The former President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, said that his country won't give up its support and stand with the Palestinian people and their just cause, and will remain a safeguard of Nelson Mandela's heritage.

Mbeki's statement came in response to a question by Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper about the possibility of South Africa backtracking on supporting the Palestinian cause in the era of populism, like India, Brazil, and others have done.

"No, we do not change our stance on the Palestinian issue. When South Africa finally assumed the presidency of the African Union, we announced our rejection of the Deal of century launched by US President Donald Trump," Mbeki said.

He added, "We are really concerned by the decline in support for the Palestinian cause and turned their back for them, including countries from the region. The same thing is happening on the African continent. This is unfortunate."

He continued, "Solving such an issue cannot be escaping from it, we cannot solve the Palestinian problem by declaring that it does not exist. We must do something to solve it."