Vladimir Putin welcome in SA – SACP
The South African Communist Party has called on government to ensure the safe passage of Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits the country in August.
Putin is expected to join BRICS leaders at the summit hosted by South Africa, but the International Criminal Court warrant arrest for the Russian leader has sparked much debate.
On Monday, SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila described the warrant as a distraction from the peace pact China’s Xi Jinping is trying to broker between Russia and Ukraine.
He’s accused the ICC of bias, saying the court has allowed itself to be used by the west to advance judicial imperialism.
“Despite many calls and ample evidence, the ICC has consistently refused to charge the likes of Netanyahu of Israel; Bush, Clinton, and Obama of America; Blair of Britain who has destroyed countries and killed hundreds of thousands of people in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lybia to name a few. And continued occupation of other country’s territories.”
Mapaila said it’s concerning that of the 52 leaders tried in the Hague, 48 are from African countries while four are from the former Soviet Union.
SACP deputy chairperson Thulas Nxesi accused the ICC of selective justice, adding that war has implications for all countries involved.
“Were there no human rights abuses in the other countries which were destroyed by the United States? What do you expect in a situation of war? All we are hearing is the one side of Ukraine, we are not hearing from the international media what is going on on the other side whereas it's two countries at war. In such a situation there are victims on both sides.”
The party has called on Parliament to hasten South Africa’s withdrawal from the ICC and repeal the implementation of the Rome Statute.
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