South Africa’s President Tells the BRICS Summit That International Law Must Apply Equally
South Africa · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What happened President Cyril Ramaphosa used the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi to demand equal application of international law, naming Gaza, Sudan and Iran.
- —The context South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in December 2023 under the Genocide Convention.
- —The bloc BRICS has expanded from five to eleven members, which South Africa says can strengthen trade and political ties across the Global South.
- —The limit Earlier BRICS talks on Gaza in November 2023 failed to produce a joint declaration, showing the bloc’s internal divisions.
- —What comes next The bloc has backed a ceasefire, full humanitarian access and opposition to forced displacement in Gaza, but no binding timeline has been set.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Gaza at the centre of a BRICS push for equal justice, arguing that selective application of international law weakens the United Nations system and the rules-based order.
President Cyril Ramaphosa used the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi to demand “equal application of international law” and to place Gaza, Sudan and Iran at the centre of a wider attack on what he called “selective” justice. His intervention ties South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, filed in December 2023, directly to the bloc’s broader challenge to Western-led institutions.
A direct challenge to selective justice
Ramaphosa framed the Gaza war as a test of whether international rules apply equally to all states. He said the authority of the United Nations and the “rules-based system” is weakened when war is used to settle disputes.
The South African leader did not limit his criticism to Gaza. He named Sudan and Iran as further examples of what he sees as a pattern of uneven enforcement by powerful countries.
This marks a sharpening of South Africa’s diplomatic language. Pretoria has moved from filing a legal case to using the BRICS platform to build political pressure around the same argument.
The International Court of Justice case as anchor
South Africa’s Gaza stance is anchored in its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The case, filed in December 2023, accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation welcomed provisional measures ordered by the court. That legal track gives Ramaphosa a concrete instrument to back his rhetorical call for equal justice.
By raising Gaza at BRICS, Ramaphosa is linking a legal process to a political coalition. The move aims to turn a bilateral legal dispute into a broader Global South cause.
BRICS equal justice and the expanded bloc
BRICS is no longer the original five members alone. The bloc has expanded to ten members, and South Africa says this wider group can strengthen trade and political ties across the Global South.
Ramaphosa sees the expanded membership as a lever for changing how international institutions behave. His argument is that a larger, more diverse bloc can push back against what he calls selective justice.
The Middle East discussions at the summit backed a ceasefire, full humanitarian access and opposition to forced displacement in Gaza. That language reflects a common position, even if enforcement remains unclear.
The limits of shared rhetoric
Earlier BRICS talks on Gaza in November 2023 failed to produce a joint declaration. That failure exposed the bloc’s limits despite shared rhetoric on Palestinian rights.
Members have different relationships with Israel, Iran and the United States. Those differences make a unified operational stance difficult, even when leaders agree on broad principles.
Ramaphosa’s push for equal justice therefore faces a familiar obstacle. The bloc can issue statements, but translating them into coordinated action has proven hard.
Power, money and the Global South
The political context is about power and money as much as law. South Africa frames BRICS as a vehicle for strengthening trade and political ties that bypass traditional Western gatekeepers.
For investors and professionals watching Southern Africa, the Gaza stance signals Pretoria’s willingness to use foreign policy for domestic and regional positioning. It aligns South Africa with a broader South-South agenda.
This fits the wider pattern covered in Africa: The New Scramble, where legal, diplomatic and economic tools are increasingly deployed together in the contest for influence.
What to watch next
The immediate question is whether the expanded BRICS can move from statements to coordinated pressure. Ramaphosa has set the rhetorical bar high by naming Gaza, Sudan and Iran in the same frame.
Diplomats will watch for any follow-up resolution or joint mechanism on humanitarian access. The absence of a binding timeline means the real test will come at the next BRICS gathering.
For now, South Africa has positioned itself as a leading voice for equal application of international law. Whether that translates into concrete change remains an open question.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ramaphosa say about Gaza at the BRICS summit?
He called for equal application of international law and placed Gaza, Sudan and Iran at the centre of a wider attack on selective justice.
Why is South Africa’s Gaza stance tied to the International Court of Justice?
South Africa filed a case against Israel in December 2023 accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention, and Pretoria welcomed the court’s provisional measures.
Has BRICS produced a joint declaration on Gaza?
No, BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration on 12 September 2026, which opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians and condemns the use of starvation as a method of warfare, though the bloc has backed a ceasefire and full humanitarian access.
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