By Staff Writer
The South African Humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers has expressed deep gratitude to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and Minister Ronald Lamola for facilitating the safe arrival of a group of Palestinian refugees who landed in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.
In a statement, Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, thanked DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor and Minister Lamola for what he described as an act of compassion and solidarity aligned with South Africa’s longstanding policy of supporting the Palestinian cause.
“The refugees were received with open arms, in keeping with South Africa’s stance against the genocidal and apartheid actions of Israel,” said Sooliman, noting the country’s continued efforts to hold Israel accountable through international legal bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Sooliman explained that the Border Management Authority (BMA) had initially prevented passengers without exit stamps from disembarking.
He said this was due to Israel’s deliberate failure to stamp their passports, an act he described as intended to worsen the refugees’ suffering. DIRCO, however, intervened by writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs to waive the requirement on humanitarian grounds.
Gift of the Givers, together with civil society partners, will now provide legal, medical, and humanitarian assistance to the arriving refugees. Sooliman also thanked volunteers including Nigel Branken, Zaheerah Bham-Ismail, and Na’eem Jinnah, who supported the relief effort on the ground.
He further urged South Africans to continue supporting humanitarian interventions in Palestine through verified donation platforms such as Standard Bank, BackaBuddy, and GlobalGiving, or by contacting 0800 786 911.
News Junction (Gold Standard)
