Date/Time
Date(s) - 21 Oct 2024
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Join us on Oct 21st for this very special event.
Chief Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, is a prominent political figure in South Africa in his own right. He was an ANC member of the SA parliament from 2009 until May of this year.
Like his esteemed grandfather, Chief Mandela is a long-standing supporter of the Palestinians’ struggle for justice, and has used his position to voice the case for that struggle.
And it must be remembered that it was the South African government that initiated the case against Israel to the International Court of Justice in late 2023, presenting powerful arguments for understanding Israel’s assault on Gaza as genocide against the Palestinian people.
Chief Mandela was originally scheduled to speak in person in eight UK cities (including Brighton) and in Dublin. He applied for a visa to travel to the UK but received no response: such delaying tactics were undoubtedly designed to sabotage the tour. Despite appeals by the South African government, the UK Labour government caved in to pressure from the pro-Israel lobby, and a smear campaign against Mandela by the British mainstream media, showing their utter contempt for freedom of expression and human rights. His visa will not now be approved in time for his scheduled tour (if indeed it ever will be approved). As a result, Chief Mandela will speak via a live video link from South Africa at each of the nine locations in the UK and Ireland. (The Irish government waived visa requirements, but as Dublin was the only scheduled date on the tour outside the UK, Chief Mandela spoke to the Dublin audience via live video link on October 16.)
This event is open to the public and is not ticketed. It will be tightly stewarded. We expect a capacity audience, so early arrival is advised.
We have announced the venue to BHPSC members and registered supporters only, to ensure we do not exceed the capacity of the veune.