South Africa’s government has defended Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and the elected Palestinian leadership against US President George W. Bush's threats, in the strongest possible terms, according to the Palestine News Agency WAFA Wednesday.
"It is up to the Palestinians to choose their own leaders - that's the essence of democracy," declared South Africa's Middle East hand, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, from the Johannesburg International Airport, prior to departing for Israel and Palestine.
Leaders cannot be imposed, Pahad made clear, directly reacting to the Bush Administration's decision to “abandon President Yasser Arafat” and to call for a new Palestinian leadership, WAFA expressed.
Pahad was to pay a visit to the Palestinian territories and Israel on June 27, to hand over a consignment of medicines, hospital equipment, and food to the Palestinian people on behalf of the government and people of South Africa.
Donations collected by "Gift of the Givers," and supported by other civil society organizations in South Africa, were used to purchase the supplies. Moreover, the South African government was to hand over to the Palestinian Ambassador in South Africa, a check for 4 million Rand, for medical aid to the Palestinian people. (Albawaba.com)
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