President Jacob Zuma, in his Human Rights Day speech in Cape Town, cautioned United Nations members to stick to the terms of the no-fly resolution on Libya
Zuma said every member nation of the United Nations had an obligation to implement in letter and in spirit the terms of Resolution 1973, which authorised action to protect Libyan civilians against Muammar Gaddafi's tropps.
But he said the call for a no fly zone over Libya was "just that".
"We call for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and an end to attacks on civilians. The UN Security Council Resolution should be implemented in letter and spirit by all members of the UN Security Council.
"Operations aimed at enforcing the 'no fly zone' and protecting civilians should be limited to just that. They should not harm or endanger the civilians that Resolution 1973 sought to protect.
"As South Africa we say no to the killing of civilians, no to the regime change doctrine and no to the foreign occupation of Libya or any other sovereign state," he said towards the end of his address.
In an apparent criticism of the violence of the UN-sanctioned action against Gaddafi's forces, Zuma said all civilians should be protected.
The ANC Youth League in an earlier statement criticised the South African vote in favour of the UN resolution, accusing the West of trying to instal a puppet government and take control of Libya's oil.
Zuma also expressed grave concern about the escalating violence in Ivory Coast.
Zuma did not mention the crowd's earlier jeering of Patricia de Lille, who was shouted down when she tried to address the government-sponsored rally on behald of Western Cape premier Helen Zille.
Many in the crowd in Cape Town's Atholone Stadium wore ANC t-shirts and waved ANC flags.
