Speaking at Wednesday’s ‘welcome rally’ for a delegation of visit Hamas officials, Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) president, Ml Ighsaan Hendricks took a more political tone in praising the ruling African National Congress(ANC) for its continued support for the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation. The delegation, led by the group’s leader, Khaled Meshaal, are on a tour of South Africa as guests of the ANC.

“There is no confusion about the fact that it is the ANC that walks the walk with the Palestinian issue. Nobody should think it was an accident for Hamas to arrive in SA,” he stated.

Hendricks also described the visit as a decisive moment in the history of South Africa, as well as that of the country’s long history of support for the Palestinian struggle. Furthermore, he stressed that the local community had taken a firm stance in that it would not willingly recognise the state of Israel.

Also addressing the gathering was ANC Western Cape leader, Marius Fransman who issued a welcome to the visiting delegation.

“We welcome the leadership of Hamas into a province of roughly six million people, into a province where some of the biggest wars of resistance took place as early as the early 1500s,” he said.

Fransman described the province as once being a haven for colonial and Apartheid rulers, noting that ‘colonial-funds’ were invested mostly within the Western Cape and greater Cape Town area.

“The biggest contradictions of race culture and identify many a times you will find here. But that makes it also so unique to work through these things,” he noted.

Fransman also reference the ruling parties recent National General Council (NGC), in which the party reiterated its support for the Palestinian cause.

“We have to reaffirm our message of a free Palestine, and reaffirm the message of the unity of the oppressed masses,” he concluded. VOC