Dr. Naledi Pandor, A South African politician from the African National Congress, claimed in an address at the end of August that despite Muslims being a “peace-loving people,” “we are permitted to engage in jihad when necessary,” according to footage and media coverage of the comments.
Pandor, who had previously worked as the minister of international relations and cooperation, delivered the speech at a fundraising gala dinner at the Langa Masjid in Cape Town, according to the South African Jewish Report.
While accusing Israel of being an “apartheid state,” she stated, “the beauty of Islam is that it does not choose to promote oppression or discrimination against any person, except those who advance hatred and injustice.”
Pandor also claimed that Israel had been carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza since October 8, 2023, despite Israeli military operations not beginning until October 27.
Israel launched operations in Gaza after Hamas and Palestinian civilians invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, breaking an existing ceasefire agreement. During the invasion, more than 1200 people were murdered and over 250 abducted, including civilian women and children.
Condemning the politician's comments
Political analyst Steven Gruzd told SAJR, “Here, you have a former minister calling for jihad. When she was still in office, she called for protests outside US embassies. This speech will not help South Africa repair relations with the US. This is not toning down the rhetoric, quite the opposite.
“In some ways, she is yesterday’s story, but this is still incitement to violence, no matter who says it,” said Gruzd. “Perhaps being out of government has freed her to dispense with diplomacy. Whatever the context, justifying jihad is inciteful.”
South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) spokesperson Rolene Marks also told SAJR that Pandor’s remarks “cross a red line. When a former minister of international relations says South Africans are permitted to engage in jihad, she is normalising the language of holy war in a country scarred by political violence and rising antisemitism. Such words embolden extremists, endanger South African Jews and other minorities, and shred our diplomatic credibility.”