Vladimir Putin (Mikail Svetlov/Getty Images)
The ANC has remained silent on the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said the Russian leader was “welcome” in South Africa.
South Africa is facing diplomatic problems as Putin is among the international dignitaries expected to attend the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in the country in August.
During a media briefing earlier this week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula dodged questions about whether the government would arrest Putin if he entered the country.
South Africa is an ICC member state legally obliged to arrest Putin. But the country has rich historical ties with Russia. This puts pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has been caught between Russia and the United States.
The US has said it will inspect South Africa, which benefits from trade pacts with African countries, following a controversial naval exercise off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal involving the navies of South Africa, Russia and China.
Pretoria took a controversial “neutral” stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly, to the frustration of Western trade allies.
South Africa has been at odds with the ICC, when the ruling ANC decided to withdraw from the body accused of targeting African leaders. The party changed its tune last year, reiterating its decision to step down because of the “changing balance of forces”.
In 2015, the government was criticized when it failed to arrest the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, when he visited South Africa to attend the African Union summit. South Africa is obliged because it is a signatory to the Rome Statute.
Al-Bashir has been charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but president Jacob Zuma’s government has allowed him to leave the country despite a special court order barring him from leaving. Soon, some ANC supporters called for the withdrawal of the Rome Statute.
He believes that the government’s obligation to arrest heads of state linked to crimes against humanity, particularly in Africa, complicates South Africa’s efforts to resolve conflicts on the continent. The ANC, along with other African countries concerned about “African solutions to African problems”, also believes that the ICC is targeting Africa while ignoring leaders in the West.
On Thursday, EFF leader Julius Malema took a more assertive stance than the ruling party on the Putin issue.
“If necessary, we will take him from the airport to the meeting, he will say, complete all the meetings, we will take him back to the airport. We will not be told by the hypocrites of the ICC who know the truth of human rights violations, who know murder in the world,” Malema said.
Malema argued that the ICC had failed to act against Western leaders including former British prime minister Tony Blair and former US presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. He said Blair and Bush had invaded Iraq for no reason while Obama killed Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.
He added that the EFF does not want the “hypocrisy” of the ICC to apply in our country.
“Putin is welcome. We know our friends, we know the free people,” he said, referring to Russia’s historic role in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid rule.