South African Government expresses concern at the situation in Gaza

Pretoria - The South African Government is deeply concerned about the growing violence in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian people have struggled and sacrificed for many years to achieve peace and security.

This current cycle of violence is counter-productive to the interests of the Palestinian people in their endeavours to achieve an independent state of Palestine living side by side with Israel.

This violence also increasingly threatens regional and international peace and security.

On the eve of South Africa's democracy we experienced and were engulfed in so called "Black on Black violence." This was soon exposed as a strategy by the apartheid regime to destabilise efforts to move towards democracy.

The ANC was able to defeat this strategy by remaining focussed on achieving peace, security, stability and democracy for all South Africans.

The South African Government calls on the Palestinian leadership to remain seized with working for the greater good of all Palestinian people and guard against counter revolutionary tactics.

Issued by The Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

21 December 2006