South Africa to uphold diplomacy while sticking to principled positions, says minister

IANS April 1, 2025 172 views

South Africa's foreign minister Ronald Lamola insists the country will maintain diplomatic decorum while standing firm on its principles. He emphasized that disagreements should focus on substance, not insults, particularly amid tensions with the US. Lamola confirmed South Africa won't withdraw its ICJ case against Israel over Gaza. The minister also defended domestic policies like land expropriation despite international criticism.

"We will remain firm on our principled positions. We will continue to pursue our national interest in line with diplomatic decorum." – Ronald Lamola
Johannesburg, April 1: South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola reaffirmed the country's commitment to diplomacy, emphasising that it will remain firm on its principled positions.

Key Points

1

Lamola rejects insults in diplomacy, prioritizes substance

2

South Africa won't drop ICJ case against Israel

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Seeks to mend US ties while upholding policies

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Defends redress laws like Expropriation Act

Speaking on Monday at the opening of the inaugural Annual Aziz Pahad Peace, Security, and Human Rights Dialogue in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, Lamola noted that South Africa will not engage in "trading insults" with any country, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We're practicing diplomacy. We're not in the business of trading insults with anyone in the world. We will remain firm on our principled positions. We will continue to pursue our national interest in line with diplomatic decorum," Lamola said. "If we disagree with any country, it should not be on the basis of insults but the substance of the matter."

He further noted that South Africa valued its "mutually beneficial trade relations" with the United States, and the government remained committed to extending a "hand to bridge our recently challenging relationship with the US."

While Pretoria was open to mending its strained ties with Washington, it remained firm on its policies, including taking the Israeli government to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2023 over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Addressing international relations matters at the African National Congress media briefing on Sunday, Lamola said South Africa is not prepared to withdraw its case at The Hague.

"This is a matter that we will not withdraw from the court, which we have already put. This is a matter that we will not compromise. There are issues of progressive internationalism that we cannot compromise on, including the issue of the ICJ. This is an issue of international law, which has to be respected by everyone," he said.

Speaking at the Monday dialogue, Lamola also asserted that South Africa would continue to pursue its redress policies, including the Expropriation Act, despite its role in recent tensions with Washington.

He said these policies were enshrined in the country's constitution. "The foundational elements of redress are powerfully articulated in the preamble of the Constitution. As a sovereign state, we will continue to pursue the transformative objective as recently outlined in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, the National Health Insurance Act, and the Expropriation Act."

Reader Comments

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Thando M.
Proud of our minister for standing firm on our principles! 🇿🇦 Diplomacy doesn't mean compromising on what's right. The ICJ case is especially important - we must hold nations accountable for human rights violations.
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James K.
While I appreciate the diplomatic approach, I wonder if this might affect our trade relations. The US is an important partner, and we need to balance principles with economic realities. Just my two cents.
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Nomsa P.
Finally some mature leadership! No more playground insults, just principled positions. The world needs more of this kind of diplomacy 👏
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Sipho D.
Respect for standing by the ICJ case. Some things are bigger than politics - human rights can't be negotiated away. But I hope we can find a way to maintain good relations with all nations.
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Lerato B.
The Expropriation Act is controversial but necessary for transformation. Glad to see we're not backing down just because it makes some uncomfortable. Real change requires courage!
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David T.
I admire the principled stance, but I wish there was more detail about how we'll practically maintain trade relations while pursuing these policies. The devil's in the implementation.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
South Africa diplomacy Ronald Lamola US-South Africa relations ICJ Israel case Expropriation Act
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