A politician in South Africa has accused rival politicians of trying to turn part of South Africa into a ‘Zionist’ state by supporting Israel in the face of Hamas aggression on October 7.

In a debate after the country’s State Of The Nation speech from President Cyril Ramphosa, South African Member of Parliament Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam accused the moderate opposition party the Democratic Alliance of handing Cape Town to “Zionists.”

He added that were the Jews handed Cape Town then it would “be a blood bath”. He said, “We will not allow you to make this a Jewish state.”

Addressing the South African parliament last Wednesday, Emam said: “We have political parties in this house that are trying to justify the massacre and the genocide that’s taking place in Palestine, particularly right now in Rafah.”

The MP, who was wearing a traditional keffiyeh showing the territory of Israel labelled Palestine, said he wanted to "give a loud and clear message to the Democratic Alliance”.

“If you think that the people of this country are going to allow you and take this beautiful country, city of Cape Town of ours, and hand it over to the Zionists, the city of Cape Town will be a blood bath, I can assure you that.

“We will not allow you to take this and sell it, and sell your principles, your ethics and values like you have just pawned the land in the Western Cape to the United States and others.

“We will not allow you to make this a Jewish state.”

The Democratic Alliance has governed the Western Cape region of the country since the 2009 regional South African elections.

Emam is one of two National Freedom Party members of the National Assembly of South Africa and serves as the political group’s parliamentary leader.

His comments come in the aftermath of South Africa’s accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice. South Africa took Israel to the ICJ, which ruled that Israel was not committing genocide but needed to make sure it implemented measures to prevent possible genocide.

South African leaders met Hamas militants on official visits to their country in December, at a time when other countries were distancing themselves from the terror group. Israeli officials described a “cosy” relationship between the ANC-led government and Hamas.

Earlier this month, South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein told the JC that despite the behaviour of the government, “The overwhelming majority of South Africans are decent, tolerant, respectful and understanding.

However, in January, South African cricket’s governing body stripped David Teeger, a Jewish player, of the captaincy of a youth squad following a row over his support for Israel, claiming the move was for his safety.