ICC is Ramaphosa’s worst flip flop: SA’s foreign policy trips ANC

President Cyril Ramaphosa demonstrated the worst form of South Africa’s foreign policy flip-flop when he made two contradictory statements on the country’s position on the International Criminal Court (ICC) within 24 hours.

Ideological confusion

But political analyst Dr Jan Venter attribute the about-turn to the ANC’s ideological confusion.

It was caught up between following a Western-style modern democracy with its liberal values and being a liberation movement that pursued socialist ideals.

It was, therefore, unable to find a foreign policy synergy in the process. “We have these two factors clashing; we can’t find synergy in our foreign policy,” Venter said.

On Tuesday, Ramaphosa first said South Africa will withdraw from the ICC, thereby confirming and reinforcing an earlier position stated by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to journalists on the same day.

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But hours later, Ramaphosa made an about-turn to say the country will remain and participate in the ICC and a signatory to the Rome Statute.

The Presidency said SA would continue to campaign for the equal and consistent application of the international law.

Interestingly, the Presidency said Mbalula’s statement that South Africa would withdraw from the ICC was “an error”. “Regrettably, the president erroneously affirmed a similar position during a media session… South Africa remains a signatory to the ICC in line with a resolution of the 55th ANC national confer-ence in December, to rescind an earlier decision to withdraw from the ICC,” the Presidency said.

The U-turn by Ramaphosa implied South Africa would arrest Russia’s President Vladimir Putin when he visited the country for the Brics summit in August. As a member of the ICC and signatory to the Rome Statute, the country is obliged to arrest anyone wanted by the court for prosecution.

ALSO READ: International Criminal Court: SA to remain signatory as Presidency concedes Cyril’s gaffe

Unlikely SA will pull another al-Bashir

But it’s unlikely South African would pull another Omar al-Bashir trick, when it refused to arrest the former Sudanese president who was wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity.

While the Presidency described Mbalula’s pronouncement as an “error”, it actually reflected a general sentiment within the governing party that South Africa should not touch Putin.

It’s payback time for the ANC, as the former Soviet Union supported the country’s anti-apartheid liberation struggle, including training and arming uMkhonto we Sizwe soldiers.

But since Ramaphosa recommitted the country to the ICC by participating in its activities, not arresting the Russian leader would be a breach of its membership obligation.

South Africa’s flip-flop diplomacy has worsened under Ramaphosa. Nelson Mandela was consistent on the human rights requirement and supported the Palestine cause in the Middle East and condemned Nigeria for the execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Mandela and his successor Thabo Mbeki adopted a cautious approach towards the West, but Mbeki pursued a strong pro-Africa policy, while his successor, Jacob Zuma, supported a pro-developing world approach, including the strengthening of Brics and pur-sued the withdrawal from the ICC.

ALSO READ: Western Cape ready to arrest Vladimir Putin

Venter highlighted the fact that, while in all practicality South Africa was aligned to the West due to SA’s trade with it and its liberal democracy with its accompanied liberal values, the ANC government’s “predominant ideological roots were seated in the idea of liberation and socialism”.

“We are, on the one hand, a modern democracy and, on the other, still part of the history of the liberation movement of the ’50s and ’60s, with Russia as an ally. We have the situation where these two factors clash and we can’t find synergy in our foreign policy,” Venter said.

He added Putin would come to South Africa and would have the red carpet rolled out for him. It is understood Ramaphosa and his camp within the ANC believe withdrawing from the ICC was not a good idea and the latest flip-flop indicated deep division within the party on the ICC issue.

With the rise of Ramaphosa in the party since 2019, and his decisive victory at Nasrec in December, it came as no surprise the conference passed a resolution to rescind the ICC withdrawal decision made under Zuma.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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