A South African mayoral candidate running in the coastal city of Durban has drawn outrage and ridicule after saying he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the visit would benefit the city.
Haniff Hoosen, the Democratic Alliance’s candidate for eThekwini mayor, made the remarks during a mayoral debate earlier this week, according to a video circulated by local media.
Asked whether he would receive Netanyahu, should he travel to the city, the 54-year-old Hoosen answered: "Why shouldn't I if he comes to visit the city?"
"If there is a benefit for the people of the city through that visit, I will certainly do it," he added.
Haniff said Durban was "falling apart" and that, as mayor, his primary focus would be improving conditions for people living in the city.
Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant against him in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
More than 250,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in the genocide in Gaza.
As a party to the Rome Statute, South Africa is obligated to cooperate with the ICC.
Attacks on Navi Pillay
Haniff's comments come two weeks after Duban-born Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong efforts to uphold international law.
Pillay recently chaired the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2025, which declared that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
Observers have noted that while the South African government publicly congratulated Pillay for the honour, the Democratic Alliance - the party to which Haniff belongs - has yet to issue a statement.
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Meanwhile, the Nobel Prize ushered in fierce backlash from the South African Zionist Federation as well as other pro-Israel advocates in the country.
One South African commentator who now lives in Israel described the award as "a stain on the rule of international law and justice".
When pressed by journalists after the debate, Hoosen stood by his position.
He said he spoke “the truth” all the time and that “people will know what they can expect from me”.
“What I will not do is tell people one thing and do something completely different,” he said.
Hoosen's willingness to welcome Netanyahu contrasts with South Africa’s pursuit of accountability for Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
His remarks come ahead of South Africa’s local government elections on 4 November.
Several political parties are vying for control of eThekwini amid widespread frustration over water shortages, sewage spills, crime, and deteriorating infrastructure.
This has culminated in rising incidents of crime and deadly attacks on Black African foreigners.
Earlier this week, police said that a mob of close to 50 people killed a Black African migrant in the Durban city centre.
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