South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned of possible foreign meddle in the outcome of the country's general elections due later this year, as a result of Pretoria's legal case against Israel at the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ), according to Western media.
Following the court's ruling, a source in the UN Security Council (UNSC) told Sputnik that Algeria has requested a meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be held on January 31. If UNSC action to enforce the ICJ ruling against Israel is blocked by the United States, South Africa plans to go to the UN General Assembly, according to South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola.
The success of the ICJ case "has exposed not only the atrocities that are being carried out by the state of Israel, it also has exposed the moral bankruptcy of those countries who by acts of commission or omission are allowing genocide to take place in Gaza on their watch," the president was quoted as saying.
During a meeting of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the party's leader, reportedly warned ANC members to prepare for a fightback campaign.
"The fightback may also focus on our domestic politics and our electoral outcomes in order to pursue the regime change agenda," Ramaphosa said.
While some experts have raised concerns about the impact of a strong stance against Israel on South Africa's trading partners who support the Jewish state, Ramaphosa defended his government's stance, insisting that it had followed the correct channels in taking its concerns to the ICJ.
"We didn’t take the matter to a kangaroo court — we went to the very court that they themselves set up in terms of the rules that they set up and we should not be blamed for doing so," the South Africa leader said.
Looking ahead, South Africa is preparing for the upcoming 2024 general elections, which will be the seventh since the end of apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa will set the date within 90 days of the end of the current parliament's term in mid-May 2024.
Ramaphosa stressed that despite the risks and dangers involved in the Israel-Gaza conflict, South Africa would continue to engage in mediation talks to find a peaceful solution.