By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has once again decided South Africa must withdraw its membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Briefing the media after a state visit by Finland’s President Sauli Väinämö Niinistö at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said there have been comments from Amnesty International where there had been reflection on what many people believed was “unfair treatment”.
“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 again there should be a pull out so that will be a matter that will be taken forward.”
The decision was taken during the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend.
The ICC in March issued a warrant of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin when he attends the Brics Summit in South Africa in August may have pushed the ANC to make the decision.
The ICC issued a warrant of arrest for Putin, saying he has committed war crimes, including against children. As a member of the ICC South Africa is obliged to act on the warrant if Putin sets foot on South African soil. The government has sought legal advice.
South Africa’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was ruled “unconstitutional and invalid” by the High Court.
The court ruled in favour of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which argued that the government had to first seek parliamentary approval.
The court ordered the government to revoke its notice of withdrawal.
In his response, then Justice Minister Michael Masutha said the government still intended to quit the ICC.
The decision to pull out came after a dispute over Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s visit to the country in 2015.
South African authorities refused to arrest Bashir despite him facing an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.
Bashir was attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg, when the government ignored an ICC request to arrest him.