Nobody in South Africa will arrest Putin, warns ANC MP
ANC MP Desmond Moela has made it clear to Parliament’s international relations committee that nobody in South Africa will be allowed to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin, who is due to visit the country for the BRICS summit in August, has a warrant of arrest issued against him by the International Criminal Court.
Moela issued the warning during a meeting of the committee on Tuesday to discuss the preparations for the summit.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Moela told MPs that Putin will be at the summit.
“We want to emphasise that nobody is going to arrest President Putin. President Putin will be coming to South Africa, and we will be happy to receive him.
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“So, these other ones that are claiming that they are going to arrest President Putin, they must just forget we are going to receive President Putin and he is going to participate in the summit.”
Meanwhile, International Relations and Cooperation Director-General Zane Dangor told Parliament that investigations into what transpire on the Russian ship Lady R will take place soon.
The US has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia when the ship was docked in Simon’s Town in December.
“The investigations will take place led by a retired judge that is to ensure that none of South Africa’s own domestic laws has been impugned by any actions,” said Dangor.
“We don't have any evidence that this stage that it has and no evidence that has been presented thus far, but hopefully more clarity will be gotten once this investigation has concluded.”
