Ministers considering options regarding Putin arrest: Presidency
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC ) is to consider the various options available regarding the warrant of arrest issued for President Vladimir Putin.
The IMC includes Minister of Employment and Labour; Minister of Transport; Minister of Police; and Minister of Home Affairs.
Ntshavheni was briefing the media in Pretoria on Friday morning on the outcomes of a cabinet meeting that was held on Wednesday.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
The South African government has come under pressure to make public its stance on whether it will execute the arrest warrant.
Putin is due to visit the country for the BRICS summit in August and South Africa is a signatory of the Rome Statute.
“The work of the IMC is to consider the various options with regards to President Putin. The government of the United States indicated that they are not signatories to the Rome Statutes and therefore the ICC cannot issue a warrant of arrest on their soldiers who have violated human rights and slaughtered men, women and children in a number of countries and they said if the ICC does that, they will sanction them, says Ntshavheni.
“Equally, the federation of the Russian Republic is not a signatory to the ICC and there are rules that the ICC must compile.”
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Ntshavheni also clarified that the President was not misinformation regarding the decision to quit ICC.
“The President spoke on the decision of the governing party on that same day the governing party clarified the decisions of its own meetings and the various options that they are considering. There was no misinformation.”
On Tuesday, during a press conference co-hosted with the visiting President of Finland Sauli Niinisto, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC had resolved that South Africa should quit the International Criminal Court.
His spokesperson ended up making a U-turn the next day, saying the country remains a signatory.
Ntshavheni also responded to the Western Cape Premier Allen Winde saying if President Putin steps foot in the province, he will be arrested.
“The Western Cape is not an independent republic out of South Africa. The rules and laws that apply in the Western Cape are those of the country. Premier Winde can dream about whatever,” she said.
