Show people of Gaza they are not forgotten

I refer to last week’s letters referring to the municipality’s decision to spend R80 000 on a protest in support of the people of war torn Gaza (Commend party for opposing march, ACDP holds firm on stance for Israel, Council has set poor precedent, Where are the other voices, Two Bits, Courier August 15). Each writer was very clear that they felt this expenditure was a waste of our hard earned tax money, etc, etc. I disagree.
Let’s face it, R80 000 is not a lot of money in relative terms – Firstly not that long ago our municipality blew about double that to plant a bunch of dying palm trees, so money is probably not the issue…but let’s pretend it is for the sake of this discussion.
Our own hero, a leader of peace and a true example of the power of forgiveness, Nelson Mandela (who was also once called a terrorist!) said, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
If the municipality wants to spend money on a march to allow South Africans who wish to show the people of Gaza that they are not forgotten and not alone, despite their horrific situation, then they have my full backing. I’m not talking about being pro or anti Hamas, ISIS or Israel – I’m talking about the “yous” and the “mes” in Gaza – the women, the children, the old folk, the disabled, the orphaned, the sick – the normal folk caught up in this mess who are just trying to survive this brutal attack on their world.
There was a time not long ago when we were oppressed by our own government and many of us were too afraid to speak out for fear of the consequences. Children were slain in the streets then too and still we were too afraid to speak out. However, because the international community stood by us, showed us their solidarity, lent us their voices and most importantly, gave us hope that things could change, we emerged as a free people.
We owe our international community a great debt for the part they played in our own liberation story and it’s a debt I’m happy to pay forward to the people of Gaza. Let me be clear one more time: I’m not interested in the politics of this situation – I don’t care who’s the worst of the worst, or who started it, as far as I’m concerned all parties are now equally sullied and stained with the blood of innocents and it’s time for the international community to start intervening on everyone’s behalf.
With the spirit of Madiba by my side, I will be marching on behalf of the young children growing up in that horror, for the mothers desperately trying to keep their precious children alive, for the old folk who have witnessed too much pain and suffering and for the young men, who have been disenfranchised and driven to desperation and violence. I will be marching not as a Christian, Jew, Muslim, African or European. I will be marching as a human for my fellow humans.
The ongoing war has left the population of Palestine decimated and as a result the average age in Gaza is 18 years old. Think on that the next time you hear someone paint the whole population as “terrorists” – these are children, young men and women- not a sophisticated and well funded, well trained, well organised army – just young people trying to keep their loved ones alive.
It is our turn to stand in solidarity with the oppressed, to lend our support and our voices and to let the people of Palestine know that we hear their cries, we feel their pain, that they are not alone and most importantly of all – there is still hope. In my mind, that’s R80 000 well spent.

CATHERINE THATE
Salt Rock