Cape Town – Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has dismissed as fake news, a social media post claiming President Vladimir Putin “will be placed in Nelson Mandela’s prison cell” if arrested.
The post, using Winde’s name said that Putin would be placed in the late former president’s Robben Island cell and the prison number 46664 would be changed to 24022.
“On the immediate arrest of Putin, he will be placed in Nelson Mandela’s cell and the number 46664 will be changed to 24022 which is the day and year Russia invaded Ukraine.
“We believe this was by far a much worse crime,” read the post.
Winde alerted the public to the post and described it as fake.
— Premier Alan Winde ?? (@alanwinde) April 30, 2023
This came just a few days after the premier said Putin would be arrested if he “sets foot” in his province.
Winde lambasted President Cyril Ramaphosa for inviting Putin to South Africa despite a warrant for his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Even in the face of this arrest warrant, national government has the gall to invite President Putin to a Brics summit in South Africa, scheduled for later this year. This is unacceptable and deplorable.
“Putin has consistently and violently eroded the freedoms of the Ukrainian people and those in his own country who dare take a principled stand against his brutal actions. If the Russian leader sets foot in the Western Cape, we as the provincial government will have him arrested by Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers. If the SA Police Service is unable or unwilling to act, then we must,” said Winde.
The recent issuance of the arrest warrant for Putin by the ICC has put South Africa in an awkward position.
The ICC accused Putin of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory.
South Africa is one of the countries that signed the Rome Statute and would be hosting host the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) bloc summit in August. It would, therefore, be compelled to arrest the Russian leader.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
