‘Another Nakba will not happen under our watch'
People held a peaceful demonstration at the Castle Of Good Hope in Cape Town on Sunday, joining the global community in commemorating Nakba Day.
Image: File
Thousands of protesters gathered at the Castle of Good Hope for the remembrance of Nakba Day on Sunday, which marked 77 years of Palestinians' dispossession.
They joined tens of thousands who rallied across the world in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war on Gaza and to mark the 1948 attack on Palestinians, remembered as the Nakba, or catastrophe.
The Nakba resulted in the permanent mass displacement of Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said as Israel's brutal assault on Gaza and the West Bank intensifies - targeting civilians, journalists, medics and aid workers - the world cannot remain silent.
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The PSC demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. It also called for an end to all arms sales to Israel and justice and freedom for Palestinians.
'We are gathering at the Castle of Good Hope - a fortress of colonial violence - to stand against the violence of apartheid in Palestine. Our message is clear: apartheid must end, whether in South Africa's history or Palestine's present,' read a message from the organisers.
One of the speakers, Jaamia Galant said the rally was a sign that there should be no more silence over the ongoing fight against Palestine.
'Today we gathered to commemorate the 77 years of Nakba. This is after the displacement of over 700 000 Palestinians from their homes and villages in 1948. This was the beginning of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.
"For the past 17 months... we have been witnessing the second Nakba in Gaza,' she said.
'More than 50 000, and of them 80% are of women and children, have been massacred with intent, and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless, and are now driven to starvation by Israel's siege of Gaza. This is with the unconditional support of the US and the Western imperial powers to realise a second Nakba,' she said.
"We stand here and join all the people in saying we will not allow another Nakba on our watch. Apartheid is a violation of internationally protected human rights. We have told Israel to account,' she said.
The government has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in Gaza by Israel.
In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said this comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on May 15, 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day.
'The international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, pertinently international humanitarian, and human rights law.
'This includes the implementation of effective measures to bring an end to the occupation, the ongoing policies and practices of collective punishment, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,' Dirco said.
Furthermore, Dirco said there must be an immediate halt to the practices of arbitrary and administrative detention, as well as to acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children.
'These actions are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms/standards as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
"It is imperative that all Palestinian detainees held without due process be released, and that all victims – especially children – be provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation, in accordance with international law and justice.
'The credibility of the international order depends on the consistent application of international law and accountability for all violations, regardless of the perpetrator,' Dirco said.
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The aid currently reaching Palestinians in Gaza is far from sufficient, and international humanitarian organisations have warned that the vast majority of Palestinians who live in the enclave are at risk of starvation unless the distribution of aid is urgently increased. 'A special moral responsibility' The signatories to the statement said they believed that Stellenbosch University had 'a special moral responsibility' to break its silence on the issue, given its history of facilitating, colluding and collaborating with apartheid, and thus violating human rights'. 'As academics and concerned staff on the African continent, and part of a global society, we recognise that our responsibilities must extend into the cultivation of a public good, not for some, but for all people. 'We also recognise our own positioning at Stellenbosch University, a context that continues to enjoy immense privilege, but which carries historical burdens. Our institution's renewed commitment to transformation demands a heightened sensitivity to human suffering and indifference, not only in the context of South Africa, but also beyond,' the statement read. Speaking to Daily Maverick, Professor Ashraf Kagee from Stellenbosch University's Department of Psychology said he believed that individual academics and institutions 'must be vocal and outspoken in condemning human rights violations of this nature'. 'I think we need to be very clear that we do not ever want to see a world where this is possible; where this is acceptable. And we need to marshal all organs of society, the institutions, the corporations, the governments of the world to address this matter, to isolate Israel, to put as much pressure on the Israeli government and its supporters in the West to make this genocide stop immediately,' he said. 'It's remarkable that almost two years since the genocide began, nothing has been done to stop it. In fact, Western countries are aiding and abetting Israel with support of their militaries.' Kagee said while there had been 'historical complicity with apartheid' at Stellenbosch University, the institution was making a concerted effort to reposition itself, and publicly calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza 'fits in' with its transformation efforts and a crackdown on racism, sexism and other issues of injustice at the institution. 'Suspend collaboration with implicated Israeli universities' Among the demands in the statement is the call for Stellenbosch University to 'commit itself to suspending all collaboration with Israeli universities where there is a risk of direct or indirect involvement in human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories'. Professor Sandy Liebenberg, the HF Oppenheimer chair in Human Rights Law at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Law, said several universities worldwide had done audits of their relationships with Israeli universities and severed ties with those complicit in human rights violations. 'We would like to see the management of the university putting out a statement at least distancing itself from and condemning the gross violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law that's unfolding. But, perhaps more fundamentally, we would like to see some kind of audit committee set up to look at the contacts which might exist between Stellenbosch and implicated institutions – Israeli universities that might be complicit in human rights violations,' she said. In response to questions from Daily Maverick, Stellenbosch University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said: 'Stellenbosch University (SU) recognises the severity and far-reaching impact of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. It is important to emphasise that our institution stands firmly for the principles of peace, respect for human rights, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and the principles of international humanitarian law. 'SU is a multistakeholder institution and members of this diverse community will often have differing views on a multitude of matters. While SU as an institution must safeguard this freedom, it does however strongly condemn any form of violence where innocent lives are affected,' said Viljoen. He said that although a resolution on the conflict was not accepted by a majority of the Stellenbosch University Senate in April last year, the university 'acknowledges that this is a humanitarian crisis that has a devastating impact in the region as well as globally and has repeatedly expressed its sympathy for all those affected. 'It is important to emphasise that as a community of scholars, the university is committed to providing a space that encourages constructive debate and academic freedom. To fully perform its role in society, the university must maintain an environment of freedom of inquiry and expression,' he continued. Viljoen said that Stellenbosch University was 'not the only university, locally or globally, that has refrained from an institutional stance on this issue to safeguard academic freedom'. He did not respond to Daily Maverick's question on whether Stellenbosch University had any memoranda of understanding with Israeli universities. DM
