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HAMBA KAHLE MAJOR-GENERAL ANDRÉ LINCOLN
When the businessman and his family were informed that it was a rogue plot within the state security structures, and that the alleged Muslim organisations had nothing to do with it, they were relieved.
By REDERWAAN CRAAYENSTEIN
Major-General André Lincoln, son of the African soil, lived by the values he had learnt from his deeply religious Catholic parents, Reginald and Wilma. I came to know him over a few days last year. South Africa as a state, the oppressed in South Africa, the religious communities, especially Muslims and Jews, including Christians, owe him a debt that could never be repaid.
I was introduced to him by Professor Brian Williams, who had been a close friend of Major-General Lincoln for over 50 years. Brother Brian also owed a similar debt. There are other individuals in this story that I shall not mention, as any mention of their names triggers a reflexive reaction from people in the academic-security-state industrial complexes, both nationally and internationally.
A leading Jewish South African businessman was informed by an officer in one of South Africa’s intelligence-policing and security structures that there was a bounty on his head. A foreign country had made the call, and a group from the local Muslim community had accepted it as a command. On its own, this is the stuff that academics, security analysts, security police, police and bigots had been talking about from the early 1980s. In the 1990s, such discussions led to the establishment of the Hawks. Apartheid-era spooks, ANC-MK deployees, private security firms and academics collaborated to conduct a fight against an organisation with a significant number of Muslims in its leadership. Recently, two best-seller books had been written about this period and subject.
This issue had significant implications. South Africa had just filed its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This emboldened the international solidarity movement for Palestine. South Africa had to learn from the Palestinians that its own preferred Palestinian partner was not the sole and legitimate representative of the justified aspirations of the oppressed people of Palestine. They had to deal with Hamas and Islamic Jihad as well. There are people in the ANC who have always had a more inclusive view, but it took time for the ANC leadership to become more inclusive on who they should be speaking to.
South Africa had found its moral compass and voice. For the first time in its history, would Israel be held to account for its genocidal policies against Palestinians. The governments of the global north that are complicit with Israel were horrified. If Israel were to be guilty of genocide, then it would have legal implications for their diplomatic, economic, cultural and military support for Israel. This case stripped away the pretensions of the global North. They speak for the Palestinians, but they arm Israel. The global north will criticise Israel and talk about international law, but every day gives Israel the benefit of the doubt irrespective of the egregiousness and mendacity. South Africa upset that the comfortable cabal.
If the assassination attempt were to become public, whether real or imaginary, South Africa would have been put on the back foot. Its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would suffer a moral setback. Moreover, the government would have to do what it had done for many decades, i.e. appease the pro-Zionist Jewish establishment in South Africa. The Palestinian solidarity movement in South Africa would likely have split and interfaith relations damaged almost beyond repair. These setbacks would have had significant implications for the global Palestinian solidarity movement and Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. If it were even an attempt to assassinate, then it would have been a disaster. If the assassination attempt did take place, it would have been a catastrophe of nightmare proportions. There are not many Jewish South African businesspeople who are more high-profile than this person.
Needless to say, this Jewish businessperson had gone into hiding for a while and then left to seek safety abroad. The news from the intelligence person was that the attempt to assassinate was credible and in motion.
This is where I was approached by brother Brian Williams because he was approached by a friend to see what could be done. The Jewish businessman and his family were petrified and were gasping for help. An Afrikaner friend of the Jewish businessman made it possible for brother Brian to come to me overseas. He arrived one day, travelled to me the next day and left for South Africa again the day after. Within two days, I was in South Africa.
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There are not many Muslim organisations that could be suspected of planning an assassination attempt on a leading Jewish person. I went to see the leadership of these organisations to ascertain what they knew about this alleged plot. Within a few days, it became clear that they had nothing to do with this allegation, despite being the principal suspects. I believe them and know that they would never lie to me. I prefer not to mention their names because it allows them to continue their work. Any mention of their names in this context will always trigger alerts. This is not a conspiracy theory. This is real.
When that was clear and certain, the danger was not over. We had to determine what was in the file at the security establishment. Brother Brian and Major-General André Lincoln were instrumental in that process. Given Major-General André Lincoln’s police background, he was able to determine that a file had indeed been opened on this matter. He had to navigate networks to gain privileged access to the file. That would take a few days.
