House Chairperson, In Proverbs 18:21 King Solomon writes: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
For about 47 years, Ayatollah Khamenei and his supporters have chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and also threatened to raze Israeli cities and wipe Israel off the map of the world. As a ‘nuclear-capable’ country, this clearly makes Iran an existential threat to them.
We know that on the 7th of October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel and massacred more than 1,200 people, most of whom were innocent civilians.
We know it was Iranian-backed Hezbollah that launched missile attacks against Israel. In October 2024, we know that Iran itself launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel—the largest missile attack in human history against a small country that is just the size of our Kruger National Park.
The ACDP supports and believes in the right to Freedom of Speech. However, even our Constitution limits those rights. We strongly condemn Iran’s calls for death and destruction that clearly seek to incite violence and destruction upon other countries.
We appeal to the International Community, particularly the UN, to seek a ban on Iran’s provocative, hateful rhetoric of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
We also urge the South African government to consider banning similar provocative speech that glorifies violence and destruction in our country, such as “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”—our farms, farmers and their workers form a vital part of food security in our country, therefore they should all be preserved and respected.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who proudly chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” is now no more. Let us learn from the lesson of the power of the tongue. Let us rather choose to speak life and not death; let us choose to speak hope, not hopelessness, let us choose to speak love and not hatred, let us choose to speak peace and not revolution.
House Chairperson, the ACDP believes South Africa’s foreign policy must be guided by present-day realities, constitutional values, and national interest—not historical sentiment.
Members, we have an opportunity to help build and not destroy. Let us not put petrol on a fire that’s already raging. Let us use our tongues to build.
God bless you.
