Statement by Mr Alvin Botes, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, on the occasion of the Ministerial Meeting of the Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement on Palestine, Kampala, Uganda
Excellencies,
We meet today on a day of deep historical resonance. Thirty-eight years ago, on 15 October 1987, the revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, was assassinated for daring to imagine a sovereign, self-reliant, and united Africa. His life and death remind us that imperialism never forgives independence, and that the struggle for dignity is eternal. Sankara’s legacy is one of courage, moral clarity, and unflinching solidarity with the oppressed—principles that guide our deliberations today, as we stand with the people of Palestine.
This meeting also takes place in the 70th anniversary year of the Bandung Conference of 1955, where the leaders of Asia and Africa declared their right to self-determination and forged the moral compass of what would become the Non-Aligned Movement. The Bandung Principles—mutual respect, equality, sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, and peaceful coexistence—remain as relevant today as they were seven decades ago. They are the antidote to unilateralism, occupation, and the erosion of international law. And nowhere is their relevance more urgent than in the Palestinian question, which continues to expose the double standards of our global order.
We thank Uganda for convening the Ministerial Committee of the NAM on Palestine and we are grateful for the briefing provided by Dr Mansour on the latest developments.
The South African Government welcomes the peace plan agreed upon between Hamas and Israel. We commend all states that were part of mediating this agreement, including NAM member states, Egypt and Qatar.
We hope that this agreement will pave the way for ending the attacks on Gaza, bringing about durable peace and ending the occupation in Gaza and the West Bank.
It remains imperative for all parties to commit to the steps agreed upon in the peace plan and follow through with a credible and inclusive political process that will ensure an end to the tragic and catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent further loss of lives.
We further welcome the release of hostages and political prisoners; commend the role played by the guarantor states; and call for the immediate, unhindered, entry of much needed humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
The cost to human lives and the brutality and genocide suffered by civilians in Gaza, particularly women and children, has been immeasurable. The devastation left behind on the people of Palestine must never again be exacted on any civilian population.
South Africa reiterates its call for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation and the realisation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. There must be a just and lasting peace, in keeping with values of shared humanity and respect for international law.
South Africa stands ready to share its experiences in peacebuilding and transitional justice, including reconciliation, and, in moving forward, assist in nation-building efforts.
Excellencies,
Over the last two years, we have seen blatant attacks on civilians; the deliberate targeting of sites hosting displaced people and people trying to access food; the blockade of humanitarian aid; the ongoing siege of Gaza; and the forcible movement of the people of Gaza. These acts are gross violations of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.
These violations have been met with very little action from the global mechanisms that have an obligation to act. Notably, the United Nations Security Council, the body created 80 years ago to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, has been unable to act. We must work harder at reforming the United Nations so that it is more capable of responding to the protection of civilians. We need to establish a system of global governance that is fair, equitable, and has the capacity to respond to the needs of all persons in situations of threat and harm – a system that is not just a tool for the most powerful countries of the world, but that provides protection for the most vulnerable.
Excellencies,
South Africa has chosen to act in accordance with our constitutional values and international law obligations. Therefore, the decision by the government of South Africa to institute an application against Israel before the ICJ, alleging that Israel was responsible for violations of the Genocide Convention, was done with a view to fulfilling our legal obligations as a state party to the Convention to prevent genocide. We have chosen to be on the side of the global majority that has rejected these horrific actions. Our case was initially rejected in some quarters as populist, blood libel, meritless and baseless. Today, there is a growing body of consensus that what has taken place in Gaza is indeed a genocide.
South Africa has documented such violations, which are contained in dossiers submitted to the Security Council. These dossiers contain publicly available material providing evidence of genocidal conduct by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. We encourage Member States and other interested parties to study these dossiers.
Excellencies,
While focusing on Gaza, we should not forget what is going on in the West Bank where Palestinian rights continue to be violated. We are particularly concerned by the motion of the Israeli Knesset calling for applying Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, signalling the intention of Israel to annex this territory. This could effectively bury the two-state solution.
We welcome the holding of the High-Level Conference on the Two-State Solution that took place in New York recently. As President Cyril Ramaphosa, who participated in the meeting, stated to the UN General Assembly, “this meeting reflected the determination of the global majority that Palestinians deserve a peaceful state alongside a peaceful Israel. The long overdue announcement by an increasing number of countries to recognise the State of Palestine is testament to this determination.”
Excellencies,
As a Movement, the NAM cannot avoid our duty to act together to support the people of Palestine. We must shoulder the responsibility to remove obstacles to peace and to ensure accountability for the gravest violations of international law. The Movement’s founding Bandung Principles remain a beacon of hope for those under oppression and continue to inspire us all to stand up against all forms of external unfavourable pressures.
In the spirit of Thomas Sankara, who famously declared that “you cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness,” we must summon the moral courage to confront injustice without fear or compromise. Let us ensure that Bandung at 70 is not merely a commemoration, but a recommitment —a renewal of solidarity, a declaration that the Global South will not be silent while Palestine burns.
The Bandung spirit calls upon us to resist domination, to uphold justice, and to build a world in which the sovereignty of small nations carries the same weight as that of the powerful. As we honour Sankara’s legacy, we must affirm that the liberation of Palestine is not an act of charity—it is a duty of conscience, a defence of humanity itself.
I thank you.
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