After sailing in small boats through dangerous seas, being intercepted by the Israeli navy and then detained for five days while treated as terrorists, why should we care who paid for the return of the six South Africans repatriated home?
Yet this was what the South African government had to address after the Israeli embassy in South Africa sparked misinformation suggesting that South African taxpayers were footing the bill for the group, who were portrayed as reckless and “Hamas-aligned”.
It fed into a wave of online chatter that framed the Global Sumud Flotilla as a publicity stunt by activists rather than a genuine effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Let us start with what the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has said repeatedly: it did not pay anything for the group’s return to South Africa.
South Africa’s ambassador to Jordan, Tselane Mokuena, who met the delegation as they arrived in Jordan, said the global organisers paid for everything themselves, including the minibus taxis that transported the group from the border into the city and later to the airport.
Mokuena said the flight tickets were booked by the group and no public funds were spent.
But should it even matter if public funds had been spent to repatriate citizens detained illegally by Israel?
It has become a sideshow in what should be a bigger conversation: how Israel acts with impunity and has blatantly violated international law for years.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPRtYaHDL-W/?igsh=MThnOTFkN3Q2MjNjMQ==
Activist Fathima Hendricks captured the raw truth of their ordeal: “They took us hostage in international waters, hijacked our boats, stole our aid, and we are witnesses to what is the Israeli prison. We have stories to tell.”
Her husband, Tayo Suleiman, spoke briefly to her when they were about to be released. He described her as in good spirits despite what they had endured.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPWlmEsDLiD/?igsh=MWdrNXZ2bTRtbjBtMg==
This relief was visible on the face of Mandla Mandela, who told his wife and children, “Daddy is coming home.”
At the Jordan border, activist Zaheera Soomar spoke with calm resilience. Her determination remained unshaken, her voice steady even after days of detention. She seemed ready to do it all again if asked.
It was clear they remain committed to what made them risk their lives in the first place: to break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPV2Gp1jPKu/?igsh=OGNzbjF0NmdncnAz
As Greta Thunberg reminded the world this week, the rest is a distraction. The focus must remain on the genocide persisting in Gaza.
