South Africa may face a challenge in hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit at the end of August, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for him. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute, which means that if Putin were to visit the country, the authorities would be obligated to arrest him. This could create a difficult situation for South Africa, given its diplomatic relations with Russia.
Certainly, South Africa will not arrest Putin, especially since the two countries are close and Pretoria has always refused to condemn the war in Ukraine.
Acknowledging that this is a matter of concern, the foreign minister said she is waiting for an updated legal opinion on the issue of Russia’s participation in the BRICS Summit, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
This is not the first time South Africa has failed to comply with the Rome Statute. In 2015, Pretoria refused to arrest former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
On the issue, the parties in South Africa are not in agreement. On the one hand, the Democratic Alliance, the main opposition party, is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to prevent the visit of Vladimir Putin, while on the other hand, the radical Economic Freedom Fighters party says it is ready to welcome Putin.
Russia has always been on South Africa’s side. Indeed, the Kremlin had supported the African National Congress (ANC) in the fight against the racist regime.