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Can Johannesburg fix roads, restore services and still stand for Palestine? This article rejects that false choice, linking people-centred local government with South Africa’s commitment to justice, human rights and solidarity with Gaza.
BY HASSEN LORGAT
The recent article by Kenneth Kgwadi in IOL makes a seemingly reasonable argument: that Johannesburg’s next mayor must focus on local service delivery rather than foreign conflicts. On the surface, this appears to be a plea for practical governance—fixing roads, ensuring water and sanitation, creating jobs, and restoring public trust.
But a closer examination reveals a hidden agenda. The subtext of this argument is not simply about potholes and municipal finances. It is a fundamental critique against those who support and demand justice for Palestine—a people still experiencing genocide, even after a so-called ceasefire agreed upon a year ago.
Who is Kgwadi, really?
Kgwadi is identified as a research fellow at the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI). What the article conveniently omits is that MEARI’s leadership has deep, undisclosed ties to the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD).
MEARI was formed on April 18, 2024, with Benji Shulman as its executive director. In 2019, Shulman was honoured by the SAZF as a “prime defender and promoter” of Israel. The institute’s co-founder, Joshua Schewitz, joined the SAZF Cape Council in 2026. These affiliations are nowhere to be found on the MEARI website, which presents itself as a neutral research platform.
The institute’s work consistently targets Iran and what it terms “Jihadi terrorism”. But its real concern appears to be shielding Israel from accountability while undermining South Africa’s principled stance on Palestine.
The genocide in Gaza: facts we cannot ignore
Just days ago, South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to international law by submitting a legal dossier to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case accuses Israel of non-compliance with the court’s binding orders to protect Palestinians in Gaza.
The evidence is devastating: over 73 000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174 000 injured in Gaza since October 2023. The legal papers confirm that Israel has systematically ignored the ICJ’s provisional measures.
This is not a “foreign conflict”. This is a genocide unfolding in real time, and South Africa—with its own history of apartheid—has a moral and legal obligation to speak out. Our Constitution demands it.
The false choice: services vs. justice
Kgwadi’s argument hinges on a false dichotomy: that we must choose between fixing our cities and standing up for international justice. This is precisely the framing used by those who want to silence solidarity with Palestine.
Helen Zille has made the same argument, asserting that we must separate domestic governance from international solidarity. I have pushed back against this, arguing that South Africa’s municipal crises stem from ANC failures, austerity, and corruption—not from engaging with international issues.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has demonstrated that fixing potholes and supporting Palestine are compatible. His commitment to “municipal socialism” shows that we can deliver services while defending human rights. Why should South Africans accept less?
The RDP and people-centred development
Our history teaches us a different path. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) emphasised people-centred, participatory approaches to development. This is part of our democratic heritage—and it implicitly rejects the “top-down” efficiency model that figures like Zille advocate.
The obsession with delivery above all—potholes at any cost—is a dangerous path. It leads to privatisation and denies citizens a voice. Mussolini famously claimed he was “making the trains run on time”. We know what followed: slaughter of Jews, communists, and other “undesirables” with chilling efficiency.
This is a cautionary tale: efficiency without human rights is a recipe for tyranny.
Solidarity is not a distraction
South Africans must reject the false choice between local service delivery and international justice. We can—and must—embrace both people-driven development and active citizenship.
When Kgwadi writes that the mayor should not “use Johannesburg as a vehicle to pursue foreign conflicts”, he is really saying: do not talk about Palestine. He is asking us to look away from genocide while pretending to care about potholes.
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But we cannot separate these issues. Our freedom is bound up with the freedom of others. The struggle for justice in Gaza is connected to the struggle for justice in Johannesburg. Solidarity is not a distraction from our problems—it is the solution.
Don’t hide your skirt, Kwadi. We see exactly what you’re doing.
Hassen Lorgat, trade unionist and media activist, is a member of the Working Group on Data Centres and convenor of the CSOs Tailings Working Group. He writes in his personal capacity.
