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The intricate dance between skills development, accreditation and manufacturing growth Innovation is the currency of progress and a company’s investment in skills programmes is a testament to its commitment to a thriving manufacturing sector. The very foundation of this growth rests upon the shoulders of a well-equipped workforce but unfortunately, the cost of upskilling and …
Mineware Consulting, a software company specializing in creating operational management software for the international mining industry, will be attending this year’s Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention (PDAC) in Toronto, Canada, known for attracting up to 30,000 attendees from over 130+ countries. Mineware Consulting, a bespoke software development company based in South Africa writes reporting and …
The world's largest mining event, Investing in African Mining Indaba (https://www.MiningIndaba.com), is gearing up for a memorable year with a notable speaker line-up that will place critical issues in mining at the forefront of discussions in an unprecedented way.
Mining Indaba, which takes place from 5-8 February 2024 in Cape Town, celebrates a milestone of 30 years as the premium destination for deal making and discussions on critical issues facing the African mining industry. Under the theme “Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining,” attendees can expect conversations to focus on the change and disruption needed to move the African mining industry forward.
The highly anticipated main stage discussions titled ‘Voices of Disruption' will feature speakers from some of Africa's leading mining companies and associations on how they are bringing positive change and disruption to the industry, the country and the African continent. Headline speakers include Anglo American CEO, Duncan Wanblad; Rio Tinto Minerals CEO, Sinead Kaufman; Minerals Council South Africa CEO, Mzila Mthenjane; Eurasian Resources Group CEO, Benedikt Sobotka; Newmont Corporation CEO, Tom Palmer and Barrick Gold Corporation CEO, Mark Bristow.
Other notable disruptive discussions include a panel which will look at Africa's exploration pipeline and why this is so empty. Speakers on this panel include Junior and Emerging Miners Leadership Forum Chairperson, Orion LTD CEO and Minerals Council board member, Errol Smart; Ivanhoe Mines President and Chief Financial Officer, Marna Cloete. It will be moderated by International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) CEO and President Rohitesh Dhawan.
Another key disruptive session to look forward to, which will be moderated by Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane, will provide insight into the security of critical mineral supply and will weigh in on the role of China, the West and Africa.
Mining Indaba has always attracted strong representation from mining ministers, government representatives and investors both locally and internationally, and 2024 is no different. South African Minister for Minerals Resources and Energy, Minister Gwede Mantashe is confirmed as one of the speakers.
“As Mining Indaba turns 30, the excitement around this milestone achievement is high and with a large contingent of loyal participants, our stakeholders want to share in this unbelievable achievement. We will have strong representation from international governments and investors including the United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia, India and more, all contributing to their ideals for supporting the development of critical minerals industries in Africa. Importantly, our discussions will explore how Africa can best utilise its own minerals while still contributing towards global needs,” says Investing in African Mining Indaba Portfolio Director Eve Harper
Other headline speakers who have confirmed their attendance are Kumba Iron Ore CEO, Mpumi Zikalala; Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman; Seriti Group CEO, Mike Teke; Gold Fields CEO, Martin Preece; Glencore DRC and Chairman KCC, Marie-Chantal Kaninda; Vedanta Base Metals CEO, Christopher Griffith; Vale Base Metals Chairperson, Mark Cutifani and Minerals Council President, Nolitha Fakude to name a few.
“Our 2024 theme aims to completely elevate the audience experience for our panel discussions and all content elements within our programmes. To support this, our main stage has been rebranded ‘Disruptive Discussions' to further emphasise our content objectives. Our priority is for our panellists to move away from typical corporate messaging and start engaging on real challenges in mining to find solutions – in other words, showcasing how they are disruptive in the industry. Smaller panels, with more engaged and participatory moderators will deliver transparent and meaningful conversations that the audience can connect with and learn from,” adds Harper.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Investing in African Mining Indaba.
For media queries:
R&A Strategic Communications
Katherine Bester
katherine@rasc.co.za
Sibongile Mtafu
sibongile@rasc.co.za
For exhibition queries:
Hyve
Natalie Whittaker
Natalie.Whittaker@hyve.group
About Investing in African Mining Indaba:
Investing in African Mining Indaba is the largest mining investment event in Africa. With a proven track record of bringing together Ministers, senior Government representatives, Mining Companies, Mid and Junior Miners, Investors, professional services as well as mining equipment and service providers. Mining Indaba is the place to meet everybody who is anybody in the African and global mining industry.
