A South African civil society activist, Zackie Achmat, has publicly condemned the presence of Germany’s ambassador to Pretoria, Andreas Peschke, at a social justice conference.
Achmat criticized Peschke for Germany’s ongoing support of Israel, particularly its arms sales to the country.
The protest took place during the 6th International Social Justice Conference at Stellenbosch University.
Achmat approached the stage where Peschke was seated and accused Germany of contributing to the suffering of Palestinians.
He called on the audience to join him in leaving the venue in solidarity with Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.
The South African government has a longstanding commitment to the Palestinian cause and has openly condemned Israeli attacks in the region.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated this support during a recent speech.
However, Pretoria has also condemned the actions of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, and has demanded the release of hostages taken in an attack on Israel.
In addition to its diplomatic efforts, South Africa has taken legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The court has issued preliminary orders seeking to limit the violence and suffering in the Gaza Strip.