“We believe the one who has the power. He is the one who gets to write the story. When you study history, you must always ask yourself, whose history am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so this voice could come forth” ~ Home-going by Yaa Gyasi

Being a beauty queen is often seen as being someone who stands with the oppressed. Besides being advised on how going to Israel to compete for Miss Universe would reflect on her considering South Africa was a former apartheid state, Lalela Mswane saw it as people bullying her and not wanting her to succeed.

Is this the stain that she has to live with, blocking all her social media platforms because maybe she is feeling, “Bad?”

It has been over three months since Israel started bombing Gaza. Dr. Naledi Pandor, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation has been vocal saying she sees ‘very clear similarities’ between Israel’s occupation and apartheid. In November 2023 she mentioned that her government might take Israel to the ICC and today South Africa has written its name on the right side of history by standing with the oppressed people of Palestine. Israel sent weapons to South Africa when it was still a Dutch colony and today South Africa has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice to stop the genocide that has killed thousands of innocent lives.

“Statistics say on average two hundred and forty-seven Palestinians die or are at risk of being killed every day and this has led to a new acronym: WCNSF – Wounded Child, No Surviving Family,” said Blinne Ni Ghralaigh an Irish lawyer who is in support of the South African legal Team.

Cases like these leave one to wonder to what extent people have to plead, for the world to finally understand the injustices they are being subjected to. Genocide has been happening live on our smartphones and televisions yet for decades to come, our history books will have this same story and question how it all happened.

Silence and ignorance are how these atrocities happen again and again and again because no one was there to stop the perpetrators. When enough Palestinians die, can we not stand in solidarity with them because we are third-world countries and considered poor to take any action?

Not only is South Africa taking a stand with the people of Palestine, but regionally the South Africa Defense Force has been sent to Congo to aid the Congolese people during the genocide. They have also sent troops to South Sudan and Mozambique for peace-keeping missions.

It is quite admirable how determined South African lawyers have spoken up for Palestinians when international authorities would have preferred that they remain silent. Regardless of the result, South Africa has already given the Palestinian people and humanity a significant win. They have been given a voice in front of the world’s top court.

“We know too well that our freedom is not complete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” – Nelson Mandela