Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni says it is more important for the government to ensure Palestinian lives are spared than to act on a call from Parliament to sever diplomatic ties with Israel.
No action has yet been taken on a resolution adopted by the National Assembly in 2023 for the government to deny Israel an embassy in South Africa.
Ntshaveni said with the Israeli ambassador to South Africa already being recalled, the exercise would be purely academic.
Government again approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recently asking it to amend interim measures issued in its genocide case against Israel as children died of malnutrition during the war on Gaza.
At the penultimate meeting of Cabinet on Thursday, South Africa’s support for Palestinians in Gaza was once again on the agenda.
Ntshaveni said South Africa is hoping the ICJ will accede to its request for more or amended measures to secure Palestinian lives.
With the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in February registering its unhappiness over the government’s failure to act on Parliament’s resolution for the closure of embassies, Ntshaveni said it was not the government’s main focus.
South Africa recalled its diplomats from Tel Aviv in 2023.
“Our primary concern is not a closure of embassies where there’s nobody. The primary concern is that the people of Gaza must have peace, the people of Rafah must be safe, and there’s no threat that gets extended to the West Bank,” said Ntshaveni.
South Africa asked the ICJ to consider its latest application without a hearing with the hopes of speeding up a decision.
-EWN
In other news – WATCH: Babes Wodumo involved in a fight with a costume designer after no pay
A clip of popular Mzansi singer, and dancer Babes Wodumo has gone viral after she was seen confronting a costume designer as seen in a post shared by MaphephaNdaba on Wednesday, 13 March.
According to the gossip blog, a costume designer who owns SK’Dee Designs shared that on 28 February this year, Babes Wodumo’s dancers, Smiso Zulu and Sanele Smallz hired a few costumes from her store as they were booked to perform at the IFP Manifesto in Hammersdale. Read More