It is the must-attend event that drives the mining industry forward and provides attendees with unmatched access to the entire value chain and the most influential players in African mining for four days of high-quality content, deal-making and networking opportunities. Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 takes place in Cape Town from 5-8 February 2023.
Limpopo Premier condemns gender-based violence
Limpopo Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has strongly condemned all forms of violence against humanity, especially women and children.
This is after the province reported an increase in incidents of violence in the past few days.
“These inhumane acts seem to have continued to rise in the province, especially during the 2023 festive season. The province is mourning the deaths of women, children, and men whose precious lives were mercilessly cut short,” said the Premier in a statement.
The recent spine-chilling incidents involve the gruesome discovery of the body of an 18-year-old girl on Monday, who was murdered in an abandoned house at Mokomene, Ga-Thoka village, under the Botlokwa policing precinct.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has since appealed to the community to provide valuable information to assist the police with its investigation.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), their members received a complaint about the lifeless body of a woman at an abandoned house and rushed to the scene.
“Upon arrival, they found the body of the woman in an advanced state of decomposition. The deceased’s identity will be released in due course as the investigation is still in its preliminary stages,” the SAPS statement read, adding that the motive behind the gruesome act has not yet been established.
The Premier’s Office also raised concerns about the heartless murder of Dr Johannes Mehlape, who was the Department of Education Circuit Manager of the Lebopo Office in the Capricorn District.
According to reports, Mehlape was gunned down at his home during an alleged robbery on 28 December 2023 at night after two unknown suspects accosted the victim and his two children.
“Enough is enough; we cannot let our lives continue to be cut short in this manner. I implore all to work with the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these atrocities are arrested.
“Let us join hands in combating these barbaric acts and uproot them in our communities,” Mathabatha stressed.
He has since urged residents not to look away, but to report crime. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 01/11/2024 - 09:01
Comedic Genius Unveils Candid Insights on Legal Troubles, Personal Triumphs, and More HOUSTON, TX – January 10, 2024 – In a resounding testament to the magnetic allure of one of comedy’s brightest stars, Katt Williams’ recent interview with hip-hop legend and revered podcaster Willie D on the Willie D Live YouTube Channel has taken the …
South Africa pulsates with news even on a quiet Thursday, with narratives unfolding across the spectrum of legal complexities, environmental concerns, and human resilience. Here are the top 5 stories shaping the national conversation today: Unending Ordeal for Joburg CBD Fire Survivors as Floods Hit: Reeling from the devastating fire that ripped through the Johannesburg …
Sony Corporation Announces Development of Spatial Content Creation System, Equipped with High-Quality XR Head-Mounted Display and Controllers Dedicated to Interaction with 3D Objects Metaverse Technologies and Hardware to Empower 3D Content Creators XR head-mounted display and controllers[i] South Africa, 11 January 2024 – Sony Corporation announced development of an immersive spatial content creation system, which …
As Africa wakes up to another Thursday, the news landscape continues to shift and evolve, reflecting the dynamism and diversity of the continent. From legal battles on international stages to environmental concerns and human triumphs. Here are the top 5 stories shaping the conversation today: ICJ Begins Hearings on South Africa’s Case Against Israel: In …
More than 40 stalls and containers were demolished and removed from main road in Cacadu
Johannesburg, 10 January 2024: Mahindra is the principal sponsor of everyone’s favourite SA20 cricket team, the Joburg Super Kings. Mahindra joined the Joburg Super Kings on the eve of the second SA20 cricket series as both primary sponsor and vehicle provider. The Mahindra brand will proudly feature on the Joburg Super Kings apparel and on …
SASSA says 150,000 grants have been suspended
Dear Editor The deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as part of the SADC’s military intervention force to the eastern DRC is a reckless decision that will potentially place the lives of our uniformed forces at severe risk. The DA is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the Commander …
President emphasises importance of human rights
With South Africa heading to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for acts committed by Israel in the context of its attacks on Gaza, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country approached the court due to its opposition to the ongoing slaughter of the people of Gaza.
“As a people who once tasted the bitter fruits of dispossession, discrimination, racism and state-sponsored violence, we are clear that we will stand on the right side of history. It is our fervent hope that just as we were able to reconcile and make peace, that the peoples of Israel and Palestine will find a lasting, just peace,” the President said on Wednesday in Johannesburg.
The ICJ in The Hague will begin hearings in the proceedings brought by South Africa against the State of Israel on Thursday.
Paying tribute to the life of globally renowned photographer, Dr Peter Magubane, President Ramaphosa called for the remembrance of the more than 100 journalists and media workers who have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.
