Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa is duty-bound to take the issue of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide.
He said this during the ANC’s 112th anniversary celebrations in Mbombela on Monday.
Ramaphosa explained to party members that the decision to take the issue to the ICJ was driven by a commitment to principles rooted in South Africa’s beliefs in human rights, Times Live reported.
“We are the reference point to the world when it comes to issues of human rights. We are also a reference point in taking a stand on a matter of principle to support the struggles of other people subjected to the same challenges we had.
“The people of Palestine are being bombed, they are being killed and there is apartheid there in Israel and we were duty-bound to stand up and support the Palestinians,” said Ramaphosa.
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He added: “That is why we have taken the government of Israel to the ICJ so they can go and answer there because there is genocide there in Israel.
“We do this and some people say it’s risky. We are a small country, we are a small economy and they could attack us, but we stand on principle and we were taught by the father of our democracy who said ‘our freedom will be not true freedom unless the people of Palestine are free as well’. So, that is what we stand for.
“We were taught by the great Nelson Mandela and that is why we support them. That is why our foreign policy has become as progressive as it is now, where even in very far away countries we are able to make an intervention to act out the principles we were taught.”
Ramaphosa also took a swipe at the newly formed Umkhonto weSizwe party (MK), which has been endorsed by former president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma has been campaigning for the MK party, seen by many as a breakaway faction of the ANC.
“The ANC has done well to lead, it has the experience, it has the leadership, it has the structure,” said Ramaphosa.
[WATCH] President Cyril Ramaphosa takes a swipe at a newly formed political movement, saying “The ANC has done well to lead, it has the experience, it has the leadership, it has the structure.”#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/PPymBe0okG
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 8, 2024
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
