The Congress of the People (Cope) on Monday labelled the ruling party’s resolution to renounce South Africa’s membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as “just a self-serving excuse”.

The move‚ said Cope’s Dennis Bloem‚ would see the African National Congress “expose us and our children to war crimes and human rights abuses in South Africa without recourse to a higher court”.

Business Day reported on Sunday that Deputy Minister in the Presidency Obed Bapela had announced the withdrawal‚ saying the ICC has “lost its direction“.

Government has faced criticism for ignoring a court order to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir‚ accused of genocide and war crimes‚ who visited the country in June‚ but was allowed to leave earlier this year.

The ANC’s Bapela said powerful nations “trample” human rights and pursue “selfish interests“.

Party spokesperson Dennis Bloem on Monday said that “Cope is alarmed but not surprised”.

“We have a president who is wriggling every which way to escape the clutches of the law with 700-plus charges to answer. He is doing so by manipulating the criminal justice system‚” said Bloem.

“Now he wants to suck up to the Sudanese dictator who is guilty of heinous and loathsome warm crimes. Birds of a feather flock together.”

Bloem said the ICC resolution show that the “wants to lower the flag in much the same way it wants to muzzle the public protector and incapacitate the criminal justice system”.

“All of its moves in combination are creating extraordinary perils and hazards for ordinary citizens‚” he said.

“The subservient ANC cadres in parliament will forget that they owe their allegiance to the electorate. They will therefore submissively press the green button to appease Number 1 and push South Africa down the sliding slope.

“Soon‚ another pillar supporting our freedom from arbitrary rule and persecution will come crashing down. The deep state will take over and those who wield power will do so without constraint. That is the real danger we face.”

“We must work to reform the ICC‚ not exit from it. We need it more than it needs us. We must not allow calamity to overtake us. Only political bullies will have nothing to do with the ICC.”