Wardah Wilkinson

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, has reiterated the country’s commitment to pursuing justice in its ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He made the remarks at a briefing to both the Joint Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, as well as the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.

The 84-page legal case, filed in December 2023, argues that Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip constitute a state-led genocide, violating the Genocide Convention. As a result, South Africa has requested provisional measures from the world’s highest court to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Minister Lamola explained to the committee that numerous eminent scholars globally had confirmed and warned against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Among them is Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, a South African medical doctor serving as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.

In April 2024, Dr Mofokeng warned the Human Rights Council about the devastating impact of Israel’s actions on Gaza’s healthcare system, stating that it had been “completely obliterated” and the right to health had been “decimated at every level”.

She later coined the term “medicide” in October 2024 to describe the systematic destruction of medical access through military force and state policy. By June 2025, she declared that the right to health in Gaza had become “virtually non-existent.”

The minister further noted that Dr Mofokeng’s findings were supported by two prominent Israeli organisations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel. These groups have produced detailed reports that independently confirm the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and provide further evidence of the severe impact of Israel’s actions on the Palestinian population.

Lamola emphasised South Africa’s commitment to protecting the Palestinian people and ending all forms of apartheid and genocide against them. He explained to lawmakers that it had become increasingly clear that Israel’s response to events, such as the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, had been disproportionately severe.

“It became apparent that Israel’s conduct was increasingly genocidal, as is the case today,” he stated. “Social media are awash with genocidal statements of influential and prominent office bearers of the government of Israel.”

During the committee meeting in Greenpoint, he drew attention to the situation on the ground, saying: “As we gather here right now, Gaza and Palestinians are being wiped off the map”.

He defended South Africa’s decision to bring the case before the ICJ as a means to protect the Palestinian people and end all forms of apartheid and genocide. He argued that the South African government had aligned its actions with its constitutional values and

international law obligations, standing with the global majority that has condemned Israel’s actions.

The Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Zane Dangor, delivered a PowerPoint presentation to the committee to explain the situation in Gaza.

Since South Africa instituted legal action against Israel, famine has been confirmed in Gaza, leaving nearly two million people facing acute hunger and death. Dangor stated: “Famine and the humanitarian crisis are not side effects of war, but they were the intention of the military action and the attacks on housing, hospitals, and infrastructure”.

According to the latest statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 10 September 2025, unprecedented levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are attributed to Israel’s deliberate blocking and delays in providing large-scale humanitarian aid. This has resulted in 361 Palestinians, including 130 children, succumbing to malnutrition as of 5 September 2025. Additionally, over half a million people are facing catastrophic conditions marked by starvation, destitution, and death, with 1.07 million people (54%) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 396,000 people (20%) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).

Dangor highlighted the impact of Israel’s actions, stating that by the time South Africa initiated proceedings at the ICJ, “21,000 Palestinians were killed (that number has since trebled and now stands at over 63,000, but numbers are likely much higher)”. Moreover, at least 355,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Israel in Gaza, resulting in 1.9 million Palestinians being internally displaced and forced to live in makeshift tents without access to basic facilities. The healthcare system in Gaza has collapsed, leading to contagious and epidemic diseases among the displaced population.

Dangor emphasised that South Africa views Israel’s militarisation of aid distribution as a tactic that has resulted in hundreds of Palestinians being killed and thousands injured while queuing for food in inhumane ways.

He explained that the country’s decision to take legal action was motivated by its obligations under the Genocide Convention, stating: “South Africa witnessed one of the most serious crimes during apartheid: crimes against humanity. It could not stand by while another apartheid state was inflicting a crime that would shock the conscience of mankind. This time, South Africa needed to be on the right side of history”.

In response to these developments, South Africa has submitted three dossiers of public evidence to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), detailing Israel’s violations of the Genocide Convention. The country’s memorial was filed on 28 October 2024, and Israel is required to file its counter-memorial by 12 January 2026.

The Director-General expressed the country’s concern regarding Israel’s disregard for international law, emphasising that its actions pose a threat to the credibility of the ICJ and international law itself.

“South Africa is exploring various mechanisms established under international law to enforce Israel’s compliance, including Article 94(2) of the UN Charter and Article 11 of the Internal

Judicial Practice Resolution of the Court.” He added that Pretoria will continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to ensure compliance with international law.

The case at the ICJ is not supported by all Members of Parliament (MPs). Ryan Smith, the international relations spokesman of the centrist Democratic Alliance (DA), which is also a member of the 10-party Government of National Unity (GNU), raised concerns about the National Treasury’s recent allocation of an additional R37 million to fund the government’s genocide case, bringing the total expenditure to over R130 million.

Smith questioned the committee: “There is a financial cost; there is an economic cost. What have we inflicted upon the people of South Africa in the greater international space and in terms of the greater international political economy, and how are South Africans paying the price for this?”