Magubane, who was well-known for his images that captured experiences and struggles of black South Africans during apartheid, passed away on 01 January 2024 at the age of 91.
“When we look at the world today, we see journalists being arrested, persecuted and even killed for doing their job. Indeed, bearing witness to the truth is a revolutionary act. Standing firm for justice is what must define our humanity.
“As a country we can hold our heads up high that we have come very far from the days when Magubane and other journalists were censured, arrested and persecuted for practicing their craft.
“We can be proud that our intellectual property regime is robust and protects the rights of journalists, artists, cultural workers and all South Africans and enables them to safeguard and profit off their work,” he said.
The President said in its 30th year since achieving democracy, South Africa’s media and press freedom remains strong.
“The right to a free press is enshrined in our Constitution. As a country, we can hold our heads up high that we have come very far from the days when Magubane and other journalists were censured, arrested and persecuted for practicing their craft.
“We can be proud that our intellectual property regime is robust and protects the rights of journalists, artists, cultural workers and all South Africans and enables them to safeguard and profit off their work.
“Above all, we can be proud that the South African media continues in the tradition of Magubane by bearing witness to injustice, to wrongdoing and to malfeasance.
“Just as his generation of journalists held the powerful to account, we continue to count on today’s generation of media workers to fulfil this important role without being hindered, obstructed, or censored,” President Ramaphosa said.
Magubane’s photographic career began in 1955 after he joined Drum magazine as a driver and messenger.
He soon became a darkroom assistant where his major assignment was covering the African National Congress 1955 convention.
The President affirmed the immense power of the Fourth Estate in shaping public opinion, in giving an impartial and unbiased account of the truth, and in supporting the development of a nation.
“As much as it is critical to point the lens in the direction of wrongdoing, I want to take this opportunity to call on the media to give South Africans an equally balanced view of the progress this country has achieved over the past 30 years.
“Of the progress in terms of educational outcomes, access to healthcare, basic services, constitutional freedoms, and fulfilment of the Bill of Rights. The South Africa of today is a vastly different place to the South Africa that was the canvas for Magubane’s lens,” the President said.
He said Magubane’s work documenting apartheid helped shift global opinion against the regime.
“At a time when we strive to rebuild our country from a period of great hardship, your balanced work as men and women of the media has the potential to lift the nation’s spirits, to inspire and give us courage, and to bring us hope.
“Let us bring too to the people of South Africa the stories of lives transformed, living standards improved, and those areas where there has been positive change. We count on you to be the conscience of a nation, but also the voice of the people, as Magubane was. As journalists you should not only be messengers of doom and gloom, but guardians of our democracy and merchants of hope,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 01/10/2024 - 14:08
Dear Editor Over the past three decades, the ANC has presided over the destruction of at least 3 636 kilometres of South Africa’s railway tracks. If one laid out the full length of railway lines destroyed by the ANC, it would stretch all the way from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro. This shocking information was revealed …
Dear Editor The massive toxicology backlog at the forensic chemistry laboratories (FCLs) in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria persists with 37 962 tests outstanding as of 31 October 2023. This was recently revealed by the Minister of Health in response to a written parliamentary question by the DA. The Minister also revealed the snail’s pace …
The Intimate Evening Series, a collaboration between Liberty and leading local promoter Showtime Management are proud to host “An Intimate Evening with Lalah Hathaway”, a four-concert tour presented by Liberty at Montecasino’s Teatro begins on Friday, 19 January with two more Johannesburg concert dates on Saturday, 20 January at 8pm and a 6pm concert on …
Several Mpumalanga farm owners issued with contravention and prohibition notices for violating laws
The exploitation and ill treatment of workers, as well as disregard of South Africa’s labour laws, continues unabated in some of the agricultural sectors in Mpumalanga.
This is according to the Department of Employment and Labour Chief Inspector Milly Ruiters who led a weeklong inspection at the Ehlanzeni District.
The department said it found many employers in the agricultural sector wanting when it comes to compliance with the suite of labour legislation administered by the department.
The inspections were part of an ongoing initiative to ensure compliance with labour legislation and focused on inspections and conducting advocacy.
The inspections zoomed into the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the National Minimum Wage Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“The department issued a number of contravention and prohibition notices and plans to conduct follow-up inspections.”
Inspectors found several non-compliance in areas such as electrical faults, a lack of assessments, no record keeping, non-registration of workers with the unemployment insurance fund and compensation for occupational injuries and diseases acts.
