SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa remains steadfast in its defense of the United Nations Charter, international law, and multilateralism, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola affirmed during a special address in New York.
Speaking on Monday at “We Shall Not Be Moved: A Special Event in Honour of the UN Charter,” held at The Riverside Church, Lamola emphasized that South Africa’s own liberation struggle exemplifies the power of international solidarity. He stated that the country’s commitment to international law is directly reflected in its decision to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ principal judicial organ, regarding Israel’s alleged violations of the Genocide Convention.
“When we approached the ICJ to challenge Israel’s violation of the Genocide Convention, we did so as part of our commitment to upholding and defending international law and multilateral institutions,” Lamola said. He explained that South Africa took this action because it understands the impact global solidarity had in ending apartheid, adding, “In so doing, we summoned the same global solidarity that broke apartheid in South Africa to help dismantle the apartheid under which Palestinians continue to live.”
Lamola leveraged the historic significance of The Riverside Church to frame South Africa’s current position on international peace and justice. He recalled that civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “Beyond Vietnam” speech at the church on April 4, 1967, and former President Nelson Mandela addressed a crowd at the same venue shortly after his release from prison in 1990. Lamola noted that both leaders’ messages speak to the current global environment with renewed urgency.
Addressing the situation in Palestine, the Minister stated that Palestinians continue to face severe suffering. He warned that Israel’s actions, including the annexation of Palestinian land, the destruction of livelihoods, and wanton violence in Gaza and the West Bank, threaten to crush all prospects for a two-State solution. He specifically cited the destruction of hospitals, schools, sanitation, and water infrastructure in Gaza, alongside the profound psychological impact of the conflict on children, asserting that South Africa cannot ignore these realities. “This is why we cannot afford to bury international law,” he stated.
Broadening the scope, Lamola framed South Africa’s position as part of a wider commitment to strengthening the multilateral system. He noted that more than 80 years after its adoption, the UN Charter’s principles of fundamental human rights, human dignity, and the equal rights of all nations remain vital. He highlighted the role of the Hague Group, which he described as embodying the solidarity, camaraderie, and shared conviction that concrete action is necessary to uphold an international order based on the rule of law.
The Minister also linked the defense of multilateralism to pressing global challenges, including inequality, the international financial architecture, climate change, and Africa’s under-representation in global decision-making institutions. Furthermore, he pointed to major ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises in Sudan, the Middle East, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Acknowledging questions regarding whether South Africa should instead prioritize domestic socioeconomic challenges or avoid confrontation with powerful states, Lamola asserted that the country’s historical experience dictates its actions. “We choose to act because silence is not golden. In the face of grave injustice, silence is complicity,” he said, emphasizing that South Africa’s history as a beneficiary of international solidarity creates an obligation to support others facing oppression.
Reaffirming that the number of countries supporting this cause is growing, Lamola concluded by invoking the historic resistance of the people of Sophiatown to apartheid-era forced removals. Borrowing their rallying cry from over 70 years ago, he declared: “We will not move. Ons Dak Nie. Ons Phola Hier. Amandla!”