South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress(ANC), has 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 South Africa in August.
The government was slammed a few years ago and taken to court for refusing to arrest former leader of Sudan Omar al-Bashir after he had been indicted by the ICC.
But the government has kept mum after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said they still wanted a peaceful solution to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
On whether the country would effect an arrest on Putin, Mbalula said: “Government is dealing with those issues. We will not comment on these matters. We subscribe to non-partisanship in Ukraine and Russia.”
He added that the National Executive Committee that was elected in Nasrec last December did not have a mandate on the ICC.
Mbalula insisted that the issue of Putin belonged to the government.
The ICC issued the warrant of arrest last Friday after it alleged the Russian leader was involved in the deportation of children.
The Brics summit in August is expected to bring in leaders from Brazil, India, China and Russia.
