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SA threatened with sanctions for its non-aligned stance on Ukraine Russia war
19 Jul 2023 at 01:31hrs | Views
President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated that the West has threatened African countries with sanctions if they refuse to take sides in the conflict in Ukraine.
He said South Africa was one of those countries that have been threatened by the West.
Ramaphosa, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from DA MP Dean Macpherson, said he stands by his comments in May that many countries in Africa were threatened with sanctions for not taking sides in the conflict.
"The pressure that has been placed on South Africa and other African countries to adopt a particular position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict takes different forms.
"Some of these are direct in nature, such as the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, which was introduced in the United States Congress in March 2022.
"Pressure is also applied through other means, some of which are informal, unofficial and indirect. It is in the nature of the conduct of international relations that these matters be attended to through diplomatic engagement," said Ramaphosa.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said also there was no decision yet to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
Lamola, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from EFF MP Vuyani Pambo, said a decision was taken to withdraw the bill in parliament in 2016, but the court overturned it.
"The International Crimes Bill, introduced in Parliament in 2017, whose purpose was to withdraw South Africa from the ICC by repealing the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002, has been withdrawn from Parliament," he said.
He said South Africa was one of those countries that have been threatened by the West.
Ramaphosa, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from DA MP Dean Macpherson, said he stands by his comments in May that many countries in Africa were threatened with sanctions for not taking sides in the conflict.
"The pressure that has been placed on South Africa and other African countries to adopt a particular position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict takes different forms.
"Some of these are direct in nature, such as the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, which was introduced in the United States Congress in March 2022.
"Pressure is also applied through other means, some of which are informal, unofficial and indirect. It is in the nature of the conduct of international relations that these matters be attended to through diplomatic engagement," said Ramaphosa.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said also there was no decision yet to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
Lamola, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from EFF MP Vuyani Pambo, said a decision was taken to withdraw the bill in parliament in 2016, but the court overturned it.
"The International Crimes Bill, introduced in Parliament in 2017, whose purpose was to withdraw South Africa from the ICC by repealing the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002, has been withdrawn from Parliament," he said.
Source - IOL
