By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
The Umkhonto we Sizwe Liberation War Veterans (MKLWV) have issued a statement regarding Israel’s offer to help solve the water crises in the Eastern Cape, as well as healthcare, and agriculture expertise. The MKLWV have expressed that this is an attack on the sovereignty of South Africa and the President, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Umkhonto we Sizwe liberation war veterans wish to support and applaud the pointed and measured way the Eastern Cape government and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation have acted against this attack on our sovereignty and President Cyril Ramaphosa” the statement read.
“Our freedom was a result of the international solidarity we enjoyed from the world including from the people of Palestine, whose hospitals, houses, schools, water infrastructure continued to be destroyed by the same people promising to build the same in our backyard.” the statement read further. The MKLWV have expressed that they do not take kindly to Israel offering their “assistance” when they have more than infringed on the human rights of the Palestinian people labelling the Israeli government as “bullies”.
Last week the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) issued a statement saying that they have expelled the Charge d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy, Ariel Freidman, for not acting according to diplomatic protocols and frequent online attacks on the President Cyril Ramaphosa and was given 72 hours to leave the country.
“The likes of Mr. Ariel Seidman, the Charge d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy, have no place in our new democratic South Africa. We will not allow this outsider and some in our country to abuse our constitution to undermine and insult our President and the Premier of the Eastern Cape,” said the statement issued by MKLWV.
Tensions between South Africa and Israel have been mounting since South Africa took the Israeli government to the International Court of Justice in 2024, stating that Israel are allegedly perpetrating genocide against the people of Palestine.
This has now thrown a new spanner in the works in terms of bilateral relations between the two nations and will most likely cause further tensions with the United States who hold strong diplomatic relations with Israel.