South Africa Can’t Condemn Genocide and Fuel it Too by Nesa Wardman

In December 2023, South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice, alleging that Israel had  and was continuing to commit genocide in Gaza. Since then, 30 states and 4 organisations have joined the case against Israel, including Ireland, Spain, the African Union, and the Non-Aligned Movement. This stance  from South Africa is firmly rooted in a rejection of Apartheid, given its own history, with President Cyril  Ramaphosa saying: ‘We won’t be silent as apartheid is perpetrated against others’. However, despite  continuous and vocal condemnation of Israel’s actions, South Africa remains the third largest coal exporter to Israel. According to PassBlue, coal shipments have increased by 17% from January 2024 to January  2025. Israel relies on coal for its electrical infrastructure, needed to continue its high-tech military operations in Gaza. With more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, excluding about 220 journalists, this represents blatant hypocrisy by the South African government. Protests erupted in August across Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town, with demonstrators demanding an embargo on coal shipments to Israel. The  general sentiment is this: How can we, as the country that took Israel to the ICJ, continue to supply coal  which directly supports the industrial military complex enabling genocide?

The trouble in South Africa is how to manage the conflict between genuine moral solidarity and fundamental economic constraints.

Glencore’s Legacy

Glencore is one of the world’s largest natural resource companies, which has also been named by  the UN as a primary supplier of coal to Israel. It was responsible for shipping approximately 15% of Israeli coal imports from South Africa between 2023-2024. The history behind this company is just as disturbing. Its parent company, Marc Rich & Co AG (est. 1974) was led by Marc Rich, who made $2 billion supplying oil to the South African Apartheid regime, breaking international trade embargoes. Placed on the FBI’s most wanted list, Rich fled to Switzerland until he was pardoned by Bill Clinton during the last day of his presidential term in 2001. In 1994, there was a management buyout and the company became Glencore. Whilst exact numbers are not known, the company employs at least 10,000 in South Africa and is a major producer and exporter of thermal coal, used for power generation.

Domestic Constraints

The trouble in South Africa is how to manage the conflict between what I believe to be genuine moral solidarity and fundamental economic constraints. In a country where unemployment stands at 33% and  there is persistent, low economic growth, the argument is that it simply cannot afford to lose investors like  Glencore, despite international policy stances. This undermines the credibility of the government, which,  according to the SARB, is already very low, with trust in Parliament and National Government at 33% and  32%, respectively (in 2023). The question now stands, how can South Africa mitigate these incompatible  factors? 

Objectively, the moral choice is clear: condemn Israel, cut exports of coal. In practice, though, the incompatibilities identified reveal just how limited foreign policy can be when an economy is structurally dependent on external actors.

I do not know the answer to this. South Africa already faces low credibility, both internationally and  domestically. With a sluggish economy, rampant unemployment and poverty, foreign direct investment is  actively welcomed to help stimulate the economy. However, barely 30 years ago, the vast majority of the  country’s population were systemically oppressed, displaced, murdered, and dehumanised. The government must take a firm moral stance. This is the fundamental tension in South Africa’s case, between economic considerations and moral solidarity.  

Conclusion

Objectively, the moral choice is clear: condemn Israel, cut exports of coal. In practice, though,  the incompatibilities identified reveal just how limited foreign policy can be when an economy is structurally dependent on external actors. The European Commission's recent statement, where it proposed to suspend trade with Israel, could provide South Africa with some assurance that it would not face international retaliation if it decides to halt coal exports. But this does not address the domestic issues. If South Africa wants to be a leading voice of the Global South, it must develop the economic independence necessary so that it’s able to materially support its moral commitments. I won’t pretend to have the economic training needed to lay out an effective answer to this complicated issue of growth. The purpose is to highlight how structural and economic constraints can limit consistency in policy and actions, thereby undermining moral credibility.