The grandson of Nelson Mandela has spoken about his detainment by Israel after taking part in a flotilla delivering aid to Gaza
Nelson Mandela’s grandson described his capture from a Gaza aid flotilla by Israel like apartheid South Africa’s kidnapping of its enemies.
Nkosi Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela, 51, compared Israel’s interception of the flotilla delivering aid in international waters off Gaza with tactics used by apartheid South Africa half a century ago.
In the 1980s South Africa kidnapped opponents including members of the then-banned African National Congress’s (ANC) armed wing as well as other activists in neighbouring countries, violating international borders.
Mandela, himself a former ANC MP, was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which carried around two tonnes of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has established a naval blockade.
Organisers maintain the flotilla carried a symbolic amount of aid with the intention of creating a maritime corridor into Gaza.
The GSF set sail from Barcelona at the end of August with around 50 boats and 500 activists from 44 countries, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
However, the Israeli navy intercepted the boats in international waters, about 70 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, and detained hundreds of activists.
Israel justified its interception, saying the boats were “approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful naval blockade”. The GSF said the interceptions were “illegal” because Israel had no jurisdiction in international waters and the flotilla posed no harm.
Some of the detained activists have accused Israel of mistreatment, allegations dismissed by Israeli’s Foreign Ministry.
Mandela accused Israel of mistreatment during his six-day detention in Ktzi’ot Prison in the Negev desert.
He told The i Paper: “They kept us in prison to exert optimum psychological trauma and terror upon us. We were deprived of water and food for an extended period. We were subjected to all forms of brutality from them… we were kidnapped on international waters.”
“They made sure we could hear the screams and torture of Palestinian prisoners and the graffiti on the prison walls depicted names of Palestinians and were splattered with blood… They most definitely know and see the similarities of the twin apartheids [Israel and South Africa],” he said.
South Africa lived under apartheid, a policy of institutionalised racial segregation, for almost half a century until 1994. Israel rejects comparisons between apartheid and the situation of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
Relations between Israel and South Africa plummeted after the start of the war in Gaza in 2023. South Africa was the first country to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Mandela believes this led to him and his fellow South Africans being “singled out”, such as being “denied legal representation” and having “no access to diplomatic representatives” until the end.
Mandela said “white passport” holders from the flotilla received differential treatment, adding “but what do we expect from a racist, terrorist state”.
After being captured and taken to the prison, Mandela said the far-right Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, arrived, where he “taunt[ed] and ridiculed us, saying we are terrorists and we will be treated like terrorists”.
“If Ben Gvir is the best they could send to us, then it’s a sad indictment on Apartheid Israel,” added Mandela.
Thunberg has also claimed she was mistreated in custody, saying she was “hit, kicked, starved and tortured”, and accused the guards of having “no empathy or humanity”. Israel accused her of “brazenly lying”.
Israel has not replied to request for comment regarding Mandela’s allegations.
Mandela returned, alongside five other South Africans from GSF, to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport, where he received a jubilant reception from the waiting crowd on 8 October.
Israel has blockaded Gaza since 2007, and since the Hamas attacks in October 2023 has extended this into international waters.
Though Israel claims that the blockade is legal in a time of warfare, Laurence Teillet, researcher and expert on law of the sea at Nottingham Law School rejects the argument. “A blockade that causes starvation among the civilian population is unlawful. The Gaza blockade has led to widespread famine and therefore cannot be considered legally valid,” she said.
In addition to violating international waters to detain those on flotilla “Israel does not have legal jurisdiction over Palestinian waters, particularly in light of the international recognition of Palestine as a state,” she added.
Britain formally recognised a Palestinian state last month, about two weeks before the interception, alongside France, Canada and Australia – 157 of 193 UN member states now recognise Palestine.
Israel did not respond to a request for comment on Mandela’s allegations but the country’s foreign ministry has previously stated that “claims regarding the mistreatment of detainees from the Hamas–Sumud flotilla are brazen lies” adding that “all detainees’ legal rights are fully upheld”.
