South Africa’s moral leadership must not be betrayed

SOUTH Africa is in deep crisis. The scale of unemployment, the collapse of public services, the precipitous decline of major cities, and pervasive corruption have left many people disillusioned. The ANC, once the bearer of our democratic hopes, has squandered much of its legitimacy.

- DR IMRAAN BUCCUS

It would be naive to deny these failures.

But amid this bleak domestic reality, there is one area where South Africa has stood firm and offered rare global moral leadership: its unwavering support for the Palestinian people. That principled stance, culminating in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, has resonated across the globe and reminded many of what ethical internationalism can look like in an age of cynicism.

Itis precisely because of this moral clarity that William Gumede'’s recent call for rapprochement with Israel is so alarming.

In his piece, Gumede argues that the Government of National Unity should reinstate ties with Israel, drop its genocide application at the ICJ, and learn from countries like India and China that have maintained economic relations with Israel despite ongoing atrocities. But this position is morally indefensible.

At a time when the Israeli state is executing a campaign of mass slaughter in Gaza - described as genocide not just by South Africa but by leading legal scholars, UN experts, and global human rights organisations — to advocate normalisation is to capitulate to power over principle.

Gumede couches his argument in the language of pragmatism. He invokes trade, technology, and economic growth. But there are moments in history when pragmatism, stripped of principle, becomes complicity.

The brutal reality unfolding in Gaza ~ the killing of over 50 000 people, the use of starvation as a weapon, the targeted bombing of hospitals and schools - is not a sideshow to be politely ignored while we talk commerce. It is the central question of our moral standing in the world.