United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, will deliver the 23rd Nelson Mandela Foundation Annual Lecture on Saturday, October 25, in Johannesburg.
Albanese, who is currently under U.S. sanctions and has faced sharp criticism from Israel, will speak at the event, widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most prominent platforms for dialogue and reflection on global issues.
The lecture takes place just days after Chief Melisizwe “Mandla” Mandela, the grandson of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mandela, was released from Israel’s Negev Prison. Mandela had been part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The flotilla was intercepted in international waters.
Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Mbongiseni Buthelezi told the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that peace in Gaza requires inclusive dialogue rather than unilateral violence or military conflict.
Buthelezi said the end of apartheid in South Africa was not brought about by armed conflict.
“Unfortunately, we are coming off the back of two years of what has been called a war, but really, it’s been a one-sided decimation of Gaza by Israel.
“We see that it is completely unconstructive and unproductive. What we need is a constructive path toward lasting peace through dialogue. I think we’re at a moment in the world, with opportunities even those presented by the so-called Trump plan to begin moving toward a long-term, sustainable peace for the people of Gaza and the West Bank,@ Buthelezi said.
Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that while South Africa welcomes recent peace developments in the Middle East, they do not affect the country’s ongoing legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
