Israel and Allies Want ‘Regime Change’ in South Africa, ANC Says

Pretoria says it’s being persecuted for taking ‘legitimate’ action against Israel, whose forces it says are committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

A session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deliberating on emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that the military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide, in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan. 26, 2024. Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa’s embattled governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), said a “fightback” against it has begun and that it’s encountering “repercussions” after it recently took Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for its military operation against Hamas in Gaza.

The “repercussions” could extend into domestic politics, and could involve an effort to instigate “regime change,” South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa told a meeting of senior ANC officials last week.