Courtesy: France 24
By Iqbal Jassat
Ahead of the G20 summit happening this upcoming weekend, on 22nd to 23rd November 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also attending, has faced significant backlash from activists and civil society organizations regarding India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, reports Voice of the Cape.
Courtesy: Al Jazeera
The South Africa Kashmir Action Group (SAKAG), led by its Chairman Salman Khan, in partnership with the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA), told VOC News that they lodged a formal criminal complaint with the Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).
“The complaint calls for the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of the visiting Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, for alleged crimes against humanity and crimes against humanity committed in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The case coincides with Mr. Modi’s visit to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg,” asserted Khan.
While it is expected that South Africa’s criminal justice system may drag its feet, in keeping with its dismal previous record of non-action, it should not discourage civil society from persuing this case.
In the press statement released by Media Review Network, it announced that Attorney Yousha Tayob had confirmed Captain Matlhabe of SAPS acknowledged receipt of complaint documents.
The complainants assert that grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of human rights have occurred in IIOJK under the authority and command of Mr. Modi’s government.
These alleged acts contravene the Geneva Conventions, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)—all of which South Africa has committed to uphold.
Legal Basis of the Complaint:
The first complainant, the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA)—a registered voluntary legal body (see mlajhb.com)—and the second complainant, the South African Kashmir Action Group (SAKAG), bring this complaint:-
Under International law applies under several sections of the South African Constitution, primarily Sections 231-233, which cover international agreements, customary international law, and the application of international law in interpreting domestic legislation. Additionally, Section 38(a)39(1)(b) mandates that courts must consider international law when interpreting the Bill of Rights.
The push back from Modi’s fan club in South Africa may seek to discredit the complaint.
However, it cannot be ignored that for rightwing Hindutva, Kashmir is an intrinsic part of the larger Hindutva project of turning India into a Hindu majoritarian nation by instilling hatred against minorities, particularly Muslims, using falsehoods that are mainstreamed, glamourised and popularised among the masses.
The Hindutva ideology, which is distinct from Hinduism, is centred around upper-caste Hindu privilege and rests on the theory of a common nation and common race, where national identity is defined by cultural and religious identity and where nationalism fosters the exclusion of all minorities.
The Modi-file in South Africa is a challenge to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to display its ability to open charges without external influence and pressure.
Will it?
Iqbal Jassat
Executive Member
Media Review Network
Johannesburg
South Africa
