Pretoria - The ruling African National Congress (ANC) says it is conducting internal consultations about the implications of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Pretoria who is scheduled to visit South Africa.
Last week, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor divulged that that Putin had been formally invited to attend the 15th BRICS summit scheduled for South Africa in August. However, the matter has become a headache for Pretoria after the ICC issued a warrant of arrest for the Russian leader.
The ICC, which South Africa is a signatory to, has issued the warrant of arrest for Putin for allegedly committing war crimes in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. South Africa would be obliged to arrest Putin and hand him over if he sets foot on its soil.
As months edge closer before the landmark BRICS summit, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party was weighing its options.
“The ANC has taken note of the ICC’s decision on Russian President Vladimir Putin and it is engaging its deployees in government to gain an in-depth understanding about the implications of this route taken by the court,” she said.
However, Pandor highlighted South Africa’s misgivings regarding the ICC, stating that the court had not been “even-handed” as an arbiter in international affairs.
Pandor said while she had not said the ICC was “wrong” in issuing the warrant of arrest against Putin, she had deep misgivings regarding the international court’s decision, arguing that the ICC had not been an impartial arbiter on the global arena.
“Well, I have not used the word ‘wrong’, but I expressed a view of even-handedness. I believe there are many atrocities that are occurring in the world, and all human beings should be protected - not those living in particular regions or countries,” she said.
In the interview with SAfm, Pandor said stemming from the 2015 court debacle when South Africa did not arrest Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who had an ICC warrant of arrest against him, Pretoria understood that it had a legal obligation to arrest Putin, in line with the ICC directive.
“We are awaiting a refreshed legal opinion on the matter, but that is the position as I understand it at the moment. We continue to be a member State of the Rome treaty,” said Pandor.
She said the matter of Putin’s invitation and the ICC warrant of arrest would be discussed at a Cabinet meeting, once she had a legal opinion.
Pandor conceded that withdrawing the invitation sent out to Putin at this stage would possibly stymie the BRICS summit in South Africa.
“Probably it would. I suspect everybody would then have lesser interest in attending, so it is a matter we need to give attention to. I am sure the president (Cyril Ramaphosa) will speak to other heads of State.
“It (BRICS) is a forum (on) which the five leaders have a very close relationship, and they are in constant contact, so I think they would be speaking now,” she said.
South Africa is chairing the BRICS group of countries this year under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
South Africa is set to host the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China at the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22 to 24.
The BRICS group brings together some 3.2 billion people.
On Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema weighed in on the matter, vowing to protect Putin if the Russian leader comes to South Africa for the summit.
“Putin is welcome here, and no one is going to arrest Putin. If need be, we are going to fetch Putin from the airport, take him to his meeting, where he will address and finish his meetings, and we will take him back to the airport,” Malema told journalists in Joburg.
Putin is expected to attend the BRICS summit with Ramaphosa, President Xi Jinping of China, President Lula da Silva of Brazil and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Xi met Putin this week during the Chinese leader’s first visit to Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine.
IOL