ANC is sticking to its guns on ICC withdrawal

The ANC is sticking to its call for South Africa to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Delegates at the party’s fifth national policy conference being held in Soweto, Johannesburg, reaffirmed the decision taken at its 2012 Mangaung conference to withdraw, international relations subcommittee member Miriam Saohatse told journalists.

"South African must ratify the Malabo Protocol on amendments to the protocol on the stature of the African Court of justice and human rights and encourage the speedy operation of the African Court of human and people’s rights," she said.

In February 2017, the High Court in Pretoria found the government’s decision to withdraw from the ICC was unconstitutional and invalid. The court ordered that the notice of withdrawal be withdrawn.

South Africa’s decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute‚ which established the ICC‚ was met with outcries and was immediately and urgently challenged in court by the DA‚ supported by a number of nongovernment organisations.