Vusi Madonsela
 Vusi Madonsela  (diplomat, lawyer) | ||||||||
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| Born | Vusimuzi Philemon Madonsela | |||||||
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Vusi Madonsela is Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Africa to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.[1] He is also South Africa's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for a four year term scheduled to end in January 2024.
Vusi Madonsela is an Attorney at Law (Solicitor) of the High Court of South Africa and has 19 years of experience in the senior management of South African government departments.[2]
Contents
International Criminal Court
| Ambassador Madonsela delivers SA’s Israeli war crimes referral to the ICC |
On 17 November 2023, Vusi Madonsela hand-delivered South Africa’s referral of the Israel-Hamas conflict to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.[3]
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan KC confirmed that the ICC had received a joint request by South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes.[4]
International Court of Justice
On 29 December 2023, Vusi Madonsela filed South Africa's application instituting proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the "Genocide Convention") in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.[5]
SA’s legal team at the ICJ are:
- John Dugard SC, Max du Plessis SC, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, Adila Hassim SC.
- Juniors: Sarah Pudifin-Jones, Lerato Zikalala, Tshidiso Ramogale.
- External: Vaughan Lowe KC and Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC.[6]
Voice of experience
On 2 January 2024, Professor of International Law at Illinois State University, Francis Boyle, said in an interview with Democracy Now:
- "I believe South Africa will win an order against Israel to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the Palestinians.
- "Israel has a history of listening to the United States' orders to stop its assaults on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. We here in the United States of America have the power to stop this."
Asked what power ICJ president Joan Donoghue has to shape proceedings, Prof. Boyle said:
- "That's a good question. Donoghue is a life-long State Department apparatchik which is how she got the job. And I'm sure she's in contact right now today with the US State Department giving them a 'heads up' on everything going on at The Hague behind the scenes. She will toe the State Dept line in these proceedings.
- "I regret to report the president does have a lot of power there to shape these proceedings in favour of Israel.
- "However I have also been advised that the Republic of South Africa is nominating a Judge ad hoc that is their right under the Statute of the ICJ. I don't have a name yet but I would hope that the South African Judge ad hoc will do his or her best to try to keep Donoghue straight."[7]
Judge ad hoc nomination
On 4 January 2024 the following email was sent to Vusi Madonsela:
- Dear Ambassador,
- Professor Boyle has recommended that I send you my nomination for Judge ad hoc at the ICJ proceedings: former South African High Court Judge Christopher Nicholson.
- Wishing you success at The Hague,
- Yours sincerely,
- Patrick Haseldine
- (HM Diplomatic Service - retired)
References
- ↑ "Interview Ambassador of South Africa Vusi Madonsela"
- ↑ Associate Fellow at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford"
- ↑ "SA Ambassador confirms delivery of SA’s referral of the Israel-Hamas conflict to the ICC"
- ↑ "Israel is committing war crimes in Palestinian territories, five nations charge"
- ↑ Document:South Africa institutes Genocide Convention proceedings against Israel
- ↑ "SA's legal team at the ICJ"
- ↑ "South Africa Files Case Against Israel at International Court of Justice over 'Genocidal' Gaza War"
