Cape Town – Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson Willie Aucamp has clarified that DA MPs who recently visited Israel did so in their personal capacity and not on behalf of the South African government.
The trip, which also included MPs from the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), drew criticism from the ANC, EFF, and Al Jama-ah, who accused the participants of betraying the state.
According to The Citizen, Aucamp emphasised that the DA neither organised nor funded the visit and insisted that the MPs used personal passports, not diplomatic ones.
He dismissed the need to justify the MPs’ actions to the ANC and called for consensus among Government of National Unity (GNU) partners on foreign policy.
“They went there in their personal capacity. We live in a country which allows freedom of movement, they can go wherever they want to go,” the report quoted Aucamp as saying.
The trip has drawn heightened scrutiny, with pressure mounting on Parliament to investigate the visit amid growing public outrage over its timing and perceived lack of transparency.
IOL reported that the so-called “fact-finding” mission has raised concerns over possible violations of South Africa’s foreign policy and parliamentary ethics. The delegation reportedly held meetings with Israeli officials — a move that has been criticised for contradicting South Africa’s pro-Palestinian stance and strong opposition to Israeli apartheid.
The visit was revealed by Good Party MP Brett Herron and has since prompted calls for accountability from various quarters. Both the Media Review Network (MRN) and the ANC’s study group on international relations have urged formal action.
[LISTEN] Executive Member at the Media Review Network, Dr. Ahmed Jazbhay says previously visits to Israel by the DA and PA were classified as private, but the ICJ case is still pending
🔗https://t.co/KsWcoV5yDa#sabcnews #FirstTakeSA pic.twitter.com/ueMixZKoJt
— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) April 11, 2025
The trip coincided with South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), prompting allegations that the MPs may have acted in contradiction to the state’s diplomatic position.
According to reports, the MRN, a watchdog on human rights and foreign policy, described the trip as “controversial” and demanded an investigation into who funded the delegation and what its objectives were.
MRN executive member Dr Ahmed Jazbhay told SABC News Radio that although previous visits by opposition members were labelled private, this one “cannot be viewed as business-as-usual” given the international legal context.
The ANC study group has now announced it will write to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, requesting that the nine MPs be summoned to explain their actions.
Chairperson Supra Mahumapelo said the visit appeared to be a “one-sided fact-finding mission” that falsely implied endorsement by Parliament.
“Everybody knows what Israel is doing – committing genocide against the people of Palestine,” said Mahumapelo, according to SABC News.
“Everybody has got the right to go anywhere in the world; they can go, but let them not create an impression that they are there to represent the Parliament of South Africa.”
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Pixabay
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
