Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, saying South Africa had repeatedly raised its concerns over the court. He was responding to a question in the National Council of Provinces yesterday from the DA's Chris Hattingh, who asked whether the decision to withdraw from the ICC had any negative impact on South Africa's international relations.Ramaphosa said: "We have repeatedly expressed concern about the manner in which the ICC functions. Most recently South Africa used the mechanism of consultation available under article 97 of the Rome Statute to raise the difficulty it has in reconciling its obligations in terms of the statute and its obligations to the African Union."Justice Minister Michael Masutha presented a bill in parliament last week to start the process to repeal South Africa's membership of the world court in The Hague .Ramaphosa said the principal issue the country raised about the ICC had not been addressed."It has, therefore, become apparent that to continue to be a state party to the Rome Statute would undermine South Africa's efforts to promote the peaceful resolution of conflict both on the African continent and further afield," said Ramaphosa...