Cape Town — Chairperson of the portfolio committee on international relations and cooperation Supra Mahumapelo has revealed that the presidency has created an inter-ministerial committee to discuss the arrest warrant of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March, meaning South Africa, due to host the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) bloc summit in August, would have to detain him on arrival.
The warrant against Putin stemmed from accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children.
“The committee will “provide a necessary political illumination and guidance on the correct legal, moral and political approach to be followed among other things, the Roman statutes.
“We stand ready to support the expected progressive outcome, because we cannot afford the anti-Brics, afrophobic and afro-pessimists who determine our destiny and defocus us by wanting to impose the responsibility of arresting President Putin on us.
“Because we are a people anchored on the rule of law, this important task will be done in line with the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act and all other laws,” said Mahumapelo, according to The Citizen.
Earlier this month, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said that arresting Putin in accordance with the arrest warrant by the ICC was “complicated“.
Pandor reiterated her message while delivering the department’s budget vote in Parliament on Wednesday.
ALSO READ | Presidency hopes to resolve Putin issue before BRICS summit
“Our world has become increasingly fractured and complex. The most powerful economies are in a trade conflict that threatens all the smaller economies of the world. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the insufficient voices calling for peace are working to create a stable environment,” Pandor said.
“The poor and marginalised are facing the greatest threat in that their plight is forgotten while the mighty fight. The result has been increased economic risk and neglect of those in the greatest need. Food inflation and high energy prices have strained incomes and resulted in high debt costs and consistent uncertainty. This is not the world many hoped for when the cold war ended.”
While South Africans remained torn on the issue, with one side calling for Putin’s arrest and the other welcoming him to the country, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Boitumelo Moloi said that the Brics partnership had the potential to become a powerful force that “brings hope to the world for millions of people seeking a better life”.
The hope would be brought about through the creation of a productive ecosystem, she told delegates at the Second Employment Working Group on Wednesday.
ALSO READ | Putin must be arrested if he comes to SA – Steenhuisen
Moloi said it was important to ensure that the benefits of economic growth and Decent Work are distributed more equally among disadvantaged groups.
“Our proposal for a Brics-wide Productivity Ecosystem for Decent Work is a major step in solidifying our Partnership in the sphere of labour and employment. I am pleased to share that the suggestion has overwhelming support from the BRICS Member Countries.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the BRICS Member Countries for their unwavering commitment to upholding the values that we share as a global community. Your dedication to promoting cooperation, mutual respect, and understanding is an inspiration to us all,” she said.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Instagram/@president_vladimir_putin
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
