Latest news with #DepartmentofInternationalRelationsandCooperation
eNCA
a day ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Government had no knowledge of October 7 Hamas attack
PRETORIA - The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has refuted claims that the government knew of Hamas plans to attack Israel on 7 October 2023. Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri has told eNCA that local journalist, Paula Slier, who published a blog for the Times of Israel, had repeated unverified and questionable claims made by a UK-based consultant, Justin Lewis. READ: Hamas says open to 5-year Gaza truce, one-time hostages release Phiri adds that Slier failed to uphold her ethical duties as a journalist, and had peddled disinformation and a patently false narrative. He believes her attempt to later admit to some shortcomings to the story was inadequate, and it was her responsibility and obligation to apologise and unconditionally withdraw the blog. READ: Israel-Palestine conflict | SA calls for an immediate ceasefire Phiri insists that the South African government had no prior knowledge of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Junior SA soccer players are stranded in Portugal after academy failed to buy return-flight tickets
A Cape Town-based soccer academy sent 35 young athletes to Spain to compete in a tournament. More than a week after the tournament ended, only 13 have arrived back in South Africa, with the other 25 stranded in Europe. Twenty-five junior soccer players from Cape Town are currently stranded in Portugal, alongside three coaches, after the local soccer academy, which sent them over to take part in a tournament, failed to purchase return-flight tickets to South Africa. BT Football Academy sent a group of 35 teenagers, aged between 13 and 18, alongside four coaches, to participate in the Donosti Cup in Spain, an annual age-group soccer tournament which takes place in San Sebastián. Parents of these young athletes paid R50,000 for the expenses of the trip, which was supposed to be nine days, from 6 July until 15 July, with the tournament taking place from 7 July until 13 July. Currently 25 kids (five girls, 20 boys) and three coaches are stranded in Lisbon, Portugal, after travelling to the neighbouring country by bus, after 10 children – whose parents forked out an extra R15,000 to have their children returned to South Africa – and one coach are now at home. The reason provided for the lack of return tickets for the athletes was because of the exorbitant prices at the time they wanted to make the purchase, impacted by delays in the visa application process. 'Unfortunately, our preparations were significantly impacted by delays in securing visa appointment slots,' a statement by BT Football Academy read. 'Despite our early attempts to begin the visa process, we were only granted appointments much later than planned. 'As a result, visas were received merely a week before the intended departure. This created immense pressure on our team to secure flights within an extremely short timeframe. 'The cost of return flights so close to the departure date proved unaffordable.' Essentially, the tickets were booked, but the academy gambled on cheaper return-flight prices to fall within the budget. Unfortunately, ticket prices did not come down in the interim, leaving about a R15,000 shortfall per member stranded in Portugal. 'Very unfortunate' The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) is aware of the situation but, according to spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, its hands are tied. 'This is very unfortunate and we hope that all those involved will take responsibility and we encourage all South Africans with the means to assist where possible,' Phiri said to Daily Maverick in WhatsApp communication. 'Unfortunately, this is not a case [which] would fall directly within the ambit of our consular services. But we will endeavour to explore all avenues to assist.' The young athletes were sent to Spain with the return tickets booked but not purchased, due to the prices at the time. Had the children not gone, BT Football Academy would have encountered a massive financial loss, according to BT Football Academy CEO and founder Brandon Timmy. 'When we bought the tickets, it was already late [in the process] and the return-ticket price at the time, upon receiving the visas, was extremely high,' Timmy told CapeTalk radio. 'Parents paid a lot of money to make this happen. From our side, we also had to pay money to the tournament organisers because it came with accommodation fees. 'If we had not received our visas and bought the flight tickets, there would've been a [financial] massive loss.' According to BT Football Academy's press statement, it had attempted to secure funding through government assistance, but to no avail. 'In anticipation of this challenge, we had reached out well in advance to various government departments and ministers seeking financial assistance,' the statement read. 'Regrettably, no response was received, neither via email nor telephonically, despite repeated efforts.' No communication BT Football Academy also acknowledged their poor communication to concerned parents in their statement. 'We acknowledge that our limited communication has caused concern,' it said. 'Please understand that we are working around the clock to find solutions to bring all players back home as soon as possible. 'The financial strain is heavy, but our commitment to our players and their families is unwavering. 'We are deeply grateful for the understanding, compassion and support we've received from parents, especially those whose children have previously toured with us and continue to stand by us during this unprecedented situation. 'This is the first time we have faced such a challenge and it is not reflective of our past.' Currently, the 25 young athletes and three coaches are in a hostel in Portugal waiting to secure flight tickets to return to South Africa. DM
