NEWS– South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to helping secure a ceasefire in the war on Gaza and an eventual two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
While delivering his annual State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa said that he is being guided by the fundamental principle of human rights and freedom and South Africa had taken up the Palestinian cause to prevent further deaths and destruction in Gaza.
South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and the court issued an interim ruling, saying it has jurisdiction to hear the case and ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts.
“We have welcomed the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians,” Ramaphosa said in his address.
President Ramaphosa however, condemn the killing of civilians on all sides and call on all parties involved in the conflict to commit to a peace process that will deliver a two-state solution.
The South African President said that there is no conflict across any part of the world that can’t be resolved through negotiations, and that’s why he was dealing with the issue of the war on Gaza and said that South Africa was firmly behind the Palestinian people and will use all diplomatic and legal methods to bring a ceasefire and a two-state solution to that region.
Ramaphosa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has led the country since the first democratic election after the end of apartheid took place in 1994 and although it is historically dominant, the ANC is struggling in the polls, and many analysts say it will for the first time get less than the 50 percent parliamentary majority it has won in past elections.
South Africans are expected to go to the polls sometime between May and August this year.
But President Ramaphosa, used his address to highlight how far the country has come since the end of apartheid and talked about some of the progress that has been made over the past 30 years.
Ramaphosa also spoke about the steps his government has taken to address the country’s prolonged energy crisis.
“We are confident that the worst is behind us and the end of load shedding is finally within reach,” He said using the local term for blackouts.
He also pledged thousands of new jobs, saying his government has made significant progress on measures to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty.
President Ramaphosa also took a swipe at his predecessor Jacob Zuma, who last month was suspended from the governing party after backing a breakaway party that threatens to take votes away from ANC.
“For a decade, individuals at the highest levels of the state conspired with private individuals to take over and repurpose state-owned enterprises, law enforcement agencies and other public institutions,” He said.
However, the third-largest opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters boycotted the State of the Nation Address after its Leader and deputy were suspended from Parliament for storming the stage during last year’s address.
Additional Reporting from Aljazzera Africa
