umm Abdillah, Radio Islam Programming – 2014.02.10

While the weekend newspapers have already revealed the name of the ‘mystery donor’ involved in the lapsed DA/Agang merger as South African Jewish billionaire Nathan Kirsh, South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Marius Fransman registered shock that the donor is linked to the Israel’s apartheid wall.

Speaking to Radio Islam’s, Ml. Sulaimaan Ravat on Sabahul Muslim this morning, Fransman discussed the International Solidarity Conference on Cuba, Western Sahara and Palestine, hosted by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. He said while there still needs to be proper assessment of the situation regarding the Apartheid Wall donor, Helen Zille and others will have to account for this.

Kirsh (82), who has a net worth of at least $5.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (2012) is the largest shareholder of Magal Security Systems, with a beneficial ownership of 24.2%. He is also a director of the company. Magal Security Systems develops and supplies control systems and intrusion detection systems and is the main supplier of electronic fences for the controversial “security fence project” aka Apartheid Wall in the West Bank. Magal won 80% of the bids published by the Israeli Ministry of Defence for the installation of intrusion detection systems along the security fence.

The company has been heavily criticised around the world for being involved in constructing the Apartheid Wall, which was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in July 2004 and in violation of an advisory ruling made by the Hague International Court.

Kirsh’s younger brother, Issie Kirsh was the chair of South African company, Primedia Ltd, which owns Radio 702, among other media outlets. Issie’s son William was the CEO of Primedia until 2009. [Modified 2014.02.11]

Just five days after the announcement that Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele was joining the Democratic Alliance (DA) and standing as its presidential candidate, Helen Zille claimed Ramphele "reneged" on the agreement.

Responding to a report in The New Age newspaper that a mystery international donor was key to the failed merger Zille said: "We have many, many donors, many individuals and many voters who wanted this," "Many wanted to know why we don't get together with [Agang SA leader Mamphela] Ramphele… they [donors] were asking why we were different parties."

She said many donors wanted a strong opposition party to defeat the African National Congress in this year's general elections. Earlier, Zille told John Robbie on Talk Radio 702 that she would never be part of such a deal, but then said she knew who the donor was.

"Well I was certainly not going to consider accepting any money for merging, that's absolutely the bottom line," Zille said on the show. "You know I would never do that, I don't go in for those kind of deals…"

When pushed about the donor, Zille told Robbie to ask Ramphele. When pressed further if she knew who the donor was, Zille said: "Yes I do… I don't think it's my job to tell anyone." In a tweet last Tuesday, Zille said: "It was not only one donor that put pressure on Mamphela. It was every donor. They want a united, strong opposition."

The Israeli Apartheid Wall under construction by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank is to total approximately 700 kilometres. According to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other Human rights groups:

“The fence/wall, in its present configuration, violates Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law. Since the summer of 2002 the Israeli army has been destroying large areas of Palestinian agricultural land, as well as other properties, to make way for a fence/wall which it is building in the West Bank. In addition to the large areas of particularly fertile Palestinian farmland that have been destroyed, other larger areas have been cut off from the rest of the West Bank by the fence/wall. The fence/wall is not being built between Israel and the Occupied Territories but mostly (close to 90%) inside the West Bank, turning Palestinian towns and villages into isolated enclaves, cutting off communities and families from each other, separating farmers from their land and Palestinians from their places of work, education and health care facilities and other essential services. This in order to facilitate passage between Israel and more than 50 illegal Israeli settlements located in the West Bank.”