Protesters deliver petition to parliament, urging tougher action beyond ICJ case, including embassy closure and trade embargoes.
CAPE TOWN, 27.09.25 – In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations in months, more than 3,000 people marched through the streets of Cape Town on Saturday, vociferously demanding the South African government escalate its response to the war in Gaza by severing all diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
The protest, which saw a coalition of political parties, trade unions, and interfaith groups unite under a banner of Palestinian solidarity, underscores the persistent public pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to take more concrete actions. While South Africa has won international praise for its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), protesters argue that symbolic and legal victories must be followed by material consequences.
From Courtroom to Streets: Demands for Concrete Action
The procession, vibrant with Palestinian flags and placards bearing slogans like “Don’t just feel bad, do something” and “Free Palestine,” culminated at the Houses of Parliament. There, leaders handed over a formal petition outlining a series of demands.
The key demands include:
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The immediate closure of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and the expulsion of its ambassador.
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A full-scale trade embargo, specifically highlighting the cessation of South African coal exports to Israel.
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Legal action against any South African citizens who have enlisted to serve in the Israeli military.
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Support for Israel’s exclusion from international sporting bodies like FIFA.
Speaking to the crowd, Usuf Chikte, a coordinator for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, framed the demands within South Africa’s own history. He invoked the international boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement that helped end apartheid, urging the government to apply the same moral principle to Israel.
“South Africa must ‘boycott, divest and sanction Israel, the same way as the world did for us,’” Chikte declared. “The government has to take action on the kicking out of Israel’s ambassador and embassy from South Africa now.”
Government Stance and International Context
The protest places a spotlight on the South African government’s nuanced position. Pretoria has been among the most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. In a landmark case at the ICJ, South Africa argued that Israel’s offensive—which has, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, killed at least 65,926 people—amounts to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies.
While the court issued provisional orders for Israel to prevent acts of genocide and allow humanitarian aid, it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire. For many protesters, these legal efforts, while important, are insufficient without tangible diplomatic and economic pressure.
The march also coincided with heightened diplomatic tensions. Earlier in the week, Hamas officials pointed to a mass walkout by several delegations before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly as evidence of Israel’s growing “isolation.” Taher Al-Nunu, a media adviser to Hamas’s political bureau, stated that the boycott was a “manifestation of the consequences of the war of extermination.”
Saturday’s large turnout in Cape Town signals that domestic pressure on the South African government is unlikely to abate, pushing it to consider more drastic measures against Israel despite the complex international ramifications.
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