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It’s tough being a global ‘playa’ when you are wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the unlawful transfer of kids from Ukraine to Russia (amongst other things).

It’s even tougher if you’re a sycophant of said tyrant and want to invite him to your party.

Such is the conundrum that the SA government (read ANC) finds themselves in as the upcoming 2023 BRICS summit draws closer.

As a signee to the ICC, South Africa has a responsibility to arrest anyone who is sought by the ICC, but as the Al Bashir debacle showed, the ANC is not too hot on what the world wants, except if it is in their own interest.

The ICC holds jurisdiction under the Rome Statute: a treaty designed to keep political leaders accountable for crimes on the international stage.

During the last few weeks, there have even been murmurs of leaving the ICC, but this process is far too complex to be done in time for Putin’s visit, even though the SA government attempted to do so in October. Ultimately the government’s own high court deemed it unconstitutional.

“The Ramaphosa administration is the one that revoked the earlier decision to leave the ICC and decided the country would stay. So they can’t now go against their own decision by allowing Putin to come. They would not want to take decisions that might harm the interest of the country in the long term. South Africa does not want to be a pariah state.”

Too late for that.

If the South African government does not abide by the ICC’s ruling and fails to arrest Putin upon arrival, the risk of retribution from Russia is small.

It does seem as if the best way forward for comrades on both sides would be to have Putin get Snapchat and join online. But with these men, image is everything, and Putin himself might call the ICC’s bluff with the assistance of his buddies in government.

The South African government insists they have a long-term relationship that is positive because of the Soviet Union’s support for liberation movements in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The ANC abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly in March 2022 on the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has since made few statements on the conflict.

The official opposition has of course called on government to do the right thing (haha).

If President Ramaphosa insists on placing his friendship with a wanted war criminal over the well-being of his people, we call on him to ensure the meeting takes place on neutral ground and that peace and Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine be prioritised.

We will have to see how the people who make our decisions for us handle this.

[source:citypress]