The other transgressions include paying below the national minimum wage rates, non-provision of personal protective equipment, not informing workers about their rights and lack of compliance with health and safety.
According to the department, several farms were subjected to inspections and continue to fail the tests in compliance with various labour laws.
“The department’s inspections will continue until Friday and will also focus on the wholesale and retail sectors. The inspections form part of build-up activities including taking services to the people in the province.”
Meanwhile, the department will host a Jobs Fair at Thulamahashe Local Stadium in Bushbuckridge on Thursday to interact with work seekers and a Ministerial session with employers on 12 January at Southern Sun Emnotweni Hotel in Mbombela. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 01/10/2024 - 14:08
Every mother wants to know how to be a cool mom – the thing is, that most moms over-think the whole “cool mom” persona and in turn, find themselves saying and doing cringe-worthy things according to their mortified children. But being a “cool mom” isn’t as complex as you might expect! It really all comes …
President pays tribute to renowned photographer Magubane
President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to globally renowned photographer, Dr Peter Magubane, for fearlessly using his camera to capture the atrocities of apartheid while putting his life in danger.
“Despite all attempts to break his spirit and to take him away from his craft, he would not put his camera down. His work documenting apartheid helped shift global opinion against the regime. We have heard of how he would smuggle his cameras into hollowed out bread, milk cartons and I am told even the Bible, to take pictures without the notice of the authorities,” the President said on Wednesday.
Delivering the eulogy at Magubane’s Provincial Official Funeral in Johannesburg, President Ramaphosa said the apartheid regime did not care much for the lives it was extinguishing, but it cared a great deal about its image, especially about how it was portrayed to the rest of the world.
“Peter Magubane’s images, and those of his peers, upended Hendrik Verwoerd’s great lie that apartheid was benign benevolence, a system of the separate but equal, and so-called good neighbourliness. He used his camera to record the experiences and struggles of black South Africans during apartheid. These images reached the world’s media and revealed to the international community the injustices that characterised South Africa at that time.
"As The New York Times obituary put it, Peter Magubane’s images documenting the cruelties and violence of apartheid drew global acclaim but punishment at home, including beatings, imprisonment and 586 consecutive days of solitary confinement," he said.
Magubane passed away on 01 January 2024 at the age of 91. His photographic career began in 1955 after he joined Drum magazine as a driver and messenger.
He soon became a darkroom assistant where his major assignment was covering the African National Congress 1955 convention. He used his camera to record the experiences and struggles of black South Africans during apartheid.
“His archive testifies to an extraordinary range. For many years, he was President Mandela’s official photographer. Some of the most enduring images we have of Madiba were taken by his lens.
“He was there at the many turning points in the struggle against apartheid, and covered the various states of emergency during the mid 1980’s. There are his stark images that documented the aftermath of the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, the 1976 Soweto Uprising, and the many other acts of violence unleashed by the regime.
“Later in life, he would go on to produce photography on heritage and culture. Amongst them is one of my favourite of his works, The Vanishing Cultures of South Africa. It is an extraordinary collection that documents the lives, customs and cultures of our country’s ethnic groups,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa noted that it was his depictions of everyday life for black South Africans living under apartheid for which he was best known.
“These images that he began taking in the 1960’s, appeared in distinguished publications like Drum magazine, Time magazine, the Rand Daily Mail, and others. One of his best-known images is of a black domestic worker stroking the hair of a white child seated on a Europeans Only bench.
“The photograph got worldwide attention for the power of the disturbing scene that it conveyed. That photograph also painted a vivid scene of the meaning of apartheid. It was able to transport the lived experiences of black people in South Africa to many people in distant lands.
“As important as it was to him to document the violence and bloodshed, it was equally important to bring home to readers and viewers the true face of petty apartheid with its convoluted and ridiculous laws and rules,” he said.
The President described him as a freedom fighter and one of the most fearless journalists the country has produced.
“Having read the many written tributes that have been penned over the past week by people who worked alongside him and were mentored by him, it is clear that the description of him as a legend is a fitting one,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 01/10/2024 - 14:22
Nearly 500 more families to be moved in by the end of the month
Work experience opportunities for Western and Eastern Cape youth now open
The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, through its Youth and After School Programme, is calling for unemployed youth, aged between 18 and 25, to apply to be part of the Year Beyond Youth Service Programme for 2024.
Applications for the education programmes are now open for youth living in the Western and Eastern Cape who meet the criteria.
All the education programmes require a matric certificate and some require minimum marks for language or maths.
