News24 | ‘No community can stand aside,’ Ramaphosa says as he courts Muslim voters in Cape Town

• President Cyril Ramaphosa urged all South Africans, including Muslims, to vote, emphasising collective responsibility for advancing the nation’s interests during a campaign event in Cape Town.
• Ramaphosa highlighted South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel, linking it to Nelson Mandela’s vision of justice and freedom for Palestine, despite international criticism.
• He praised the historical contributions of Muslim leaders to South Africa’s democracy and encouraged participation in elections as a civic and ethical duty.
• For more political news, visit News24 Politics.
  

No South African community should stand aside and say it is not going to vote; advancing the country’s interests is everyone’s responsibility, President Cyril Ramaphosa said as the campaign trail brought him to Cape Town on Saturday.

Ramaphosa visited the predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of Rylands, where he addressed a meeting at the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA), which hosted a discussion titled The Muslim Voter and the Ballot: Towards Developing an Ethical Framework for Informed Voting.

Introducing Ramaphosa, Shaykh Riad Fataar, president of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), lauded Ramaphosa for standing up against the “biggest villain” on the international stage by taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have its attacks on Gaza declared genocide.

Fataar said Ramaphosa had the strength to face “the powerful forces that are facing South Africa, the things that are coming”.

“Simply, you’re a man that recognises humanity,” he said.

Ramaphosa said they might applaud one person for being brave, but it was not one person who had brought the case before the ICJ.

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“It is the people of South Africa, whether others know it or not. It is the government and the state of South Africa that decided to do so. And to the extent that you could ascribe it to anyone, I’m just a mouthpiece. I am just one person who is there to talk about it.”

“So it is South Africa. Other people may decry, deny, and dismiss, but it is the collective wish of many other people in South Africa – the government just expressed that wish.”

He said South Africa was following in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, who said that South Africans would never be completely free until the people of Palestine were free.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA) on Saturday.

Jan Gerber/News24

Ramaphosa also drew a parallel with the years when other countries took apartheid to the United Nations and had it declared a crime against humanity.

“The world, as represented in the United Nations, decided, in their own wisdom, that yes, apartheid is a crime against humanity,” said Ramaphosa.

“Now, those countries did not take up arms. They did not decide that they would go and bomb South Africa or whatever. They took a case to the United Nations. And at that time, nobody criticised them, except South Africa, of course.

“And everybody accepted that that was a rational, legitimate way of arguing a case against a state which they believed was oppressive, was discriminatory, and was committing a crime against a people.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa campaigning for the ANC in Rylands, Cape Town, on Saturday.

Jan Gerber/News24

He said South Africa saw what was happening in Palestine and decided to take a case to the ICJ.

“We didn’t decide to take up arms. We didn’t decide to go and bomb that country. We said, we will do the most rational of things, and go and argue the case.

“And that’s why an institution like the International Court of Justice was then utilised. We decided that we would go and put facts and reasons. And of course, the state of Israel has also responded. So the case must then be adjudicated, and that is the responsibility that we believed was a rational one, a correct one.”

He said several countries had criticised South Africa, “but later, many of those realised that we were actually not mad”.

“They realised that we were actually very correct in taking this step. A case will be argued on a rational and a legal basis at the International Court of Justice, and it will be up to those judges to declare whether it is so or not.”

Ramaphosa said:

But having done so, South Africa was criticised and pilloried, but we stand our ground.

“We stand our ground because the father of our democracy, and our own adherence to the values of justice, have led us to taking this step. Nelson Mandela said we would not be free until Palestine is free. We took it very seriously, and that is what we are acting on. So here we are. We’re hoping that the case will be adjudicated.”

Ramaphosa said the meeting had a very important topic.

“Muslims are part of the South African community. Plain and simple. Muslims in South Africa are citizens of our country, and they, therefore, like everyone else, have a very important responsibility as citizens, and they have the same fundamental rights that every citizen of South Africa has – to vote, to participate in ensuring that the South African project is taken forward,” said Ramaphosa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa visiting a Rylands resident in her home on Saturday.

Jan Gerber/News24

Voting gives expression to equal citizenship, Ramaphosa said, drawing on the Freedom Charter’s 1955 declaration that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. Section 19 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to vote, irrespective of religion, race, background, or gender.

“Muslims cannot stand outside of the need to determine the future of our country,” he said. “You need to be part of that process. Because if you are not part of that process, others will decide.”

Voting gives all citizens an opportunity to advance justice, Ramaphosa said, noting that Islam places great emphasis on justice, fairness, compassion, and responsibility towards others.

“These very important values provide a basis for evaluating public representatives, and to see whether public representatives live up to these important values that Islam also articulates,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa said being a committed Muslim and participating in South Africa’s constitutional democracy were not inherently incompatible.

He acknowledged that there are different theological views among Muslim scholars on participation in secular democratic elections, but said what was overriding was the Freedom Charter and the history of struggle led by Muslim leaders in South Africa, including Yusuf Dadoo, Yusuf Cachalia, Fatima Meer, and Imam Abdullah Haron.

Presidential security, yellow t-shirt carriers and ANC supporters outside a house in Rylands while President Cyril Ramaphosa was inside the house on Saturday morning.

Jan Gerber/News24

“They were not mad. They engaged in the struggle because they wanted to see democracy prevail in our country.

“So, in the end, South African Muslims need to take up the responsibility of being good citizens in our country, because the history of Muslims in our country is a history of faith, of resilience, of service, and participation in the life of our country.

“And that, my brothers and sisters, my comrades, is the reason why even Muslims must vote.

“I would say exactly the same thing to Christians, I would say exactly the same thing to other people that I am going to see.”

Ramaphosa said:

All of us, therefore, have a collective responsibility to participate in the affairs of our country. No community can stand aside and not vote because our faith, or whatever, dictates that we should do so.

“But we fought for the people of South Africa, to vote together and take a responsibility of taking our country forward.”

The meeting was preceded by Ramaphosa going on a door-to-door campaign, visiting the homes of ANC supporters in the street adjacent to the college.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zubeida Essa in Rylands on Saturday.

Jan Gerber/News24

President Cyril Ramaphosa drapes a cloth in ANC colours over Rylands resident Zubeida Essa.

Jan Gerber/News24

He also met residents on the street, including 80-year-old Zubeida Essa.

“Daar is niemand beter as jy nie! [There is no one better than you!]” she exclaimed upon meeting Ramaphosa. “Maar jy’s nog altyd orraait! [But you’ve always been alright!].”

Ramaphosa responded in Afrikaans: “Ek wou vir jou iets gee [I want to give you something].” He then draped a cloth in ANC colours over her.

“Oh, it was a pleasure,” she told News24 when asked about meeting the president. “The ANC opened doors for our children.”

She said there may be corruption, and “pension is still too little”, but she would “vote ANC all the way”.

She said the DA, which has governed the City of Cape Town since 2006, was too sympathetic towards Israel, while the ANC government had taken action against it.

A man told the young girl he carried on his shoulders: “Say ‘Hello, Uncle Cyril.’”

After meeting Ramaphosa, the man said: “Enjoy your day, neh.”

Muhammad Bilal was one of the recipients of a presidential handshake. He said he had a quick chat with Ramaphosa.

“He is very humble,” he said. “That is what I like about him.”

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