The International Criminal Court (ICC) has come under fire for its decision to issue a warrant of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the ICC, Putin should be held accountable for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 35th commemoration of the Cuito Cuanavale battle, South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila says South Africa must not arrest Putin if he comes to the country to attend the BRICS summit later this year.
“The ICC’s nonsensical warrant of arrest against President Putin, it’s immaterial it has no binding effect on us. The ICC did not go for people who killed people in Yugoslavia, the Americans and they did not go for people who killed people in Iraq and yet they invaded. They are talking about weapons of destruction yet ICC has not issued a warrant of arrest against any US President and here, President Gbagbo was arrested and humiliated, Gbagbo and his wife. This institution has no credibility.”
SACP’s General Secretary Solly Mapaila at the commemoration of Cuito Cuanavale battle:
Cuito Cuanavale battle
This comes as South Africa and its allies Russia, Cuba, and Angola commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Cuito Cuanavale battle, which was pivotal in paving the way for Namibia and South Africa to achieve democracy.
But this year’s event happens as the globe is on the verge of shifting the global balance of forces as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues.
Political parties react
South African governing party the African National African (ANC) says it’s looking into this matter. Mahlengi Bhengu says, “The ANC has taken note of the ICC’s decision on Russian president Vladimir Putin and the ANC is engaging its deployees in government to give an in-depth understanding about the implications and route taken by the Court.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Floyd Shivambu says the ICC is just the instrument of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
“The ICC is very inconsistent in terms of its application and they have been many illegal wars led by NATO particularly US Bush has killed so many people, Bill Clinton has killed people and Barack Obama has killed as well and he killed Muammar Gaddafi and the ICC has said nothing it’s just the instrument of NATO,” says Shivambu.
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) says Putin must not be arrested should he come to our soil.
Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Secretary General, Apa Pooe says, “The PAC is opposed to the double standards of the ICC we did not see the ICC indict the US when they killed Iraq people and left the country in devastation and when they killed Gaddafi we as the PAC not to execute this warrant of arrest.”
‘Justice must prevail’
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus (FFP) insists that justice must prevail. “South Africa as member of ICC and repetition of what happened in 2015 with Al Bashir should be avoided and SA should not allow Putin to visit SA and if he comes he should be arrested in accordance with the Rome statute,” says FF Plus’ Wouter Wessels.
Russians have indicated whoever arrests Putin would be declaring war against the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, defence alliance NATO has slammed President Putin for what it calls his dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric after he indicated that he would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Political parties react to the arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin
