National Assembly approves funding for ICJ case

The National Assembly approved the Special Appropriations Bill that allocates around $5.2m for SA's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have Israel's military offensive against Palestinians declared genocide, with the DA and Patriotic Alliance's (PA) support. A News24 report notes since the start of hostilities Gaza in October last year, the DA has been criticised for a perceived ambivalence on the war. Furthermore, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille, without any substantiation, told an international audience she believes Iran funded the ANC to bring this court case, a narrative also driven by a pro-Israeli lobby group in the US. One of the GNU partners, the FF Plus – while describing the ICJ case as a ‘noble cause’ – voted against the Special Appropriations Bill last week. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the Bill when he presented his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in October. The Bill proposes additional funding to the Presidency of $941 000, $2.2m for the Department of International Relations & Co-operation and $2.1m for the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development, all for costs related to the ICJ case. The Bill has now been sent to the National Council of Provinces for consideration.