Editor-In-Chief Thys Khiba – While he is known for his invaluable contribution to the multiparty negotiations and convening the Constitutional Assembly to draft the new Constitution during the transition from apartheid to a domestic South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa is a lukewarm political leader.
Recently, Ramaphosa created unnecessary confusion by announcing that South Africa was withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and later issued a statement through his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya on Tuesday to indicate that his earlier announcement was wrong and an error.
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Speaking at a joint press conference with Finnish President SauliNiinistö on Tuesday, he announced the government had decided to pull South Africa out of the ICC “largely because of the manner in which the ICC has been dealing with these types of problems.”
At least we should not lie about what the President said but we should repeat what he said.
“And our view is that we would like this matter of unfair treatment to be properly discussed. But in the meantime, the governing party has decided once again that we should pull out. So, that will be a matter that will be taken forward,” said Ramaphosa.
President @CyrilRamaphosa delivering the keynote address at the National Conference on the Constitution titled Reflections and the Road Ahead held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.
Did Ramaphosa lie about the governing party, African National Congress (ANC) taking a decision to withdraw from the ICC after having its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend?
The ANC NEC released a statement to confirm its decision of last December to rescind its 2017 decision to withdraw from the ICC.
“..an unintended impression may have been created that a categorical decision for an immediate withdrawal had been taken. This is not so,” said ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
At least to many South Africans who are able to read and analysis diplomatic crisis, Ramaphosa might have been ill-advised by those close to him.
In trying to cover Ramaphosa’s lukewarm and neutral leadership, Magwenya issued a statement saying: “The Presidency wishes to clarify that South Africa remains a signatory to the Rome Statute and will continue to campaign for equal and consistent application of international law.”
“This clarification follows an error in a comment made during a media briefing held by the governing African National Congress (ANC) on South Africa’s status with regard to the ICC. Regrettably, the President erroneously affirmed a similar position during a media session today.
“South Africa remains a signatory to the ICC in line with a resolution of the 55th National Conference of the ANC – held in December 2022 – to rescind an earlier decision to withdraw from the ICC.
“The December resolution was reaffirmed at the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC during the weekend of 21 to 24 April 2023. The NEC had also reflected on the potential withdrawal from the ICC as an option that would arise as a measure of last resort in the absence of legal options that would result in fairness and consistency in the administration of international law,” said Magwenya.
In many occasions, politically Ramaphosa has been viewed as a favourite of Western leaders and not of Brics countries.Unfortunately, South Africa is part of Brazil Russia India China (Brics).
As a member of ICC and Brics, South Africa is expected to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin as he is expected to visit the country in August to attend the BRICS summit.
Putin is accused of war crimes in connection with Russia-Ukraine war. Ramaphosa is trying to escape that dilemma.
He realised later that it is legally impossible for South Africa to withdraw from the ICC before the BRICS conference in August.
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