The South African government said it was planning to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) following criticisms that it ignored court order to arrest President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan earlier this year.
Obed Bapela, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, told newsmen in Johannesburg on Monday that “the ICC has lost its direction’’ and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) wanted to withdraw South Africa after following certain processes.
It would be recalled that al-Bashir, accused of genocide and war crimes, visited South Africa in June, but was allowed to leave despite a court order to detain him.
The government last week asked the ICC for more time to explain why it allowed this.
But the ruling party this weekend resolved to leave the ICC, with Bapela saying powerful nations “trample” human rights and pursue “selfish interests.
“South Africa still holds the flag of human rights, we are not lowering it,” he said, adding that the parliament would soon debate the nation’s ICC membership.
The ANC commands a comfortable majority in the legislature, with more than 60 per cent of the vote.