Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
16 May 2025 | 11:00 CAT
2 min read

The arrest of five pro-Palestinian protesters at a recent football match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the limits of free speech and peaceful protest in South Africa. This week’s ASRI Report on Sabahul Muslim featured political analyst Dr. Imraan Buccus, who weighed in on the broader implications of the “Loftus Five” incident.

“I think many Muslims, particularly, were taken aback that, in a country like South Africa, we’ve had these kinds of arrests. Bearing in mind that these were peaceful protests and peaceful protests are protected by law, and not only law, I think in your basic sense of democratic decency,” said Buccus.

The arrests of the five protestors, who were attending a Mamelodi Sundowns match and displayed Palestinian flags and slogans, have highlighted a troubling disconnect between South Africa’s official foreign policy and the actions of law enforcement.

“It has also made us aware that despite the posture of the country and the ICJ case, etc., when it comes down to police on the ground, they are often likely to respond with aggression, authoritarianism, etc. I think this has perhaps alerted, especially Muslims, to understand this disconnect between the national flavour, the national sentiment, and what might happen on the ground,” he added.

Concerns have also been raised about the treatment of the arrested individuals, including the denial of bail and the alleged use of excessive force by police. “We come across these arrests all the time with the social movements, people who get arrested for protesting against essential services. And very often, they get police bail the next morning. In this case, it seemed to have been very different… we were initially told they’ll be held for another five or seven days, which I think was unusual,” said Buccus, highlighting that this was likely what led people to believe there is some kind of political manipulation taking place.

While no official statements have yet been released by SAFA or Loftus Stadium management, Buccus hinted at a level of political interference behind the scenes. “There are some powerful political figures who have spoken off the record and have spoken about how particular ministers or people who are part of the government may have contributed to this. While we have an ANC government that principally is pro-Palestine, we are also part of a GNU where there might be ministers who don’t hold the same pro-Palestinian sentiment,” he said.

On whether sport should remain “neutral,” Buccus pointed to South Africa’s own history. “South Africa, perhaps more than any other country, knows that sport, unquestionably, is always political. We know how sporting fraternities around the world responded to our struggle against apartheid. So I think sport is political, and people often use sporting events to voice their opinion against apartheid and against genocide,” he said.

Buccus stated that this was police abuse, acting in a rarely authoritarian way. “I’m told that even kids under 10, under 15, were pepper-sprayed. This is not an authoritarian state. This is a progressive state that claims to be on the right side of history,” he said.

Buccus emphasised that civil society must remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring constitutional rights are upheld. “I think we need to mobilise politically through civil society, through the media to ensure that our voices are heard and our voices dominate and that South Africa and its institutions continue to be on the right side of history,” he urged.

While the incident is no longer making headlines, it has sparked fresh debate about free speech, police actions, and political influence in how pro-Palestinian protests are handled.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr Imraan Buccus, ASRI Senior Research Associate, here.