South Africa has sharply rejected an International Criminal Court petition by two Ghanaian nationals seeking a probe into violence against foreign migrants, calling the move “opportunistic” and insisting its own courts are equipped to handle such crimes.
The filing at the Hague-based tribunal claims the attacks may constitute crimes against humanity and alleges that South African authorities failed to stop the violence or hold perpetrators to account. The unrest and recent anti-migrant demonstrations have driven thousands of foreign nationals out of the country. Several African governments, along with the regional bloc Ecowas, have denounced the attacks.
Pretoria has denied that the violence reflects xenophobia and says it remains committed to the rule of law. It has also urged wider African Union talks on the forces driving migration across the continent. President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognised public anxieties over migration but condemned assaults on migrants, warning South Africans not to take justice into their own hands.
