Govt has mandate to deal with Putin’s ICC arrest warrant matter - Mbalula
Government has been given the mandate, by the African National Congress (ANC) to deal with the tensions arising from the arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It’s still unclear whether Putin, who has been accused of human rights violation over the war in Ukraine, is coming to South Africa for the BRICS summit in August.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, following the weekend national executive committee (NEC) meeting, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula admitted that the governing party was in a difficult position over South Africa’s membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) – which issued the arrest warrant.
He however said, while the NEC had not discussed the matter, they are concerned by the selective application of the ICC’s authority and laws.
“The (55 th) conference said this ICC does serve the interest of all. It serves a few. America has not signed; all the big powers have not signed, and these are the people who are messing up the world. They cannot be arrested, by the influence of others to be arrested.
“Putin must be arrested by us because we are ICC, but the domestication of these laws even undermines that immunity with Al Bashir because somebody went to court and said, ‘arrest Al Bashir’.”
At its December conference, the ANC resolved to rescind its decision to withdraw from the court citing ‘substantive’ of the ICC and a slow uptake by other African countries towards the ratification of Malabo protocol which has delayed the establishment of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights.
Despite some international pressure, South Africa has maintained a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine.
Mbalula South Africa must respect Russia and Putin, as well it’s alliance with other BRICS member states.
“Government is given the mandate by the ANC to deal with this particular matter, but from where we stand as the ANC Putin can come here anytime in this country. But the fact of the matter is that there are these laws.
He referenced the 2016 case of Sudanese Omar Al Bashir, where the Democratic Alliance went to court to force government to execute the arrest warrant against him.
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