Pandor speaking after the ICJ interim ruling in January
In another step to try to stop the slaughter, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has announced that South African citizens who fight in the Israeli armed forces or alongside them in Gaza will be arrested upon their return to the country for participating in genocide. South Africa previously laid accusations of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which led to an initial interim ruling on January 26 that backed many of the points made in its case against Israel under the Genocide Convention. It has twice further asked the court to intervene against a possible Israeli attack on Rafah and to prevent mass famine.
According to the Associated Press Pandor made this statement during a Palestinian solidarity event attended by officials from South Africa’s ruling African National Congress. She also encouraged people to protest outside the embassies of what she referred to as the “five primary supporters” of Israel and its military action in Gaza. Although she didn’t explicitly name them, it is likely that she was referring to countries such as the United States, the U.K., and Germany.
AP further reports that in December, the South African foreign ministry expressed concern that some citizens or permanent residents had joined the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to fight in Gaza. The ministry warned that those who hadn’t been granted permission to do so under South Africa’s arms control laws could face prosecution. Additionally, individuals with dual South African-Israeli citizenship could potentially be stripped of their South African citizenship.
South Africa has been a leader within the international community in trying to get the ICJ, UN and international community to step up and do much more to force an end to Israel's genocide.