The ANC has again refused to be drawn on whether the government would act in line with the International Criminal Court to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he set foot in the country.

Putin is expected to be part of the leaders of Brics to attend the annual summit in SA in August. 

IoL reports that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula yesterday said the party still wanted a peaceful solution to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

On whether government would effect an arrest on Putin, Mbalula said ‘we will not comment on these matters…we subscribe to non-partisanship in Ukraine and Russia’.

The ICC issued the warrant of arrest last Friday after it alleged the Russian leader was involved in the deportation of children. 

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula yesterday said she expects Putin to attend the summit, Beeld reports.

She said in an interview with Newz-room Afrika the warrant of arrest must be ‘analysed before before a decision is taken.’

Mapisa-Nqakula also elaborated on the last saga when SA refused to execute a warrant of arrest for Omar al-Bashir despite a court order to the contrary, saying people do not understand the implications of arrests.

‘On the day of the judgment, Sudanese soldiers encircled our (military) bases (in Sudan). It could have been a bloodbath…it had political consequences. They would have taken revenge.’

International politics expert, Professor Antoni van Nieuwkerk, said it would be unwise of any country to arrest a serving President of a country that has nuclear weapons.

‘There is an expectation that SA will arrest Putin when he arrives here, but it will not happen.’

International relations expert, Professor David Monyae, said the ICC places SA in an impossible situation for a second time. 

‘Instead of penalising Russia, it is penalising SA.’

Full IoL report

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