Frontline States’ solidarity with Palestinian struggle intensifies

Regina Mundi, Soweto Prayer service in solidarity with Palestine, on October 6, 2024. As South Africans, we continue to draw parallels between our struggle against colonialism and apartheid and that of the struggle of the Palestinian people against colonialism and apartheid, the writer says. – Picture: WhatsApp / Supplied

By Wesley Seale

As South Africans welcomed home some of the remains of their heroes and heroines of the struggle last month, we were told that it was not easy to get the governments of the countries, where these South African freedom fighters were buried, to agree to repatriate their remains.

In the eyes of these governments and countries, we were told, these South African freedom fighters were their heroes and heroines as well.

Many South Africans and many citizens of what was known as the Frontline States died in the pursuit of fighting colonialism and apartheid.

These Frontline States were particularly interested in fighting for the freedom of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa and comprised of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and, after its independence in 1980, Zimbabwe.

Not a day of the year passes without one being able to commemorate the deaths of those who gave their lives for freedom in South Africa while living or training in these states.

For example, today, October 13, we remember the 19 freedom fighters who died in Angola due to a Unita ambush in 1988.

During the 1980’s, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola or Unita received support from the United States and apartheid South Africa and continued to pursue a civil war in Angola.

In other words, while the Frontline States played a significant role in supporting the freedom fighters and liberation movements of South Africa and Namibia, apartheid South Africa, then with the largest army on the African continent, would attack these countries and purposefully cause instability in them.

As South Africans, we continue to draw parallels between our struggle against colonialism and apartheid and that of the struggle of the Palestinian people against colonialism and apartheid.

Already, we have been able to see the formation of frontline states surrounding the Occupied Territories.

Despite its recognition of Israel through the Camp David Accords, Egypt continues to play a supporting role to the Palestinian people.

Despite the Nkomati Accord, signed between apartheid South Africa and Mozambique’s FRELIMO president at the time, Samora Machel, and which eventually led to the expulsion of the ANC from Mozambique in 1984, the government of Mozambique continued to give clandestine support to the liberation movements of South Africa to the extent that many believed that Botha’s government had a hand in the plane crash that killed Machel.

As in Angola, apartheid South Africa was supporting RENAMO, the opposition in Mozambique, and again fermenting the civil war in that country as it was doing in Angola.

No doubt, BOSS, the South African Bureau of State Security, to be replaced with NIS, the National Intelligence Service, under Niël Barnard, took its cues right out of the CIA playbook.

Jordan, a relatively small country in the Middle East, continues to give tangible support to the Palestinians.

Yet the Occupied Territories include the Syrian Golan Heights.

The Biden administration confirmed its support for Israeli occupation of the territory in 2021.

While Syria continues to be in turmoil, Hamas restored diplomatic relations with the Syrian government in 2022.

There can be no ruling out that Israel's intelligence continues to operate in its neighbouring countries causing instability where necessary and suppressing the fight for a free Palestine when needed.

The contemporary frontline states supporting the fight against colonialism and apartheid in Israel and who are currently under attack are, no doubt, Lebanon and Iran.

While Israel has consistently violated Iranian sovereignty and the Iranians have merely responded in defending their sovereignty, apartheid South Africa and the US often violated the sovereignty of Frontline States, especially through assassinations.

Who can forget the assassinations of Ruth First, Vernon Nkadimeng, Jeanette and Katryn Schoon, Joe Gqabi and Anton Lubowski, among others targeted by apartheid South Africa security forces?

Today, Lebanon has become the target of intense Israeli aggression.

A country with a fragile history, having endured civil war from 1975 to 1990 which has become a beacon of hope for countries with diverse populations continues to serve as a case study of consensus democracy in the developing world.

While the Nats pushed for this system in the early days of CODESA, the Iraqis later adopted it after their invasion and war by the United States.

The ANC disagreed with the consensus form of democracy because there was a clear majority in South Africa whereas consensus democracies work in countries where there is no outright majority.

The French were the former colonialists in Lebanon and have come out to threaten an arms embargo against Israel.

However, while the Biden administration stands squarely with a regime that does not take it seriously – Netanyahu having cancelled the visit of his defence minister to Washington DC this week – and continues to pay lip service in wanting to prevent a regional war, Israeli soldiers have taken to the ground in southern Lebanon.

No outrage from the United States, the European Union and the rest of the West as we saw with Ukraine.

As Israeli colonial aggression intensifies and as it continues to advance apartheid, South Africans cannot help but solidify their solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The parallels are too real.

History is simply repeating itself.

And while the words of Nelson Mandela about the freedom of Palestine ring loudly in our ears, his words: “Never, never and never again shall it be that [any] beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another!” must be our maxim.

* Dr Wesley Seale has a PhD in international relations.

** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The African