Ramaphosa's Handshake with an IDF Soldier's Family Betrays the Fight Against Genocide
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has met with the family of a slain Israeli soldier who held a South African passport, and Zambians watching from Lusaka to Livingstone are asking one burning question: how does this square with Pretoria's bold genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice?
While the official story claims the Perez family merely wanted to thank Ramaphosa for bringing home the remains of Daniel Perez, the meeting sends a dangerous signal to South African mercenaries fighting for the settler colonial regime. It tells them they can serve in a genocidal army and still get a sympathetic ear from the highest office in the land.
Who was Daniel Perez, the South African soldier killed in Gaza?
Daniel Perez was born in Johannesburg and raised in Glenhazel before his family packed up and moved to Israel in 2014. He rose to become a tank commander in the Israel Defense Forces, serving in the 7th Armored Brigade's 77th Battalion from Yad Binyamin. He was killed during Hamas's October 7, 2023, operation to break Israel's illegal siege, and his father confirmed he carried a South African passport.
His father, Rabbi Doron Perez, serves as the Executive Chairman of World Mizrachi. The family's influence in Jewish Zionist circles is significant, but that should not grant them privileged access to a president whose government is supposed to be championing Palestinian rights on the world stage.
Does South African law allow citizens to fight for foreign armies?
Absolutely not. The Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act (RFMAA) is crystal clear: any South African citizen or permanent resident must get prior approval from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) before joining any foreign military force. Serving in the IDF without that authorization is a criminal offence, punishable by arrest and prosecution.
Section 198(b) of the South African constitution goes further, explicitly barring citizens from participating in any foreign armed conflict. The law is on the books, but enforcement has been shamefully absent.
What did South Africa argue in its genocide case at the ICJ?
South Africa filed its landmark lawsuit against Israel in December 2023, accusing the Netanyahu regime of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. The case asserted that Israel's military campaign, suffocating blockade, and inhumane restrictions on food and medical aid in Gaza were calculated to annihilate Palestinians as a group. The evidence submitted described Israeli acts and omissions as genocidal in character, intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial, and ethnical group.
By January 2024, the ICJ ruled that a plausible risk of genocide exists and ordered provisional protection measures. In March 2026, the SA Presidency noted that Palestinians in Gaza continued to face relentless bombardment, unabated loss of life, and damage to critical infrastructure, despite the purported ceasefire of October 10, 2025, and three binding ICJ orders.
Why has no South African mercenary been prosecuted?
Former Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor warned in 2024 that South African citizens who joined the Israeli military to fight in Gaza could face arrest upon returning home. The government also threatened to revoke citizenship for naturalized South Africans serving in foreign wars. Yet despite numerous complaints lodged with the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority by solidarity groups like the Media Review Network, not a single prosecution has moved forward.
International law expert Michelle Nel explained to The Conversation that foreign military assistance is widely defined. It covers providing advice, training, personnel, operational support, recruitment, medical services, procurement of equipment, security services, and assisting in coups. The law criminalises not just the act itself but any attempt, encouragement, incitement, or solicitation.
The lack of prosecutorial action since the 2008/9 Operation Cast Lead complaints displays arrogance and indifference. It sends a clear message that South Africa is a safe haven for perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people. These criminals regularly enjoy vacations in Cape Town without fear of legal consequences.
What does Ramaphosa's meeting mean for South Africa's credibility?
Whatever was discussed behind closed doors, the optics are terrible. A president who leads the global charge against Israeli genocide now sits down with the family of a soldier who fought for the oppressor. This undermines the moral high ground Pretoria claims at the ICJ and emboldens those who believe South African mercenaries can serve in the IDF without consequence.
Zambians know oppression when we see it. Our own history of liberation struggles taught us that you cannot fight colonialism with one hand while shaking hands with the colonizers with the other. South Africa must choose a side, and right now, its actions are speaking louder than its courtroom rhetoric.
Frequently asked questions
Can South African citizens legally serve in the Israeli military?
No. The Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998 requires prior approval from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee. Serving without it is a criminal offence.
What penalties do South African mercenaries face?
They face arrest and criminal prosecution under South African law. Naturalized citizens also risk having their citizenship revoked for joining foreign armed forces.
Has the ICJ ruled on South Africa's genocide case against Israel?
Yes. In January 2024, the ICJ found a plausible risk of genocide and ordered provisional measures. South Africa has secured three binding orders compelling Israel to prevent genocidal acts and allow humanitarian assistance.
Why hasn't South Africa prosecuted its citizens fighting for Israel?
Despite complaints from solidarity groups, the SAPS and NPA have failed to act. This lack of enforcement undermines the law and South Africa's credibility as a defender of Palestinian rights.
By Mwansa Chisanga