SA’s brave foreign stand from rickety home base
South Africa’s case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is a rare instance of Pretoria punching above its weight. Owing to its history of overcoming apartheid, there is no better country than South Africa to stake a claim in the debate about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The move is a step that seems reminiscent of the Nelson Mandela era, where South Africa took a firm stand in global politics.
Mandela’s successor, Thabo Mbeki, also had a profound interest in international affairs.
Whatever the outcome of the litigation, South Africa will have nailed its colours to the mast when it comes to humanitarian suffering and injustice.
However, questions arise about the value of these international legal forays when, at home, the country is falling apart.
Justifiably, President Cyril Ramaphosa turns to the Scriptures for comfort. There, he will find this line: “A prophet is treated with honour everywhere except in his own hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.”
Even in the madness of the coming election season, the ICJ case may not be something the ANC can benefit from electorally.
Usually, it is difficult for foreign affairs victories to be converted into election campaign material to lure voters. Still, the ANC will take the credit for bringing the Gaza case before the ICJ.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens.” He criticised the country for failing to respond to atrocities in Syria and Yemen, as well as those committed by its “partner Hamas”.
He may be right, but his comments do not help him win the debate.
Seeking moral equivalence does not absolve him and his government from accusations of having engaged in genocidal acts.
Moral equivalence is the worst form of debate, because it seeks to avoid the substantive issues raised. South Africa has failed to take a strong stance against Hamas and its violent actions, but that does not disqualify Pretoria from taking a stand against Israel.
It is a great global opportunity for South Africa’s legal profession and a legal mind such as Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, who has already blazed a trail at home and is becoming a fascinating lawyer of the new South Africa.
What do we do with all the global attention and credit once the ICJ process has been wrapped?
There are many arenas in global politics and economic policy where smaller players such as South Africa can be heard. They include institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The UN is another body in desperate need of reform, especially with regard to the need to include more countries in its decision-making structures.
South Africa has lost a lot of its clout in the past two decades and has no influence in powerful multilateral structures.
The alleged genocide in Gaza would have been ignored had we, for example, raised the matter in the UN.
We have pariah status in global affairs, so driving a sustained campaign for global change is a tall order.
What is more, we stand on a rickety base at home, with a failing economy and widespread political decay.
Some will point to our country’s failures to discredit our messenger-like role in the ICJ case. South Africans live with high crime rates that make the average person a prisoner in their home and community.
The ICJ hearing on Thursday coincided with news that a British Airways pilot had been kidnapped and tortured during a short stopover in South Africa.
The first officer had gone shopping by himself in Johannesburg.
A woman in a supermarket car park asked him to help her carry her bags to her car. He was then bundled into a vehicle by a group of men who drove him to a remote location and allegedly subjected him to hours of torture to force him to hand over money. That’s one version of the event so far, but it fits with what we know about our country.
South Africa has failed to take a strong stance against Hamas and its violent actions, but that does not disqualify Pretoria from taking a stand against Israel