Carl Niehaus writes it is high time we bring an end to ANC party gatekeeping, and ‘GNU’ sellout manoeuvring, in the South African solidarity organisations that support the liberation struggle of the people of Palestine. Picture: Ian Landsberg / Independent Media
By Carl Niehaus
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has been unequivocal in our support of the people of Palestine against the genocide that apartheid Israel is committing in Gaza. No other political party, or for that matter any other organisation in society, has been clearer and more consistent in our condemnation of Apartheid Israel.
On October 23, 2023, the EFF held the largest pro-Palestinian rally that had ever been convened in South Africa, outside the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria. It was also the Commander In Chief (CIC) of the EFF, President Julius Malema, who tabled the motion in the National Assembly for the immediate closure of the Israeli Embassy in South Africa. That motion was carried by an overwhelming majority, but disappointingly President Ramaphosa abused his executive power never to implement it. The EFF has furthermore called for financial, and overall economic sanctions to be implemented against Israel, once again the ANC never supported our call.
While the former ANC government went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in support of Palestine, and to get Israel’s wanton violence and destruction of innocent human lives declared as genocide, the EFF supported that action for as far as it went, but warned that it must not be abused as a cover not to take real and decisive action where it truly matters, right here in South Africa, with the closure of the Israeli Embassy, and the implementation of comprehensive economic sanctions against Israel.
While taking the lead with our clear and uncompromising support for the liberation of Palestine, as well as our condemnation of the escalation of violence in neighbouring countries in the region, and specifically Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Iran, the EFF has never taken a factional and partisan stance. We have been consistent in our preparedness to work with all parties, and civil society organisations, to advance the cause of the liberation of the Palestinian people. Fighters of the EFF diligently attend all pro-Palestinian protest rallies in large numbers, and more often than not members of the EFF make up the largest, and most enthusiastic part, of the crowds at these rallies.
However, a very disturbing trend has emerged where the organisers of rallies by the South African BDS Coalition and Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA), go out of their way to disregard the strong presence of the EFF at these rallies, and to prevent the EFF from speaking and delivering messages of solidarity.
This trend has increased since the formation of the grand coalition ‘GNU’ government of the ANC, with the white supremacist Democratic Alliance, the Freedom Front Plus, and their junior partner the vulgar pro-Israel Patriotic Alliance.
Both the DA and the FF+ are strong supporters of Apartheid Israel, and the BDS and PSA leadership is dominated by ANC members. Evidently these organisations, while trying to continue to create the cynical impression of solidarity with the people of Palestine, are at pains to control and water down the messages and language of support for Palestine, and the right of the people of Palestine to take up arms against Apartheid Israel, and for Iran to defend itself, in order not to offend the ‘GNU’ partners of the ANC.
It has also been glaringly noticeable that Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC, since having joined the ‘GNU’, have been extremely muted in their condemnation of the actions of Apartheid Israel. Neither the ANC, nor the ‘GNU’, have said anything significant to condemn Israel’s expansion of their genocidal war to Lebanon. Even President Ramaphosa's recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, was weak and carefully nuanced in his limp condemnation of Apartheid Israel's ongoing acts of genocide in Gaza, and he totally failed to acknowledge Iran's right to defend itself against Israel's wanton aggression.
The most recent, and very disturbing, example of such partisan, factional, and repressive conduct, was at the BDS Coalition organised pro-Palestine protest rally last Saturday October 5 outside the US Consulate in Sandton. The numbers of protesters that turned up were unfortunately disappointingly small, with the largest group present, displaying huge support banners, being members of the EFF. The simple reality is that without the EFF presence the rally would have been a failure. Nonetheless the BDS organisers, and specifically the Master of Ceremonies, Professor Noor Nieftagodien (a protégé of the late Pravin Gordhan, and Ahmed Kathrada Foundation groupie), refused to acknowledge the presence of the EFF, and pig-headedly refused me to deliver a message of solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon and Iran, on behalf of the EFF. When I confronted him about his blatant partisanship and gatekeeping, his pathetically lame excuse was that the speakers list was drawn up in advance, and the EFF was not included, and that the list could not be amended. This while he constantly amended the very same list, throughout the rally, in order to include new speakers from other parties and organisations.
The EFF then decided to withdraw from the rally in protest to such pathetic factionalism, which is not worthy of the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people. We will not allow the just liberation struggle of the Palestinian people to be sacrificed on the altar of expediency for the sake of a grand coalition with white supremacists and genocide supporters.
Let me be crystal clear, the EFF will certainly not water down our position of full revolutionary support for the people of Palestine, and I once again reiterate our unequivocal call for the immediate closure of the Embassy of Israel, the severance of all diplomatic ties, and a total financial and economic boycott of Israel and all Israeli products.
In solidarity with the Palestinian people, we in the EFF remain open and prepared to work with all organisations and groupings who are prepared to put the people of Palestine first. This also includes those who have been trying to sideline and exclude us, but they will have to drastically change their appalling partisan and factional gatekeeping ways.
One thing that they must accept is that it is not possible to exclude or silence the EFF, because our message of support for Palestine - as is the case with all socio-economic domestic and international matters - is the purest and most strident. No matter what, our clarion revolutionary call against oppression, and for full liberation, will always be heard!
It is actually very straightforward: The EFF calls on the BDS and PSA, not to become pathetic collaborators and victims of the ANC’s grand coalition ‘GNU’ selling out. They must stop their factional gatekeeping nonsense!
This is not what the long suffering Palestinian people deserve. The people of Palestine are suffering terribly, thousands of innocent civilians, mothers and children, have already lost their lives. All they ask of us is to take hands and to work together to bring an end to their suffering, to stop the genocide, and to secure the full liberation of Palestine from the River to the Sea.
Let us not be petty, distracted, factional, and diverted: THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE!
* Fighter Carl Niehaus is a Member of Parliament, representing the EFF in the National Assembly.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.