EFF protests Israeli participation in Comrades Marathon

The EFF in KwaZulu-Natal protested against the participation of Israelis in the Comrades Marathon on Sunday.

Members of the red berets carrying placards reading ‘stop the genocide’ staged a protest along the route from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. The protest was joined by a group of Muslim community members.

KZN EFF chairperson Mongezi Twala said his party rejects and condemns the participation of Israelis in the annual Comrades Marathon. “As a revolutionary left movement committed to justice, human rights and international solidarity, we cannot in good conscience allow individuals who represent a genocidal apartheid state to participate freely in events on our soil, especially during a time when the Israeli regime is actively committing crimes against humanity in Gaza,” said Twala.

The government of South Africa, through the department of international relations & cooperation, took Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

“The ICJ has ruled in favour of South Africa’s application and found that there is a plausible case of genocide against Israel. This is not a symbolic gesture — it is a legal and moral stand against a regime that is currently slaughtering thousands of innocent civilians, targeting hospitals, refugee camps and schools, and defying all international laws under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu,” said Twala.

He said allowing Israelis to run freely in the streets of KwaZulu-Natal was a spit in the face of international solidarity and an insult to the Palestinian people.

“It is also a direct contradiction to our foreign policy posture as a country and to the broader stance of liberation movements globally who reject Zionism and settler colonialism,” he said, adding that Comrades Marathon, rooted in history and struggle, must not be tainted by the bloodied hands of Israelis. Twala said they therefore call on the Comrades Marathon Association to urgently review and revoke any invitations or accepted entries from Israelis.

“As the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal, we reiterate our unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine. Our support is not seasonal or fashionable, it is rooted in the shared history of resistance against occupation and colonial violence. We will continue to mobilise, campaign and raise awareness against Israeli apartheid, and we will oppose through whatever mechanism possible to stop any attempt by imperialist forces to sanitise or legitimise its agents within our borders,” said Twala.

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