In the meantime, we had to alert people in the solidarity movement about this matter. I can say that everyone I had contacted was alarmed and prepared to do anything possible to avoid a catastrophe, given the fact that there was a file. The threat was still in motion and could have significant implications for their work.
Even though the suspected Muslim organisations had nothing to do with the alleged plot, there was still the possibility that a dirty-tricks third-force clique within the security establishment could trigger the assassination. They could be desperate to enact such a plan if they became aware of what we were doing. After all, killers-for-hire is not a new phenomenon in South Africa. It has been happening since the first days of settler colonial occupation in 1652.
The planned assassination led us to take preventative action. This plot could only have happened because of the businessperson’s involvement in the politics surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict. It is uncontroversial to say that the South African Jewish establishment was silent and complicit with the Apartheid regime. It is also correct that they are as complicit in the genocide of Palestinians today. This businessperson has deep questions to ask about faith, morality, and justice. Make no mistake that this is not someone evil. His compassion certainly exceeds that of many of his critics. Yet, his care does not extend to Palestinians. In terms of industrial relations, his support for trade union activity is exemplary. One would have thought that, given the privileged status of the Jewish community in South Africa during and after Apartheid, he would take responsibility for his privilege in the Israel-Palestine issue.
While Major-General André Lincoln was setting up a meeting to review the actual file on this matter, we arranged a meeting with Palestinian Solidarity Activists. I can confidently say that the South African supporters of Israel of all religious persuasions and ethnic backgrounds are fortunate to have Palestinian activism being led by the leadership that it has.
This alleged plot arose because the target was a high-profile Jewish businessperson. Palestinian activists were targeting him because he was supporting the racist, genocidal Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli settler colonial project. As usual, the South African Zionist supporters of Israel accused pro-Palestinian activists of antisemitism.
The Palestinian solidarity activists were prepared to call off their BDS actions against his company if he were prepared to dissociate himself from the war in Palestine, call for peace and use his resources to help build the peace movement. How can this be controversial when 50,000 children have been killed? He could use the experiences of Jews in South Africa to help Israeli Jews see their lives beyond settler colonial displacement, dispossession, occupation and war in Palestine. After all, South Africa is one of the safest places in the world for Jews anywhere in the world. The same can be said for people of any religious persuasion and those who have no religious affiliation—stifled magic and beauty of South Africa. Criminality in South Africa is not targeted at specific groups of people.
We made significant progress in getting this businessperson to call for an end to the war in Palestine. Mohamad Dangor, Naeem Jeenah and networks of pro-Palestine activists played stellar roles. There was only one leading person in the Palestine Solidarity movement in South Africa who had an objection to this direction of movement. I can safely say that this person had no strategic or logical basis for his objections. The delays caused by that person allowed room for the Jewish businessman to renege on his undertakings. He was put under tremendous pressure by the Zionist establishment that he had helped to build over decades. The Zionist infrastructure was appalled that he was considering making agreements with the South African Palestine solidarity movement, which called into question the war on the Palestinians. For South African Zionists, the State of Israel is a Golden Calf. One can eat non-kosher, deny the existence of and belief in God, and not celebrate the Sabbath and still be accepted into the fold of the faithful. To call into question anything about Israel is a basis for excommunication.
Major-General André Lincoln read the file and identified the person who first announced the news to his superiors and the family. Given that he knew that the alleged Muslim organisations had nothing to do with the plot, that set off an internal investigation in that unit of the security structures of the state.
When the businessman and his family were informed that it was a rogue plot within the state security structures and that the alleged Muslim organisations had nothing to do with it, they were relieved. Unfortunately, they tried to change the terms of the agreement that were to be signed at a public event in Cape Town. This is the same way that the Israeli government operates. When the pressure is on, they make agreements. When the pressure eases, they attempt to alter the agreed-upon terms.
Had it not been for Major-General André Lincoln, this plot may have taken place, and Muslims would have been blamed. It would have set off conflict within the Muslim community, between Muslims and Jews, whilst drawing in Christians, the solidarity movement would have been catastrophically split, South Africa’s moral standing would have been irredeemably harmed, and likely the international Palestine solidarity movement would have been harmed.