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
DIRCO: Stranded football team in Spain is safe, flights pending
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that the group of young football players and coaches stranded in Spain is staying in a hotel and is safe This comes after a Cape Town-based youth football academy failed to secure returning flights. A group of 25 children aged between 13 and 18, along with three coaches, allegedly travelled to San Sebastián to compete in the Donosti Cup The academy sent the group to Spain on 6 July, with plans to return on 16 July. A week after the scheduled return to South Africa, the kids and coaches remain stuck in Spain without food and accommodation. The academy responsible for the trip said in a statement that a delay in visas caused the chaos. It said that late visa appointment slots caused a struggle to book flights. The academy said rising prices have prevented them from booking flights for the entire group. Clayson Monyela, Deputy Director-General at DIRCO, said his team has been managing a flood of complaints since Friday, 18 July. Monyela confirmed that the team is currently staying in a hotel and is safe 'BT Academy has confirmed to us that they're buying tickets to get everyone back. We'll provide an update as soon as tickets are secured,' Monyela said. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
SA government rejects ‘clickbait' reporting on Hamas, Iran ties in open letter to Paula Slier
Department of International Relations and Cooperation condemns the amplification of unverified conspiracy theories, defending South Africa's legal stance at the ICJ and reaffirming its commitment to international law and justice. Image: Parliament of SA The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has criticised journalist Paula Slier for what it describes as a 'reckless' and 'baseless' amplification of conspiracy theories in her recent Times of Israel blog posts. DIRCO, spokesperson Chrispin Phiri issued an open letter addressing Slier's reliance on discredited sources and failure to uphold journalistic integrity. Phiri singled out Slier's July 11 blog post, where she chose to platform Justin Lewis, described by Phiri as a man 'well-versed in the art of name-dropping', and his 'dangerous and unsubstantiated assertions.' According to Phiri, Lewis's claims that the South African government had prior knowledge of the October 7 Hamas attack are not only unverified but easily debunked through 'rudimentary desktop research.' Slier's follow-up post on July 13, in which she acknowledged the allegations were unverified but insisted they represented an 'important lobby mechanism,' failed to satisfy DIRCO. Phiri accused Slier of failing to apologise to readers or to retract the original blog, stating: 'Instead of apologising to your readers for violating the most basic tenets of ethical journalism, you chose once again to amplify these reckless allegations.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Phiri further deconstructed Lewis's background, pointing out inconsistencies and fabrications in his self-styled biography. Lewis, who admits to being a 'non-lawyer' and claims to have worked with former Chief Justices Chaskalson and Mogoeng, is unknown in any official legal capacity and has no traceable involvement in the globally documented Leveson Inquiry. ''A mere email from a third party, clearly well-versed in the art of name-dropping luminaries could trigger a media inquiry,' said Phiri 'My own rudimentary desktop research swiftly illuminated the gaping holes in Mr Lewis' narrative and credibility.' Highlighting Lewis's dubious past, Phiri cited contradictions in how Lewis has presented his organisation CASISA, a self-described private sector human rights lobby,which, according to Lewis in 2014, was not yet registered in the EU. Yet by 2017, he claimed to be a human rights lobbyist for an NGO defending South African institutions. 'There is no application before any court that contains Mr Lewis' spectacular fables,' Phiri confirms. The July 11 blog, Phiri argues, resulted in unjustified reputational damage to South Africa's media landscape. 'You effectively impugned the integrity of our media as a whole,' he said, denouncing Slier's insinuation that South African outlets ignored Lewis's allegations as evidence of complicity or bias. Even more troubling, according to Phiri, is Slier's insistence on vague 'global concerns' about South Africa's diplomacy towards Hamas and Iran. He challenged this assertion outright: 'How many of the 193 United Nations member states have articulated such concern?' Phiri added that South Africa's bilateral ties with Iran long predate the democratic era, countering claims that such relations are recent or ideologically driven. Phiri warned against 'clickbait, biased reporting that confirms unsubstantiated hogwash,' and stressed that South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is grounded in international law, not political expediency. Phiri pointed to credible legal scholars, including Israeli genocide expert Dr Omer Bartov, who recently wrote in The New York Times that 'it appeared no longer possible to deny that the pattern of [IDF] operations was consistent with the statements denoting genocidal intent.' Reaffirming South Africa's commitment to international law, Phiri said: 'South Africa's case has nothing to do with politics, nor with religion or ethnicity. It is about the conduct of a State that has signed the UN Charter, the Genocide Convention and numerous international instruments and manifestly and repeatedly violated them.' ''Our support for the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people is predicated on the enduring need to address the manifestation of an illegal settler colonial occupation.'' He closed the letter with a pointed reminder of the principled stance taken by Nelson Mandela on Palestinian liberation. 'But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.' 'The world, the readers of the Times of Israel, and the listeners of Chai FM deserve better, Ms. Slier,' said Phiri. 'We cannot accept clickbait, biased reporting that confirms unsubstantiated hogwash.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Dirco calls for global action to stop Israel's ‘genocide' in Gaza
