Zwelifihle Mandela, the grandson of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, expressed that "the war on Gaza is a clear example of Western imperialism and the hypocrisy of its nations." He noted that it is not surprising that "they have not imposed sanctions on the apartheid state of Israel nor issued an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war criminal ministers," as they did with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a comprehensive interview with Al Jazeera Net to be published later, Mandela's grandson stated that South Africa's legal team will pursue the case brought before the International Court of Justice, but they are awaiting a report from Israel in order to explore available options.
Zwelifihle, who was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, highlighted that his country's legal team has done remarkable work at the International Court of Justice to "hold the Zionist state accountable for its genocide and ethnic cleansing, as well as war crimes" against Palestinians in Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine.
Reflecting on history, the grandson recalled quotes from the late Mandela, who stated that he drew inspiration for his struggle against occupation and apartheid from the Palestinian fight, declaring, "Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinian people."
Today, Zwelifihle, a member of Parliament representing the African National Congress, emphasized that "the past commitment has become real today," asserting that this generation is continuing Mandela's commitment and will defend the Palestinian cause. However, he stressed that the freedom of the Palestinian people will not be achieved solely by South Africa's legal team, and "there must be international pressure to ensure accountability for those committing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity."