It is sad that the Jewish businessperson could not rise above his ethnic moral compass and embrace the Jewish teaching to choose life. From the Hebrew texts, we have learnt that to kill an innocent person is to destroy the whole of humanity. From the Hebrew scriptures, we knew the value of the lives of ordinary people, women, children, orphans, and homeless individuals. From the Hebrew holy texts, we understand that humans are created in the image of God. Every human being is therefore sacred and divine, irrespective of whether that person is Jewish, Palestinian, Christian, agnostic or atheist. The Jewish community in South Africa could have used the fact that oppressed South Africans do not call for their persecution for complicity with Apartheid to change the hatred and bigotry of Israeli Jews towards Palestinians. We had our own versions of South Africans, who were similar to Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich. He just missed a chance to do some of the good things that he does on a scale that would have immortalised his name.
As for the Palestinian solidarity movement in South Africa, you are a blessing. Some of the names are well-known and I do not need to repeat these. The South African Interfaith leadership has been magnificent. Imam Rashied Omar, Moulana Aftab Haider and the Muslim Judicial Council were magnificent. The Catholic and Anglican leaderships were ready to do whatever was needed to make this happen. I just happen to forget their names.
The Zionist faith leaders have a tenuous relationship with the Old Testament. The Prophets of the Hebrew Bible are turning in their graves. There was not one synagogue that was prepared to take a stand in this process. Each of these fears having their own Goldstone moments.
Palestinian solidarity activists give unqualified support to Palestinians, but they do not lose track of the humanity of Jews. In your ranks are Jews who walk in the footsteps of Ruth First, Joe Slovo, Albie Sachs, Ronnie Kasrils and a few others. This is different from the hegemony of the Zionists establishment on the issue of Israel-Palestine. Ronnie Kasrils can look at these Jewish activist and sing like Celtic and Liverpool supporters ‘You never walk alone’. I make this point even though I know that it is easier to agree on the Israel-Palestine conflict than it is to agree on which football team to support. The delay on the part of the solidarity movement, due to the misplaced principles of one major player, created the space for the Zionist establishment to exert sufficient pressure on the businessman to avoid an outcome from which they would have struggled to recover.
To those Muslim organisations who allegedly were smeared in an official document, I can only say that you have no chance of ever being considered ‘not involved’. You may encounter difficulties, perhaps due to some of your ideological positions. On the other hand, you will always be the enemy for as long as capitalism and imperialism are the enemies of oppressed people. They know that you are not for sale. Always be Socratic. That is, have your dogma but do not be dogmatic. Question assumptions and presuppositions. Be your own robust critics. Your existence remains critical to the survival of a project of justice for all, irrespective of differences in class, gender, ethnicity, religion and national origin.
There were many South Africans who, although not well-known, played a significant role in this project. They wanted to avoid a disaster and were prepared to do all that they could to help. They still have that inclination. The future of South Africa depends on these ordinary people, some of whom are rather extraordinary as they take responsibility for their privilege. If South Africa has a bright future, and I believe that it does, then these are the people who will make it happen.
The Jewish businessman still has the chance to write the lines that will appear on his tombstone in his lifetime.
To the people that I have mentioned earlier, and those at the Waterfront management, Brian Williams, Khalid Khan, Johan Ferreira and his staff I can only say this was a moment when it was not what your country could do for you but what you could do for your country. South Africans ended Apartheid because the Palestinian leadership shared their diplomatic, economic and military resources with us during our struggle. Israel was an ally of the Apartheid regime. We have a debt to Palestinians that we can never repay yet we must try. And as we do so, we could help them to fight for their dignity whilst keeping track of the humanity of their enemies. As troubled as the American experiment in democracy is, even a million lives lost during the civil war could not stop a unified USA. An imperfect Good Friday Agreement has not stopped the people of Ireland to end their enmity and a yearning for an end to the settler colonial architecture of British colonialism and imperialism in Ireland. The magic of South Africa motivates us. We have had troubles since 1652. 1994 till today is only a few years. It will take us a long time to undo over 350 years of settler colonial displacement, dispossession, disinheritance, rape and murder. Our imperfect experiment in democracy offers no guarantees except that tomorrow we might do better than today. That is what moves all of you to do what you do to be involved in this immediate crisis and the broader Israel-Palestine conflict. Palestinians will never do to Israeli Jews what was done to Palestinians. That is the golden thread of our own lived experience that we share. And you are all embodiments of these hopes. Your country owes you.
As for Major-General André Lincoln, I can only say that it was a blessing for me to work with him for a few days. It was an opportunity to deliver my version of Dr King’s ‘I Have Been to the Mountaintop’ (March 28, 1968). That speech has many lessons for us today.
