Johannesburg: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday expressed profound concern over the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stating that the country is "particularly horrified by the deliberate starvation" by what he referred to as the "apartheid state of Israel."

According to Anadolu Agency, Ramaphosa delivered these remarks during the Liberation Movements Summit in Gauteng. He condemned what he described as crimes against humanity and genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. He called upon Israel to permit the entry and distribution of food and essential aid to Palestinians facing starvation and urged the immediate cessation of bombardment targeting civilians and the destruction of homes, hospitals, and places of worship.

The Summit, which gathered political organizations from nations with histories of colonization to promote solidarity and anti-imperialist objectives, included historic liberation movements from Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Namibia, and South Africa. Ramaphosa stressed that these movements, rooted in anti-colonial struggle, must now engage in a renewed struggle for social and economic justice, regional integration, and sovereignty in an increasingly challenging global environment.

Ramaphosa highlighted that true political independence is incomplete without economic justice, encompassing land reform, industrialization, manufacturing, beneficiation, and job creation for the youth. He pointed out evidence suggesting that international actors exploit public grievances in developing countries to destabilize progressive governments.

The South African leader emphasized the need for a "renewed offensive" against transformation, progressive policies, and multilateralism. He warned of global institutions being used as tools for division and control in Africa through transactional diplomacy and economic coercion. At the core of this dynamic, Ramaphosa argued, is a battle for control over politics, critical and rare minerals essential for green technology and the digital economy.

Ramaphosa described a "new scramble for Africa," characterized not by territorial conquest but by digital, economic, ideological, and ecological imperatives. He remarked that Africa bears the environmental costs of global prosperity, despite not being responsible for global warming, and highlighted the continent's vulnerability to its effects.

Concluding his remarks, Ramaphosa pointed out that the Global North's development was historically achieved at the expense of Africa's human capital, natural resources, and cultural wealth, leading to enduring extraction, exploitation, and underdevelopment impacting the continent to this day.