UK judicial rights group calls for US sanctions against South Africa over alleged Hamas ties, but the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has rubbished the claims.
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Justin Lewis, a representative of the UK-based judicial rights group Casisa, has written to Leo Brent Bozell III, the US Ambassador nominated to South Africa, calling for sanctions against the country.
In a letter dated March 27, 2025, and seen by IOL, Lewis, who leads a human rights advocacy group, claimed that South Africa's legal actions against Israel are part of a broader Hamas strategy.
Lewis is currently involved in an investigation into alleged corruption within South African banks linked to UK tax havens. He asserts that the investigation aims to expose legalised "court-approved" international money laundering.
The tensions stem from South Africa's December 2023 claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians following an attack by Hamas in October 2023.
During this attack, Hamas gunmen crossed from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and the abduction of 252 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched military operations in Gaza, which have reportedly led to over 50,000 Palestinian deaths, including many children.
He claimed that elements within the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) actively supported Hamas' political strategy by facilitating access to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Hamas, as a non-signatory, could not access otherwise.
“As part of a political strategy, preparations were made before the October 7 atrocity against Israel to set mechanisms in place for approaching the ICC and ICJ for protection from Israel's anticipated response,” Lewis stated.
He likened this situation to “assisting a neighbour to burn his house down, then rushing to court to claim insurance protection from your insurer.”
Lewis argued that as a result of these actions, thousands of lives were lost, potentially making South Africa complicit in the violence and accountable for the consequences of the attack on Israel, should an independent verification body confirm his allegations.
He emphasised, “No American president can allow a pre-arranged attack plan to kill its citizens to go unpunished.”
In December 2024, Lewis said he submitted a brief to the US Senate and Congress detailing his concerns, which he also shared with Greg Swenson, chairperson of Republicans Overseas UK.
He further stated that he reached out to the South African Government of National Unity (GNU) to question whether President Cyril Ramaphosa was aware of the alleged DIRCO-Hamas collaboration, asserting that this requires an answer to avoid potential sanctions against South Africa.
However, in response to queries from IOL, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, dismissed Lewis' allegations as unverified and baseless.
Phiri raised concerns about Lewis’s credibility, noting his involvement in an investigation into a purported $2 trillion-a-year money-laundering operation linked to South African banks.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how the US government will respond to these allegations and whether they will impact the broader diplomatic relationship with South Africa.
Bozell did not respond to questions from IOL.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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