The Year Beyond platform offers young people the opportunity to get a year of hands on working experience and build their work readiness competencies, while also giving back to their communities.
Commonly known as YeBoneers, successful applicants will be placed either at a school or community hub where they will assist learners and parents.
The Eastern Cape programme is run with funding from the national government and facilitated by the Western Cape Year Beyond team.
“The opportunity to provide youth in the Eastern Cape with this experience is an important part of skills development beyond the Western Cape,” the statement read.
According to the provincial department, the success of the programme is evident as seen from the feedback received from previous years.
Citing the data, the department said 96% of participants believe the experience helped them to get to know themselves better and 95% feel the programme prepared them better for the world of work and study.
Meanwhile, between 75% and 78% of YeBoneers have progressed to becoming economically active in the world of employment or study, or a combination of the two, upon finishing the programme.
“I encourage our young people to apply for this opportunity. It is a great programme for our youth which equips them with skills for entering the world of work or study. We want to give our youth a hand up to become successful and active members of society who contribute not only to the economy but also serve their communities,” said Western Cape MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais.
Applications and further information on the education streams are now open via the website: https://www.yearbeyond.org/apply.
Applications close on 18 February 2024. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 01/10/2024 - 14:36
Public comments on White Paper on Citizenship, Migration and Refugee Protection extended
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, on Tuesday announced the extension of the closing date for the submission of public comments on the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.
Comments on the White Paper have now been extended to 31 January 2024 from 19 January 2024.
The announcement is contained in Gazette No 49976, published on 8 January 2024.
“The department has received substantial public comments. The extension of the closing date follows requests received from various organisations and individuals for additional time due to the December holidays,” the department said.
In November last year, Cabinet announced that it had approved the publication of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection for public comment.
“The draft policy aims to provide a framework to guide the granting of residency and citizenship to foreign nationals, as well as the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, cognisant of the Republic’s national security interests and in compliance with international agreements and protocols on migration that South Africa is a party to,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at that time.
According to the department, the White Paper and the explanatory memorandum can be downloaded at www.dha.gov.za.
Written submissions should be addressed to the Chief Director of Strategy and Institutional Performance and may be forwarded to the department.
The submissions can be delivered by hand to the Department of Home Affairs, 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Hallmark Building, Pretoria, for the attention of Mr Sihle Mthiyane.
They can also be mailed to the department at Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001 or emailed to whitepaper@dha.gov.za. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 01/10/2024 - 09:02
It has been a decade since an 18-year-old Kagiso Rabada swayed the world’s attention in the United Arab Emirates. Rabada, now the No.2-ranked bowler in the MRF Tyres ICC Rankings for Test bowlers, was making his first steps in international cricket at the time, at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. The exciting pacer …
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings on January 11 and 12, 2024, on genocide in Gaza will include the first formal response by Israel before an independent and impartial court to allegations of atrocities against the Palestinian people since October 7, 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. On December 29, South Africa filed a case with the court alleging that Israel is violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
On January 2, Israeli officials confirmed that Israel would be represented at the ICJ to oppose the South African government's application. South Africa contends that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention by committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and by failing to prevent it, including by not holding senior Israeli officials and others accountable for their direct and public incitement to genocide. The case is not a criminal proceeding against individuals but seeks a legal determination of state responsibility for genocide.
“South Africa's case is about Israel's obligations under the Genocide Convention and puts its conduct in Gaza in sharp focus before the United Nations' highest judicial body,” said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “South Africa has asked the World Court to issue urgent measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza who face catastrophic living conditions as a result of war crimes carried out by Israeli authorities.”
While the case may take several years to reach a final ruling, South Africa has asked the court to order provisional measures to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza from further harm, ensure Israel's compliance with the Genocide Convention, and safeguard South Africa's ability to have the case fairly adjudicated. South Africa has asked the ICJ to issue these measures “as a matter of extreme urgency,” saying that Palestinians in Gaza are in “urgent and severe need of the Court's protection.” Arguments on the request for provisional measures are the subject of the January 11 and 12 hearings.
Among the provisional measures sought are for Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza and abide by its obligations under the Genocide Convention. South Africa also seeks measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of any evidence related to the underlying case – including by giving fact-finding missions, international mandates, and other bodies access to Gaza.
South Africa also asked the court to require Israel to report to it on steps taken to carry out a provisional measures order within a week of its issuance and then at regular intervals until the court issues its final ruling. In its oral arguments on January 11, South Africa could specifically ask the court to make Israel's reports public.
