By John Ikani
Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor of South Africa has revealed that her government will need to hold discussions before making any decisions regarding the recent arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin who is scheduled to attend the Brics summit in South Africa in August, has been accused by the ICC of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute, South Africa is legally required to detain Putin and bring him to trial.
However, Pandor has stated that the South African authorities will first engage in discussions with Russia before taking any action on the matter.
She told national broadcaster SABC that the country “will need to review its current legislation and consult with Russia to determine the next steps.”
Despite receiving condemnation from the West, South Africa maintains strong diplomatic relations with Moscow.
The country recently conducted joint military exercises with Russian forces off the coast of South Africa, and it has abstained from UN votes criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is not the first time South Africa has faced a difficult decision regarding ICC arrest warrants.
In 2015, the country received criticism for allowing Sudan’s then-President Omar al-Bashir to leave the country despite a warrant for his arrest.
The South African government argued that Bashir had diplomatic immunity as he was attending an African Union summit.
