Is South Africa a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize?

Is South Africa in the running to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize, the winner of which is to be announced in Oslo on Friday, 10 October?

A small left-wing Norwegian political party tried to have South Africa nominated for the prize, mainly for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice for allegedly committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Norway’s FOR – Fred og rettferdighet (Peace and Justice) party – announced in February that it believed that South Africa should become the first country to win the prize, not only for its ICJ case against Israel, but for other peace efforts, including its own peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy, its abandonment of nuclear weapons and its efforts to try to peacefully resolve the civil war in Libya in 2011.

SA ‘meets criteria’

FOR said of South Africa that “through its actions in the global community, it has contributed to fulfilling the objectives that Alfred Nobel mentions in his will, such as the ‘reduction of military forces’, the ‘arrangement of peace congresses’, or ‘fraternity among nations’.” 

But FOR said that, as a newly founded party that did not yet have any representatives in the Norwegian Parliament, it did not have the formal right to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“However, we would like to encourage the Norwegian Nobel Committee to, on its own initiative, consider the country of South Africa as the award recipient for 2025. This would, in that case, be the first time the Peace Prize is awarded to a country. 

“In the past, most recipients have been individuals or voluntary organisations, but a number of intergovernmental organisations have also received the Peace Prize, and in 2012 the committee chose to give the prize to the supranational EU.

“Therefore, a country should also be able to receive the Peace Prize if, through its actions in the global community, it has contributed to fulfilling the objectives that Alfred Nobel mentions in his will, such as the ‘reduction of military forces’, the ‘arrangement of peace congresses’, or ‘fraternity among nations’. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has met all three criteria.”

Cloak of discretion

It is not known if the Norwegian Nobel Committee took up FOR’s suggestion of nominating South Africa, as the committee does not reveal the names of nominees, only the winner, until 50 years after the event.  

In a statement in March, the committee said that 338 candidates had been nominated for the Peace Prize for 2025 by the 31 January deadline, of which 244 are individuals and 94 are organisations. 

It said this was a significant increase from last year, when there were 286 nominees. 

“The highest number of nominees was in 2016, with 376 candidates. Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee may add further names to the list during their first meeting, which this year was held on 28 February. 

“The Nobel Committee does not confirm the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. There are cases where names of candidates appear in the media, either as a result of sheer speculation or because individuals themselves report to have nominated specific candidates.

“The list of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize is released 50 years after the prize is awarded, in accordance with the statutes of the Nobel Foundation.”

After the committee’s statement, Wikipedia published a list of 36 individuals and 15 organisations or countries which it said had been announced as candidates. South Africa was the only country on that list, because of FOR’s announcement that it would like SA to be nominated, though it is not clear if it has been.

Trump nominations

The individuals included US President Donald Trump, nominated by five people and by the governments of Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia for his peace efforts in the Middle East, and in the India-Pakistan and Cambodia-Thailand conflicts.

The nominators included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government, who nominated Trump “in recognition of his pursuit of peace and security in the Middle East and Trump’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords and the ceasefire and hostage releases in Gaza”.

It could not have been a coincidence that on Wednesday, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had both signed off on the “first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps towards a Strong, Durable and Everlasting Peace.”

Earlier this week, Trump suggested to reporters in Washington that he ought to win the Nobel Peace Prize as he has settled seven conflicts and would also resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine.

SAJBD welcomes Israel-Hamas peace deal

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) welcomed the Israel-Hamas peace deal brokered by the US and some Arab nations, and particularly the agreement to release 48 surviving Israeli hostages, who Hamas abducted in its attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, sparking Israel’s attack on Gaza. 

“We especially applaud the courageous world leaders who have chosen the path of dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy over rhetoric and hate.  Their principled leadership stands in stark contrast to those who have exploited this tragedy for political posturing rather than promoting genuine peace,” the SAJBD statement said. 

“It is a profound disappointment that the South African government, despite its ties to Hamas, adopted a one-sided and performative stance from the conflict’s outset, choosing meaningless virtue-signalling exercises, failing to leverage its position to contribute meaningfully to hostage negotiations, de-escalation, or the pursuit of a peace that could have saved countless lives,” the SAJBD said.

Chrispin Phiri spokesman for the Department of International Relations an C0operation (Dirco) said the South African Government welcomed the peace plan and urged all parties “to commit to the steps agreed upon during negotiations and follow through with a credible and inclusive political process that will ensure an end to the tragic and catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent further loss of lives."

“We further welcome the announcement of the release of hostages and political prisoners, commend the role played by the guarantor states and call for the immediate, unhindered, entry of much needed humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.

“The cost to human lives and the brutality suffered by civilians in Gaza, particularly women and children, has been immeasurable. The devastation left behind on the people of Palestine must never again be exacted on any civilian population.

“South Africa reiterates its call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation and the realisation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. There must be a just and lasting peace, in keeping with values of shared humanity and respect for international law.
“South Africa stands ready to share its experiences in peacebuilding and transitional justice, including reconciliation, and assist in nation building efforts moving forward.”

Four South Africans have won the Nobel Peace Prize: ANC leader Albert Luthuli in 1960, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1984, and ANC leader Nelson Mandela and National Party leader FW de Klerk jointly in 1993 for their negotiations to transition from apartheid to democracy. DM