SA is ‘the world’s reference point on human rights’
President Cyril Ramaphosa says SA was duty-bound to go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to accuse Israel of genocide in its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza and to demand that it be stopped.
It was a matter of principle informed by SA’s human rights beliefs, he said at the ANC’s 112th anniversary celebrations in Mbombela on Monday.
“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.
“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 not be 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 faraway countries we are able to make an intervention to act out the principles we were taught.”
Ramaphosa said former ANC presidents Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo were among those who taught that negotiation was the best way to solve disputes.
“That is why we packed our bags and went to Ukraine and Russia; to go and plead for peace and that moment is forever recognised globally that South Africa, with other African countries, came out in support for peace and making sure the people of those countries also live in peace and so the impact that war is having on us is lessened.”
A prosperous society was one of the key visions of the founders of the ANC, in which people’s lives will be better, “and that is why we are following in their footsteps”.
Public hearings on SA’s urgent application for provisional measures to halt the military campaign are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the ICJ.
WE PACKED OUR BAGS AND WENT TO UKRAINE AND RUSSIA; TO GO AND PLEAD FOR PEACE AND THAT MOMENT IS FOREVER RECOGNISED