by LUKE ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE year 2024 was deadly. The war in Gaza killed over 50,000 Palestinians.
South Africa approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023 to allege that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a 360-kilometre square strip of land on Mediterranean seaboard of Palestine, a country illegally occupied by Israel since 1948 when Israel was installed by the United Nations (UN) resolution implemented by the United States, Britain and France.
The strip had been under Israeli rule since 1948, and Israel blockaded it for 16 years, during which movement was restricted and many Palestinians detained.
That built anger which exploded into a Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. Israel was enraged, rolling tanks and indiscriminate airstrikes on Palestinian civilians, hospitals, schools, residential buildings, reducing them to rubble.
Backed by the United States, Britain and some European Union (EU) member states – huge explosions plumed over dead bodies as the US deployed the USS Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group and 16 other frigates for 204 days to prevent anyone coming to the rescue of Palestinians.
Basically, Palestinians were offered on the altar of power.
The ICJ voted 15-2 that Israeli should ensure her forces stop any form of genocide but did not rule for the cessation of the war. Little effect was seen on Israel and her backers, the US, Britain and some EU countries such as France and Germany.
The weapons used are US made, and the financing was also largely supported by the United States generous allocations.
The dissenting judges were Israel appointed Judge Aharon Barak and Judge Julia Sebutinde from Uganda.
In her minority judgement she wrote that the dispute was political and required diplomacy not the courts.
The decision of the ICJ was cautious not to cross the US and its allies, the largest economies in the world, with tentacles everywhere.
These nations can sustain these brutal activities with their combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $43.12 trillion in 2024, with the US alone accounting for $29.17 trillion, while Germany (S$4.71 trillion), UK ($3.69 trillion), France $3.17 trillion and Italy $2,38 trillion respectively.
Many countries in the world, particularly African countries, were cautious not to pronounce themselves on the side of South Africa in fear of the giants South Africa faced.
It remains to be seen whether the mettle of South Africa will sustain. It can be said the ICJ decision was ignored by world powers, who would argue that the 50,000 deaths out of 2 million Palestinians, at 2.25% of the population, was not significant to be classified as genocide, although the impact was catastrophic.
South Africa’s challenge, coupled with a novice foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, will be bluff and face banishment and economic constriction.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) reigned in, to issue a warrant of arrest for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, amid heavy US opposition and threats to sanction ICC officials involved.
The ICC investigates, prosecutes and tries individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole: the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression’.
Despite the congruency of ICJ and ICC on the Palestinian matter, the US and her partners remained obstructive, and defiant, with consequences for those who made that decision against their ally Israeli.
In Eastern Europe, the Russia-Ukraine war rages on. The same parties in the Palestinian slaughter are involved, claiming Russia breached international law by attacking Ukraine.
Therefore, they rallied behind Ukraine to advance the conversion of Ukraine into a European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance member.
But Russia had agreed with Europe, at the end of the detente, that NATO would not extend to the borders of Russia.
The expansion of NATO to the borders of Russia, sparked the war. Ukraine is bordering Russia.
A Jewish Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who won presidency through Western political manipulation and funding, is keen to join European Union (EU) and NATO groupings.
Russia invaded Ukraine, arguably in pre-emptive self-defence, as NATO encroached its borders (proxy war).
The United States, Britain and EU poured billions of funding, weapons and technical personnel into Ukraine to fight Russia and stop the neutralization of Ukraine.
This war could turn into World War III unless the new United States President Donald Trump changes his mind. Thousands of people have died in this US-NATO led conflict.
And Ukraine is no better as Russia gained some of its territories, not least the death and misery of Ukrainian civilians and Russians. The world can see that Ukraine is a pawn in a global chess of global dominance.
It is not possible to separate the US, the most influential member, and its partners, Britain, France and Germany in these conflicts.
These founding members of NATO accumulated capital through wars of dispossession, slavery, colonialism and exploitation.
In the Asian Pacific, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan were dished out capital by the US.
Israel is supported to the tune of at least US$40 billion a year. They generally enjoy stronger trading and political relations as members of NATO. With these partners the US can execute the Truman Doctrine to its letter.
What it means is that the world power is skewed towards those with capital upon which military power is built.
The bottom line is the size of the economy and development in general as China recently demonstrated with a GDP of US$19 trillion at the end of 2024.
With that capacity China cannot be pushed around, as is the case in West Asia, with Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Iran.
Globally the dominant forces are the US, Britain and France, with the rest of EU members rallying them. It is not about fairness but power.
But world politics is becoming wiser, considering years of domination and subjugation.
A new global south grouping made of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa formed in 2009 what is commonly known as the BRICS – the only credible deterrent to the US and European hegemony.
BRICS has since expanded with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joining, but the Grouping lacks local grounding among citizens of BRICS countries; something which the common men feel part of.
Economic growth, while anchored around China, is shaky in many BRICS countries. Inclusivity is still uneven and lacks a common thread.
BRICS has not cemented a laudable vision, other than economic relationships at the political heads.
Many countries were invited at the last BRICS Plus 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, as BRICS is still searching for its soul.
BRICS countries appear to be inching towards establishing a reserve currency which will rival the US Dollar.
BRICS Bank operates like a major lender, emulating the World Bank and Paris Club, but BRICS is too far from the ordinary citizens of member countries.
It is on this background that a proposal was placed to BRICS Secretariat in Johannesburg to advise BRICS countries to raise capital using technology.
The proposal is to allow citizens of different member countries to contribute 1 cent when activating their mobile-phone sim-cards.
This will raise capital, not taxes, to be used to finance BRICS citizens into industry to increase inclusivity in different countries and positivity towards BRICS as a body politic.
That common thread or grounding is still missing.
As things stand investors from the US and Europe will think twice regarding investing in BRICS Plus member countries.
Without China which may not need capital, a 1 cent contribution will raise US$10 billion a year to be used as capital to fund startup industries in various countries.
South Africa, Egypt, Brazil, Iran and Ethiopia need this capital injection to prop up inclusivity and their industrial traction in currently fragile economies.
In terms of GDP that will generate US$150 trillion in 20 years, basically, the 1 cent capital contributions will take citizen startups from zero to the bank level where financial markets take over.
Then BRICS Plus will be a major force to challenge the hegemony of the US and Europe while offering a strong alternative reserve currency.
NB: Luke Montgomery Dzipange Zunga, is Lead for South African Development Foundation.
– CAJ News