Delegates from 30 countries are discussing how to stop Israel's military offensive in Gaza. As the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Director-General Zane Dangor says there are continued and urgent calls from UN Member States and the international community for a ceasefire in Gaza. Dangor spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia's capital, Bogota, on Tuesday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and ways that nations can try to stop Israel's military offensive in the enclave. Conference The two-day conference organised by Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates. The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants. It includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight countries that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ALSO READ: Israeli strikes kill children collecting water in Gaza Genocide Many of the participating nations have described the violence as genocide against the Palestinians. Dangor stated that the meeting comes one year after the General Assembly passed a resolution that affirmed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory opinion that found that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful. He said the resolution affirming the ICJ's advisory opinion was supported by the overwhelming majority of member states. 'The carnage we see in Palestine today is testament to Israel's grand exceptionalism from accountability to international law and norms. All states have the obligation to act on these directives. We do not have the luxury of time. This is happening now.' Durante la Conferencia Ministerial de Emergencia sobre Palestina, que se desarrolla en Bogotá, Zane Dangor, secretario general del Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales y Cooperación de Sudáfrica, explicó el propósito de este encuentro. — Cancillería Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) July 15, 2025 'Impunity continues unabated' Dangor added that the 'impunity continues unabated'. 'Israel continues with its violence against Palestinians, with forced evacuations, and targeted attacks on schools and medical facilities being the order of the day. An unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, exacerbated by further denials of safe access to, and delivery of, desperately needed aid, has been unfolding before our eyes.' Dangor warned that enabling Israel to simply ignore decisions of the courts and the United Nations with no consequence is negatively impacting the integrity of international law, including international humanitarian law and the organisations that are tasked with its administration. 'Israel's continued disregard for the rulings of the ICJ undermines the integrity of the court and harms the capacity of the institutions of global governance to end impunity. 'This is unacceptable, and we should not be complicit in Israel's endeavours to irreparably harm the institutions that were established to hold all of us accountable to the goals of a more peaceful and just world,' Dangor said. ALSO READ: Israel bombs café during children's birthday party in Gaza — 39 killed International law Dangor said the international community cannot proclaim that the importance of international law, including that of the UN Charter, applies in some situations and not in others. 'We should not pick and choose which binding orders of the ICJ to abide by and which to set aside or simply ignore. 'Israel's unlawful actions are enabled when we seek to rationalise their actions. The crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of apartheid are not complex, they are unlawful,' Dangor said. Humanitarian support He added that the violence and restrictions under Israeli occupation have rendered the mandates of humanitarian and development organisations virtually impossible to fulfil. 'Humanitarian support provided by member states is regularly obstructed and destroyed by Israeli authorities, or is being allowed to be destroyed by right-wing and extreme elements. 'As Member States of the UN who have pledged our commitment to upholding the UN Charter, we have the ultimate responsibility to ensure and protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,' he said. Dangor said Israel's government must immediately halt the forced displacement of civilians in Gaza, which is causing 'untold suffering and trauma'. 'The government of Israel, as the occupying power, must uphold its obligations under international law, protect and uphold the rights of Palestinians, refrain from excessive and lethal use of force and guarantee unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance, including healthcare and other essential services in the West Bank and Gaza.' 'Concrete actions' The United Nations's special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese said that it is time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza. 'Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel … and ensure its private sector does the same,' Albanese said. 'The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.' Gaza death toll More than 58 000 people have been killed since Israel launched the assault in October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israeli forces have also imposed several total blockades on the territory throughout the war, pushing Gaza's 2.3 million residents to the brink of starvation. Analysts say it's not clear whether the conference's participating countries have enough leverage over Israel to force it to change its policies in Gaza. ALSO READ: SA among 38 countries to present at ICJ hearings on Israel's actions
