South Africa’s foreign minister seeks extra security due to threats after Israel genocide case

By Hassan Isilow

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that she has been receiving threatening messages since her country filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Speaking to reporters in Cape Town on Thursday evening, Pandor said she had spoken to Police Minister Bheki Cele about the matter.

“I spoke to Minister Cele because of the various messages I am getting and I felt that it was better we had extra security,” she said, adding that she was more concerned about her family because in some of the social media messages her children are mentioned.

According to Pandor, the Israeli intelligence agency uses threats to intimidate those who have a stance against oppression.

“The people of the world and Palestine didn’t draw back when the apartheid state (in South Africa) was at its worst. They stood with us in the liberation movement. So, we can’t stand back now,” she said.

“We must be with Palestinians and one of the things we must not allow is a failure of courage,” she added.

This is not the first time that Pandor spoke of threats against her and her family.

Last month, she told a news conference at her office in the capital Pretoria that she had been receiving threats and abuses.

She said some have been calling her an ISIS/Daesh terror group member and a Hamas adherent.