02 October 2018
 
NFP LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR IMMEDIATE EMBASSY DOWNGRADE
 
MEDIA STATEMENT BY HON AHMED MUNZOOR SHAIK EMAM, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT – NATIONAL FREEDOM PARTY
 
A series of billboards have gone up around the country, as just one part of our effort to show solitary to the people of Palestine and to hold the ANC and government accountable for their failure to implement their undertakings. See in the attachment for photos.
 
The big, bright orange billboards read:
 
"HAS ANC SOLD OUT?
275 Days But 'Immediate Unconditional' Downgrade of Israel Embassy Still Not Implemented!
Support Palestine, Boycott Apartheid Israel, Vote NFP"
 
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians is a form of "gross apartheid"  and that "we cannot but countenance a situation which is duplicate or replica of what we went through.” President Ramphosa talks the talk, but is failing to walk the walk. In the very least, Ramaphosa should implement his party's own resolutions. 
 
It has been over 270 days since the ANC unanimously resolved to “immediately and unconditionally” downgrade the SA Embassy in Israel to a liaison office until it respects international law.
 
The President and Minister are delaying or refusing to take action. Thus, we as the NFP have lodged a motion in the National Assembly for Parliament to debate, resolve and pass a motion calling on the Administration to immediately and unconditionally downgrade the SA Embassy in Tel Aviv.
 
If the ANC was serious about its own resolutions the Minister, a deployee to government, would have taken action. Due to the dillydallying and failure to implement an "immediate” resolution, we as the NFP are forced to rise to the occasion and shake things up. Parliament will be going into session this week and we look forward to the National Assembly debate taking place and the motion passing.
 
In addition to the Parliamentary motion and the the billboard campaign, we will also be partnering with unions, the solidarity movement, the BDS, religious communities and broader civil society in rolling out a campaign to hold Government accountable because it seems that ANC deployees are selling out.
 
During this 100 years of Mandela celebration the government should remember Nelson Mandela's firm commitment to human rights and should listen to the strong voice and the efforts made by his grandson who has stated that failing to implement this resolution is an insult to president Mandela's legacy.
 
The National Freedom Party continues its fearless task of holding government and the ANC to account, on both, local and international issues.

Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam (MP), 0814394700, mshaik-emam@parliament.gov.za