SA's voyage of hope: breaking the siege of Gaza

South African activists join an international flotilla mission to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, carrying humanitarian aid and embodying the spirit that once fuelled the anti-apartheid movement. Led by Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela and inspired by previous solidarity missions, these brave citizens are determined to deliver essential supplies despite the risks, declaring that Palestinians will not stand alone, writes Professor Usuf Chikte

THE Global Sumud Flotilla with more than 50 boats from 44 countries, is sailing to Gaza to deliver food and medicine and to break Israel’s illegal blockade. Ordinary people are doing what governments should and have failed to do: upholding the duty to protect Palestinians from genocide.

Israel’s record is clear. Previously it hijacked aid ships in international waters, detaining and brutally assaulting volunteers. Such attacks expose not only Israel’s crimes but also the cowardice of states that remain silent. From the southern tip of Africa, a powerful message of solidarity is cutting across continents and oceans. As the world watches, a courageous, diverse group of South Africans joins the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, embarking from Tunis to challenge the illegal and inhumane siege.

This mission, with hundreds of people, is one of profound humanity. It is an act of peaceful, principled defiance to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to people under Israel’s genocide and to end the 18-year blockade. This mission is rooted in the same spirit that guided the international anti-apartheid movement and carries a simple, undeniable truth: the people of Gaza are not alone.

As former MP Mandla Mandela, a grandson of Nelson Mandela and a key member of this mission, powerfully states: “As you know, our struggle for liberation is intertwined with the struggle of the Palestinian people. They inspired us during our darkest days and supported our cause until we attained our freedom.”

The South African contingent on the Global Sumud Flotilla stands on the shoulders of our brave compatriots. In 2010, journalist Gadija Davids was on board the MV Mavi Marmara, as part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, when Israeli commandos violently assaulted it in international waters, killing nine and injuring 30.

Reflecting on this, Davids said: “These actions by ordinary civilians showed the world who the true terrorists are. The Israeli regime violates international law every day, and its attacks on past attempts by activists to break the siege are well documented. The current Global Sumud Flotilla is an act of compassion and bravery towards Palestinians that was set in motion by the first group of activists who broke the Israeli siege by boat 17 years ago.

“Since then, there have been many attempts, including the first Flotilla in 2010 when the Zionist regime martyred 10 activists. Despite this, ordinary citizens and volunteers are determined to be human first and take care of those suffering under a brutal genocide. To the activists embarking on this voyage, you carry the hearts of freedom-loving people with you. And as the actions that lead to the crumbling of apartheid South Africa proved, every act of solidarity counts.”

In 2016, the Women’s Boat to Gaza, the Zaytouna-Oliva, carried Olympian, academic and activist Dr Leigh-Ann Naidoo. They were not alone; Ismail Moola, who provided crucial logistical support for the four-vessel flotilla, and the late academic Dr Clint Le Bruyns were also aboard the 2016 mission, which was intercepted by Israeli naval forces. They witnessed terror and tragedy first-hand, becoming enduring symbols of the high cost of bearing witness.

As Le Bruyns stated upon his return: “We will continue to highlight the plight of Palestinians and create awareness in our country.”

Their legacy of courage is the wind in the sails of this new, larger flotilla.

“This one comes with more ships, which we have been able to mobilise over 40 ships, with 44 countries participating. And we are very optimistic, and the mood is very high,” said Mandela.

As the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, its allies, and South Africans, we applaud these ambassadors of conscience. They represent the very best of South Africa: our resilience, our commitment to justice, and our deep understanding that “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians,” a commitment Nelson Mandela made in Gaza in 1997.

Like those first activists who broke the Israeli siege by boat 17 years ago, our citizens are determined to be human first and take care of those suffering under a brutal genocide. This 2025 South African mission includes our health workers who carry with them the healing ethos of our nation.

Dr Fatima Hendricks, a Cape Town occupational therapist, cancer survivor and mother, embodies a profound understanding that oppression is a disease.

She highlighted that: “The Gaza genocide is a mass disabling crime by design, with the highest number of amputees in modern history, and over 1400 health professionals killed... The intent is collective punishment that leaves inter-generational destruction and mass disablement.”

Alongside her is Nurain Saloojee, a remarkable 22-year-old audiologist from Johannesburg. Her passion for human rights, amplified through her professional knowledge, demonstrates that the next generation is ready to pick up the mantle of justice with clarity and courage.They are joined by a collective of extraordinary individuals whose profiles read like a map of South African civil society itself. There is the unwavering moral leadership of Chief Mandla Mandela, who continues his grandfather’s legacy by not just speaking truth to power, but marching towards it.

There is the powerful cultural voice of award-winning writer Zukiswa Wanner from Johannesburg, and the grounded, community-based humanitarianism of Reaaz Moola from Newcastle. There are dedicated professionals like Dr Zaheera Soomar, an international humanitarian leader, and representatives of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, Drs Jared Sacks and Jo Bluen, who will be on the legal observer boat documenting this act of peaceful resistance.

For us as South Africans, this mission is a moral imperative. We have seen apartheid, and as former MP Mandla Mandela affirmed: “The Palestinians are experiencing a worse form of apartheid than we ever experienced. They are undergoing a genocide, a live genocide, whilst many in the global community remain silent, and we South Africans can no longer keep quiet.”

The word “Sumud” is Arabic for steadfastness. It is the unyielding resilience of the Palestinian spirit. Our South African contingent embodies a global Sumud – a steadfastness of solidarity. They sail not with weapons, but with witness; not with hostility, but with hope. They carry the hearts of freedom-loving people with them.

“We are on the right side of history,” declared Mandela.

“We cannot be intimidated by threats from the apartheid state of Israel. We need to ensure that we remain steadfast and focus on the objective... we are within international law to deliver that.”

Their voyage is a direct challenge to the complicity of governments. It is a demand for the free flow of humanitarian aid, for dignity, and for the right of Palestinians to determine their own future. As the actions that lead to the crumbling of apartheid South Africa proved, every act of solidarity counts. As they set sail from Tunis, we send them our deepest gratitude and our strongest support. They carry with them the hopes of millions of South Africans who believe in a world where justice, not oppression, prevails. This flotilla carries the conscience of the world.

If Israel blocks or attacks it, the evidence of genocide will only deepen. Governments, especially in South Africa, must ensure safe passage for the volunteers and finally act to protect Palestinian lives.

And to the people of Gaza, we send the message entrusted to our delegates by Chief Mandla Mandela: “Your steadfastness has instilled hope in us, has inspired us to want to do more. We are coming whether Israel likes it or not, we are coming to you.”

Amandla! Free Palestine!

Professor Yusuf Chikte is the coordinator of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, in Cape Town

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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