Progress at the expense of principles is meaningless

The murder of Mahsa Amini two years ago by the Iranian regime for allegedly violating dress codes has become a symbol of the fight for women’s rights in Iran and the broader struggle for democracy.

The African National Congress (ANC’s) silence on the ongoing uprising in Iran, paired with the violent suppression by Iranian authorities, is a stain on its legacy. By staying silent while embracing the Iranian regime in the BRICS alliance (including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) alongside human rights violators like China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, the ANC reveals its selective morality.

Moreover, the ANC’s role in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice shows how far it strayed from South Africa’s constitutional principles in a desperate bid for relevance ahead of the elections held in May 2024.

On 16 September, the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities and others around the world marked the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death with protests reminiscent of the 2022 mass uprisings under the banner “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom). Her death ignited widespread courage, particularly among women and young girls, who defied the regime by removing their mandatory head coverings, cutting their hair, and dancing in public – acts of reclaiming their bodily autonomy. These protests united men and women in their demand for dignity and basic human rights, seeking an end to the Islamic Republic’s oppressive theocratic rule.

Yet, the Iranian regime remains resistant to change. Like in 2022, when more than 500 protesters were killed and thousands arrested, the government is expected to respond with force, using morality police, paramilitary groups, and surveillance to stifle dissent. Nevertheless, the Iranian diaspora will hold solidarity rallies worldwide, even as far away as South Africa, where the ANC’s silence persists.

Iran’s inclusion in BRICS, formalised in January 2024, is unsurprising, given the cozy relationship between Pretoria and Tehran. The BRICS summit in August 2023, which followed South Africa’s Women’s Month – a period supposedly dedicated to gender equality – highlighted the ANC’s hypocrisy. When questioned about Iran and Saudi Arabia’s entry into BRICS despite their dismal human rights records, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that South Africa’s foreign policy was rooted in human rights and neutrality. However, this claim rings hollow, especially following South Africa’s support for Hamas after its 7 October attacks.

Iran’s human rights abuses are alarming even by authoritarian standards. In 2023 alone, at least 853 people were executed, and more than 350 have died in 2024. Journalists, activists, and lawyers are regularly harassed, arrested, and detained. Women endure systemic oppression, facing laws targeting girls as young as nine and the threat of abduction by morality police for “re-education”. The LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning) community is also targeted under Iran’s strict Sharia law, with homosexuality punishable by death.

The international community has taken notice. The United States has sanctioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while the European Parliament and legislators in the United Kingdom are pushing to designate it a terrorist organisation. The IRGC is notorious for its violent suppression of protests and aggressive foreign policy, supporting proxy wars in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen. Iran’s ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons, despite global condemnation, further destabilises the region. The ANC’s alliance with such a regime, which aligns with terrorist organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, exposes the moral decay within South Africa’s ruling party.

Two Iranian journalists, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who bravely reported on Mahsa Amini’s death, were imprisoned in Iran’s Evin Prison. Sentenced to 13 and 12 years after sham trials for “conspiracy against national security”, they were released on bail, only to face charges under Iran’s hijab laws for celebrating their freedom without wearing head coverings. This case exemplifies the regime’s relentless oppression of women and the media.

As South Africa faces its own political challenges, the courage of the Iranian people serves as a reminder that progress without principles is hollow. The ANC’s willingness to trade South Africa’s founding values of human rights, democracy, and equality for short-term political and economic gains jeopardises the country’s young democracy. Now, more than ever, South Africa should stand with the people of Iran and all those oppressed by authoritarian regimes, instead of aligning with such regimes for financial and political benefits.

Mahsa Amini’s image, displayed on posters, banners, and t-shirts, has become a symbol of resistance and the fight for women’s rights. South Africa, too, must remember its own history of resistance and the principles that brought it freedom. We have a moral obligation to speak out, demand accountability from our government, and uphold our commitment to human rights, no matter the cost. As the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks said, “Morality isn’t an option. It’s essential.” The ANC must heed this lesson if it seeks to maintain any moral standing.

• Mandy Allen sits on the South African Zionist Federation Cape Council ManCom and the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies’ Antisemitism Subcommittee. She is a writer and editor who is researching contemporary antisemitism, with a focus on social media.