The grandson of the late South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, Mandla Mandela, returned to Johannesburg on Wednesday after being detained and deported by Israel for taking part in a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.
Mandela, who was accompanied by four other South Africans, said the group had been held in an Israeli prison for six days before being released through Jordan.
“We were handcuffed with cable ties tied tightly behind our backs, taken off our boats, put on the platform and paraded for all to see,” the 51-year-old said at the airport, where supporters waving Palestinian flags greeted him.
“But it’s nothing compared to what Palestinians have been subjected to on a daily basis,” he added, referring to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza that began after Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel two years ago.
Israel, however, dismissed reports of mistreatment and hunger in Gaza as exaggerated, labelling the flotilla a publicity stunt designed to aid Hamas. Among the hundreds detained was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, according to Israeli authorities.
Mandela’s detention and subsequent deportation have drawn renewed attention to South Africa’s vocal criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and its ongoing calls for international accountability.
Melissa Enoch
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