In its application to the ICJ, South Africa says that Israel is killing Palestinians in Gaza in large numbers, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, imposing measures intended to prevent Palestinian births, and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of Palestinians as a group. South Africa cited expulsions and mass displacement; deprivation of access to adequate food and water, medical care, shelter, clothes, hygiene, and sanitation; and the destruction of the fabric of Palestinian life in Gaza.
South Africa further contends that the “acts of genocide” should be placed in “the broader context of Israel's conduct towards Palestinians during its 75-year-long apartheid, its 56-year-long belligerent occupation of Palestinian territory and its 16-year-long blockade of Gaza.”
South Africa contends that numerous statements by Israeli political and military officials amount to evidence of a clear intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group. It says that the “clear inference from the acts of the Israeli army on the ground…is that those genocidal statements and directives are being implemented against the Palestinian people.” South Africa's application refers to several statements by UN experts who have warned of a risk of genocide.
The court will hear Israel's formal response on January 12. Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a published statement on December 29, 2023, described South Africa's application as “blood libel” and that the claim “lacks both a factual and a legal basis and constitutes despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court.” One media report said that the Israeli Foreign Ministry instructed its diplomats to press officials in their host countries to issue statements against South Africa's case. The Israeli foreign minister has also specifically urged the United Kingdom to oppose South Africa's application. The media reported on January 9 that UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that he did not think the ICJ case was helpful.
The United States National Security Council spokesman described South Africa's application as “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.” The US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said separately that Washington had not “at this point seen acts that constitute genocide” and that the ICJ case was “not a productive step at this time.”
A number of parties to the Genocide Convention have welcomed South Africa's application including Bangladesh, Bolivia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan, Palestine, Turkey, Nambia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also issued a statement in support of the case. France's UN ambassador in New York said France is a strong supporter of the ICJ and would back the court's decisions. Governments should speak out in support of ICJ proceedings and publicly commit to supporting compliance with the court's decisions, Human Rights Watch said.
Israeli authorities and Palestinian armed groups have committed serious abuses during the current hostilities. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups deliberately killed hundreds of civilians in Israel on October 7 and took more than 200 hostages. The Israeli government then cut electricity, fuel, food and water to Gaza's population and severely curtailed life-saving humanitarian aid, all acts of collective punishment, a war crime. Israeli authorities are also using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza, which is also a war crime, Human Rights Watch said.
Past ICJ practice suggests that a decision on provisional measures could be delivered within weeks. Though such an order would be legally binding on Israel, it would not prejudge the merits of the allegations that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention. A provisional measures order is automatically sent to the UN Security Council pending a final decision in the case.
The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council for nine-year terms. When two countries have a dispute and the court does not include their nationals on the bench, the governments can appoint ad-hoc judges to hear that specific matter. In this case, South Africa has appointed Dikgang Moseneke, former deputy chief justice of South Africa, and Israel has appointed Aharon Barak, a retired Israeli Supreme Court president, as ad-hoc judges.
South Africa, which ratified the Genocide Convention in 1998, brought its case under article 9 of the convention, which allows for disputes between parties to be submitted to the ICJ. The court previously confirmed that all member states of the convention have a duty to prevent and to punish genocide. Israel has been a party to the Genocide Convention since 1951.
South Africa together with Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Comoros, and Djibouti also referred the Palestine situation to the International Criminal Court prosecutor in November 2023. South Africa asked the prosecutor, Karim Khan, to investigate the crime of genocide among other grave abuses in Palestine with a view to charging the individuals responsible. Khan confirmed that his office has been conducting, since March 2021, an investigation into alleged atrocity crimes committed in Gaza and the West Bank since 2014, and that he has jurisdiction over crimes in the current hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups that covers unlawful conduct by all parties. He visited Israel and Palestine in December.
In a related matter, in December 2022 the UN General Assembly requested an advisory opinion from the ICJ on the legal consequences of Israel's prolonged occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The General Assembly first asked the ICJ for an advisory opinion related to the Occupied Palestinian Territory 20 years ago. In 2004, the ICJ's advisory opinion found that the route of Israel's separation barrier violated international law and that it should be dismantled. The December 2022 request is wider in scope. South Africa, among other countries, filed a written statement in the proceeding. The ICJ will convene public hearings on the request starting on February 19.
“How many more alarm bells have to ring and how many more civilians must unlawfully suffer or be killed before governments take action,” Jarrah said. “South Africa's genocide case unlocks a legal process at the world's highest court to credibly examine Israel's conduct in Gaza in the hopes of curtailing further suffering.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).