Zimpapers Logo

JOHANNESBURG. – South African citizens who fight in or alongside Israel’s armed forces in Gaza will be arrested upon their return, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has said.

This has widened the divide between the two nations after South Africa brought charges of genocide against Israel to the highest court of the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor commented earlier this week during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians attended by representatives of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

She also encouraged people to demonstrate outside the embassies of what she called the “five main supporters” of Israel and its military action in Gaza. She did not name them but was certainly referring to the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, among others.

“I have already started to alert South Africans fighting alongside or in the Israeli Defence Forces: We are ready. When you return home, we will arrest you,” Pandor said, to loud applause.

In December, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the South African government was concerned that some of its citizens or permanent residents had joined the Israeli Defence Forces to fight in Gaza and warned that they could be prosecuted because They had not received permission to do so under South African arms control laws. – africanews.com