South Africa universities face Israel scanner as government backs Palestine

Despite mass student protests and calls from leaders, universities are dragging their feet over divestment from Israel.

Johannesburg, South Africa – On May 13, 10 tents were pitched on the pristine lawns of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg. It was a pro-Palestine encampment that became known as the “Liberated Zone”.

Students, many wearing keffiyehs, took to the lawns next to the main library, typically used as a space to relax and eat, as the demarcated area for their act of protest and solidarity.

Their demands: a ceasefire in Gaza and the divestment from Israel-linked companies.

In capitals around the world, South Africa has emerged as a leading supporter of the Palestinian cause, calling for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and pushing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue tough strictures against Israel. But back home, South Africa’s higher education institutions are grappling with some of the same debates and protests that have roiled campuses in the United States and Europe, where governments have been criticised for their continued support to Israel.

South Africa’s highest-ranking universities have refused to disclose their ties with Israeli organisations and institutions, and have resisted student calls for a total academic boycott.