By Staff, Agencies

South African authorities are facing mounting pressure to sever ties with "Israel" and expel "Israeli" diplomats, amid growing outrage over the entity’s genocide by starvation campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Several activists confirmed that they had intensified their campaign to end what they called South Africa's complicity in "Israel's" war on Gaza, where more than 200,000 Palestinians have been martyred or wounded and the entire population is facing famine.

Zukiswa Wanner, a writer and activist, said that many South Africans had thought Pretoria's decision to take "Israel" to the International Court of Justice in late 2023 would result in a swift end to the 22-month conflict, but "Israel", with full Western backing, continued its war on the enclave.

"Almost two years later, 'Israel' has not relented and we continue seeing the horror visited on the Palestinians," Wanner said, noting that “As individuals, we are all quite powerless on pushing the stop of the genocide - but as citizens - we can demand of our government that they finalize this small thing: South Africa can't be having normal relations with an abnormal, genocidal entity."

South Africa hasn't had an ambassador in "Israel" since 2018. But activists say the country needs to take stronger action against "Israel".

Many South Africans expressed that they were extremely disappointed with Cyril Ramaphosa's government's decision to ignore parliament's November 2023 decision to sever ties with "Israel". 

"Other countries have disengaged with 'Israel' without the fanfare we brought to the table," Wanner added.

This week, a petition created by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign [PSC], urging the government to shutter the "Israeli" embassy had secured several thousand signatures.

"You have rightly brought a case of genocide against 'Israel' to the International Court of Justice [ICJ], so you have determined 'Israel' is committing genocide. How then can we continue to have diplomatic and economic relations with that genocidal state?" the petition said.