Hot on the heels of Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann comes South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, who has attached his name to an advertisement decrying alleged “apartheid-style” brutality meted out by the Israeli government.

The Cape Argus reports:

The advertisement, presented in the form of a petition, was first published in advance of the state of Israel’s 60th birthday in May.

It was also signed by dozens of prominent South Africans in protest against Israel’s alleged “colonial oppression” of Palestinians and the incarceration, banishment, massacre and torture of political dissidents.

But the advertisement appeared in the South African press again this week - this time including Motlanthe’s name, in his capacity as “the President of the RSA”, raising immediate concerns about South Africa’s relations with Israel.

Zev Krengel, national chairman of the Jewish Board of Deputies, told the Cape Argus yesterday that if this had been done with Mothlanthe’s consent then it could fundamentally affect South Africa’s future capacity to mediate in the protracted Middle East crisis.

“Was it in his private capacity or as president? In both possible cases, it is quite disturbing for the Jewish community.

“First, the ANC’s policy towards Israel has always been a two-state solution, finding a peaceful resolution” - reference to the argument in favour of an independent Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel.

“Our biggest concern is that adverts like this just harden both sides and give less credibility to South Africa being able to play any part in ending that conflict.”

Krengel said that if Motlanthe had signed the petition as president, then it would have to be interpreted as the government’s formal position, which would go against South Africa’s preferred strategy of quiet diplomacy, as exercised towards the Zimbabwean crisis for the past five years.

Krengel’s concerns were, however, immediately allayed by Presidency spokesperson Thabo Masebe.

“He signed it in his personal capacity long before he became president - I don’t know why this has been published now,” he told the Cape Argus.

“There is also no mention of the government. He would not as president have put his name there - he is not representing the people of the country.”

Masebe said “presidents don’t sign petitions” and that Motlanthe would have communicated any government view through official intergovernmental channels, had he wanted to or needed to.

ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus told the Cape Argus that he knew nothing of the latest publication of the petition, nor whether Motlanthe had originally signed the document in his personal capacity, or as deputy president of the ANC, his formal title back in May.

Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, Ilan Baruch, was on Monday night also attempting to gain clarity on the matter.

The most recently published petition still carries the names of numerous senior ANC leaders and MPs, current members of Motlanthe’s Cabinet such as Pallo Jordan and Derek Hanekom, former Cabinet ministers from the Mbeki government, numerous academics, heads of NGOs and other public figures - as well as COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota.

It is not clear when the individuals put their names to the petition, or in what capacity.

Nor is it clear who among them continues to support the demand for Israel to allow Palestinian refugees to “return home” to Israel and the denouncement of the Israeli government’s alleged treatment of Palestinians.