BY JIBRIL TURE

In a press briefing yesterday, Wednesday following his meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani in Doha, Qatar South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said he had referred the Israeli government to the International Criminal Court, based on his country’s perception that the Jewish state is committing a genocide with its massive destruction of lives in Gaza.

“We stated our position as South Africa very clearly that we are opposed to the operations that are ongoing, particularly they are now targeting hospitals where babies, women and the injured are dying like flies,” the South African leader said. He added: “We have put through a referral because we believe that war crimes are being committed there. And of course we do not condone the actions that were taken by Hamas earlier, but similarly we condemn the actions that are currently underway and believe that they warrant an investigation by the ICC.”

Ramaphosa, who had previously called for a ceasefire, also said, in reference to his meeting with the Emir: “We thanked and applauded his royal highness for the interventions his royal highness is taking to mediate in this crisis, particularly in relation to releasing the hostages but also in advocating a position that was we as South Africa believe that the crisis between Israel and Palestine needs to be resolved through a two-state solution where Palestine emerges as a fully-fledged state, as well as the existence of the Israeli state.”

The South African president’s announcement came amid ongoing debate in his country about severing ties with Israel, after the withdrawal, last week, of the entire South African diplomatic staff from Tel Aviv. In remarks about the withdrawal, South African Minister in Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, told reporters: “Genocide under the watch of the international community cannot be tolerated. Another Holocaust in human history is not acceptable.”

None of these developments came as a surprise, knowing the South African government’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war from the very start. As we, at The African, reported, in a statement made two weeks ago during a conference in Egypt about the war, President Ramaphosa likened the day-to-day suffering of the people of Gaza long before the ongoing war to the suffering endured by South Africans at the hands of the white minority leaders during the era of apartheid. “As South Africans, we can relate to what is happening to Palestinians. Our people waged a brave and courageous struggle to achieve their freedom. And we are subjected to untold suffering. Just like the Palestinians are going through.”