Mel Frykberg
The partner of South African Olympian Leigh-Ann Naidoo, who has been detained by Israeli authorities, on Thursday said she and her family had been left traumatised by the ordeal.
Kelly Gillespie broke down over the phone during an interview with the African News Agency (ANA) as she explained the latest developments after Naidoo was arrested and incarcerated, together with 13 other women from the Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG), as they attempted to break Israel’s crippling blockade of Gaza late Wednesday.
Gillespie said their seven-year-old daughter was frightened for her mother.
Israeli naval commandos intercepted the boat, surrounding it in international waters about 36 nautical miles from Gaza’s shore, fired warning shots according to some reports, and took control of the boat before towing it back to the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
“The boat was intercepted in international waters. It was nowhere near Israeli waters and had no intention of entering them. What the Israelis did was illegal and in contravention of maritime law,” Zeenat Adam, a spokeswoman from the Women’s Boat to Gaza (WBG), told ANA.
At the time of going to press, none of the arrested women, including former Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire from Northern Ireland, Fauziah Hasan, a doctor from Malaysia, several parliamentarians and retired US army colonel Ann Wright had been allowed access to either lawyers or their consulates.
Gillespie told ANA she was desperately worried about Leigh-Ann, her partner of 14 years, and afraid of what might happen to her.
Former Olympian Naidoo, an activist and academic at Wits University, became involved in the Palestinian struggle while growing up.
“She went to a public school on the Cape flats and was heavily influenced by her former athletics coach Ismail Collier, who refused to represent South Africa in international competitions because of the boycott against Pretoria, and Collier’s personal beliefs as an anti-apartheid activist,” Gillespie told ANA.
“Furthermore, being brought up in a progressive household, Leigh-Ann always identified with the oppressed and subsequently became involved in fighting apartheid,” said Gillespie.
In the interim, as the minutes tick by and Gillespie waits desperately for news of Naidoo, South African authorities are continuing to try to gain access to Naidoo.
“The South African Embassies in Tel Aviv and in Ramallah are involved and said they will afford Naidoo the necessary consular assistance,” said Adam.
“We’ve also contacted the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and urged them to take urgent action.
“But we believe neither DIRCO nor the embassies are putting sufficient pressure on the Israelis to ensure the safety and release of the women,” Adam told ANA.
However, Nelson Kgwete from DIRCO told ANA that the department was aware of the case and it had been reported to the SA Embassy in Tel Aviv.
“The embassy is liaising with Israeli authorities and requesting consular access to the detainee,” added Kgwete.
Meanwhile, the Costa Rican parliament has joined the struggle and is demanding the release of the women.
– ANA has been unable to get comment from the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria or Israel’s foreign ministry in Jerusalem as it is a Jewish holiday.
African News Agency