Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will provide an update on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit South Africa during the Brics summit in August.
The president said this while addressing the provincial conference in the Western Cape on Sunday.
Ramaphosa said he was handling the issue of Putin and that the Brics summit will go ahead in August as planned.
He said that he has been addressing the matter and appointed his deputy, Paul Mashile, to lead an inter-ministerial committee on Putin’s visit.
“We will hold the BRICS summit in August. Yes, that Brics summit is going to take place, it is going to go on. We will be outlining precisely how that summit will be held. There is a great deal of impatience. Is so and so coming?. Is so and so not coming? I have often said we will make that announcement. People are very impatient. We will address that question,” IOL quoted him as saying.
This comes after Ramaphosa met with Putin two weeks ago during a peace mission with other African leaders.
The African leaders, including Ramaphosa, will continue discussions with Putin in St Petersburg in August during the Russia-Africa summit.
Speaking at the same conference, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also dwelt on the Putin issue, saying that Ramaphosa will announce the government’s decision regarding the Russian leader “at the right time”.
This is in the wake of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing a warrant for Putin’s arrest, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine.
[WATCH] ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce in due course what will happen to Russian President Vladimir Putin, if he comes to SA, as an ICC arrest warrant hangs over his head.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/R13H6SYwFk
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 24, 2023
As the host of the summit, South Africa is engaging in discussions to establish a definitive stance regarding Putin’s participation.
The ICC arrest warrant puts South Africa in a difficult position as it also risks trade ties with the United States, which wants Putin to be arrested upon his arrival.
Mbalula emphasised that Russia is an important partner for South Africa within the Brics group.
“The president and government have been given a mandate by the ANC to deal with this matter.
“It is our turn to host the Brics summit and the president will at the right moment brief the nation and everybody else about what will happen, having exhausted all avenues of ensuring that Brics takes place successfully,” Mbalula said while speaking at the Western Cape provincial elective conference on Saturday.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
