By Simon Nare
As the government called for restraint on attacks on the US to avoid flaming tensions between the two countries, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has criticised the world superpower over its protection of Israel, labelling the US hypocritical.
Addressing the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA, Mbalula said that while other nations were being held accountable for human rights violations, the US used its veto power in the United Nations to protect Israel from being held accountable for its human rights abuse against Palestinians.
Mbalula said South Africa unequivocally pledged its solidarity with the people of Palestine and demonstrated this by taking Israel to the International Criminal Court for its actions in Gaza.
“History has no blank pages. The world will not forget that the United States has used its veto power in the United Nations security council 48 times over the decade to block any attempt to hold Israel accountable for its illegal actions and violations of the international laws.
“And yet everyone of us and around us and in the world must be held accountable. If you look at Russia and Ukraine situation, what happened to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin? He is declared person non grata. He is facing charges with regards what is called human rights violations.
“But others are exonerated from that. That is the hypocrisy we are talking about, and we are advocating for a rule-based system where all of us are equal and our deep voice of solidarity is with those who remain oppressed, from Palestine to western Sahara, despite pressures exerted on us by those who seek to impose their will on our sovereign state,” he said.
Mbalula said South Africa should not falter in its efforts for a better Africa and world where nations coexisted in peace and recognised the sovereignty of each other.
Mbalula also spoke out against Afrikaans lobby group AfriForum and Solidarity, which he said have been emboldened to make calls that were tantamount to reversing transformative gains.
He said these demands yearned for the return of minority rule and by extension the return of apartheid.
While these calls were finding an audience elsewhere in the world, they were bound to fail as they were based on lies and disinformation, Mbalula said.
He added that the liberation struggle for a free democratic society was under threat.
Mbalula encouraged Denosa to continue fighting for the rights of workers, saying they should not compromise.
“We are not a state of Donald Trump; we are an independent sovereign state in our country. And that is what must be understood,” he said.
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