to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, including citizenship, limited self-governance, some labor organizing rights, and access to the national judicial system. Notwithstanding the Arab Israeli population, Palestinians receive none of these rights which were provided to black South Africans under apartheid.
While the ANC may benefit from its pro-Palestine stance, its position has been consistent. Imraan Buccus, an academic and researcher at Auwal Socio-economic Research Institute, told Al Jazeera that the ANC’s support for Palestine is rooted in historical solidarity between the two countries’ liberation movements.
“The ANC is not opportunistically trying to use the genocide in Palestine for votes. That is an irresponsible narrative,” he told Al-Jazeera.
Opposition leader Herman Mashaba of ActionSA criticized the ANC, claiming its focus on Gaza is a distraction from South Africa’s internal problems.
“The ANC motive is not about the Palestinian people. It’s about diverting attention from the issues facing South Africa,” he said to Al-Jazeera, noting South Africa’s high daily murder rates. “It does not make sense. If I look at the energy they [are] providing to domestic issues compared to the energy they have on international issues it does not add up.”
Gayton McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), a right-wing populist party, also expressed this view, reportedly pointing to South Africa’s high murder rate when asked about Palestine during a town hall, which answer reportedly elicited boos from those there assembles. McKenzie has expressed his support for the Jewish state on social media, attributing his to his religious views, and encouraged Muslims to support Palestine if their religion instructed them to support Palestine.
