ANC blocks Bashir questioning
THE ANC blocked attempts by the opposition in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday to get Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to answer questions on the government’s failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
This has left the door open for the opposition to get President Jacob Zuma to answer the question in the National Assembly today.
NCOP chairwoman Thandi Modise backed the ANC’s objection that Ramaphosa respond to the DA question.
Bashir left the country early this week after the North Gauteng High Court ordered that he remain in the country while it was hearing an application for his arrest for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Ramaphosa, who is South Africa’s special envoy in South Sudan, was in the NCOP yesterday to reply to oral questions when DA MP Jacques Julius asked him about the refusal to arrest Bashir.
Julius slammed the government for defying a court order to keep Bashir in the country.
“I have a feeling that the ANC is shielding the deputy president. The public wants to know why you allowed President al-Bashir to flee the country,” Julius said.
But ANC MP Simphiwe Mthimunye objected and argued that the matter was still pending in court.
He said Ramaphosa could not answer because the matter was sub judice. Julius said a decision was still to be made by the court pending an investigation.
The court had ordered a probe on why Bashir was allowed to leave when there was an order for him to be kept in the country until a final order was made.
Bashir left the country on Monday while the court was busy with an application by the Southern African Litigation Centre.
However, the opposition was today expected to put Zuma on the spot on the same matter when he answers questions in the National Assembly.
Reports have since emerged that hundreds of South African peacekeeping troops stationed in Sudan were surrounded at their base by Sudanese troops to ensure the safe return of Bashir. It was only when Bashir had landed in Khartoum that the Sudanese troops pulled back.
However, the SANDF has denied the reports.
South Africa’s decision to allow Bashir to leave has created an international political and legal storm, with the African Union (AU) defending South Africa’s decision.
AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said it did not have any treaties with any organisation.
She said the International Criminal Court had signatories with individual member states. It has also been said the government had given Bashir diplomatic immunity to be able to attend the AU summit in Sandton.
See Leader, Page 8