ANC members, including president Cyril Ramaphosa, are seen wearing their keffiyeh and waving the Palestine flag.
Image: ANC/X/Supplied
While the inclement Cape Town weather saw the cancellation of the World Keffiyeh Day silent protest in Sea Point, that has not doused the fire of the support for Palestine with other events scheduled to take place across the City this week.
The silent human chain event, which was being organised by Cape Town Intifada and Deep South For Palestine was set to take place at 2pm but was cancelled due to safety concerns.
“Due to expected strong gale-force winds and severe weather conditions, the Silent Human Chain event organised by Cape Town Intifada scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday) has been for everyone’s safety.”
The country's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is ongoing. The South African government has accused Israel of violating international law through its ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, where more than 52,000 people have been killed.
The country alleged that Israel's settlement expansion, restrictions on movement, and military operations amount to violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Recently, Israel requested an extension stating that their filing of the counter-memorial "had been significantly impeded because of a range of evidentiary issues that had arisen in connection" with the memorial South Africa filed.
Despite South Africa's objection, Israel was granted an extension by the ICJ until 28 January 2026.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Chairperson, Jaamia Galant, said that World Keffiyeh Day is used to mark the iconic black-and-white scarf which embodies Palestinian resistance, resilience and global solidarity.
“Worn worldwide, the keffiyeh is a visual protest against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and its apartheid regime in the West Bank.
A symbol of unbroken resistance, the keffiyeh’s threads weave a story of displacement and defiance. Born from the Palestinian struggle, it became a global emblem of solidarity after the 1948 Nakba – the catastrophic ethnic cleansing of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homeland.
“Today, as Israel’s bombardment kills over 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza and displaces 1,9 million, the keffiyeh reminds us that oppression is live-streamed genocide,” Galant said.
In his recent newsletters, Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies director, Daniel Bloch, said they are committed to protecting the Jewish way of life, defending their right to be Jewish, fighting anti-Semitism, "and ensuring that South Africa—and Cape Town in particular—remains one of the safest places in the world for Jewish people".
"It seems South Africans and many around the world are tired of the lies and misinformation, especially after learning how Hamas brutally murdered two young Jewish children whilst in captivity, and then paraded their coffins for the world to see."
Bloch added: "Despite the issues plaguing our government, the anti-Israel protests...and other challenges facing our community, one thing that has not changed and remained steadfast is our community’s resilience, strength and resolve."
Good Party Secretary-General, Brett Herron said: “The world is witnessing atrocious ethnic cleansing and genocide without doing enough to end it. Israel is acting with impunity and in most cases the support of western nations who preach about human rights.
“Multilateral mechanisms, like the United Nations and its Courts, established to ensure that the world never experiences the kind of political movements that led to World War have been rendered impotent by member states who have acted selectively in their commitment to basic human rights and sovereignty.
“The people of Palestine have suffered under occupation and oppression for more years than any people should ever have to endure,” Herron said.
“We wear the Keffiyeh in solidarity with the righteous cause for justice for Palestine and World Keffiyeh Day is just one of many important opportunities to remind the world and its leaders of the suffering that cannot be denied and of their duty to end it.”
Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC, Nomvula Mokonyane, said: “As the world anticipates the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, catastrophe for Palestinians, we wear our keffiyehs as a sign of resistance to oppression but also as a symbol of hope for freedom.
“As we wear our keffiyehs and mark Nakba Day on 15 May, we continue to think of the suffering of millions of Palestinians but also continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba, Western Sahara and Venezuela.”
Galant added that the PSC is inviting people to join on Saturday, 18 May 2025, at 12noon at the Castle of Good Hope where they will commemorate Nakba Day (15 May).
theolin.temb@inl.co.za