A South African politician heatedly discussed with a BBC reporter about arresting Vladimir Putin. Fikile Mbalula is the Secretary General of the ruling political party in South Africa, the ANC (African National Congress).
The BBC reporter, a man from the United Kingdom, inquired about the BRICS conference coming to Johannesburg this August. BRICS is an acronym for a consortium of countries that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Vladimir Putin, is, of course, invited to the conference. South Africa is also a treaty member of the ICC (International Criminal Court). The ICC currently has a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin for war crimes due to the invasion of Ukraine.
All of these factors prompted the reporter to ask Mbalula about the potential of South Africa arresting Putin while he is in the country for the BRICS conference. Mbalula rejected that notion and said that the country would welcome Putin. He also spoke about other heads of state that have allegedly committed war crimes, such as the atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have yet to be arrested or even held in any way accountable for their actions.
SOURCES:
How Putin’s war is turning the BRICS group into an alliance against the West
BRICS set to defy West, to host Putin in S Africa : The Tribune India
South Africa’s diplomatic dilemma with Putin – DW – 06/02/2023
Brics summit mulls expansion and new currency in bid to rival dollar and escape sanctions | The Independent
