EFF leader Julius Malema during a media briefing on 25 November 2021. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcome to visit South Africa amid backlash over the invasion of Ukraine.
A warrant of arrest for Putin was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday for committing war crimes.
The Russian leader has been accused of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
The ICC, which South Africa is a signatory to, has accused Putin of war crimes, which include the kidnapping of Ukrainian children in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, Malema said that the South African government must not give in to pressure from the ICC.
The EFF leader said Putin was welcomed in the country.
“Putin is welcomed here. No one is going to arrest Putin. If need be, we will go and fetch Putin from the airport to his meetings. He will address, finish all his meetings, and we will take him back to the airport. We are not going to be told by these hypocrites of the International Criminal Court,” Malema told reporters at the EFF’s headquarters in Johannesburg.
South Africa is set to host this year’s Brics summit in August, with Putin expected to attend the event.
Malema further accused the ICC of being selective in targeting heads of state.
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“The former [UK] Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted that he made a horrible mistake when it comes to Saddam Hussein – they have not been charged today. [Former US president George] Bush is still there, and they have not been charged. Barack Obama killed [Muammar] Gaddafi, and nothing has happened.”
“We know very well that where Nato [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] gets involved, those are terrorists. We know very well that when the US says we are going to install peace, there will no longer be peace as long as America visits that place. We do not want ICC hypocrisy to apply here in our country,” he continued.
“President Putin is welcome; we know our friends, we know the people who liberated us, we know the people who supported us.”
On Wednesday, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor also seemingly criticised the ICC’s move to issue the warrant.
“Obviously this is a very serious decision by the ICC. We are a member state that has signed on to the ICC. Many countries which should sign on are not members of it.
“We had hoped that other forms of warrants would be issued by the ICC because there are many countries and leaders who have practised very serious abuses in situations of conflict but they remain unscathed in terms of the ICC,” Pandor told reporters after a meeting with her Sri Lankan counterpart in Pretoria.
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She confirmed that Cabinet would meet to discuss the matter.
“This is a worrying aspect which we have raised previously. South Africa will have to look at existing provisions of our legislation and we will also have to have a discussion as cabinet as well as with our colleagues in the Russian Federation to determine the way forward.”
Last year, South African delegation abstained from voting to suspend Russia from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council for its invasion of Ukraine.
The country had initially abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the Russian invasion.
South Africa previously called for Russia and Ukraine to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations, which has placed government under fire for its “neutral stance”.
But Ukraine has accused the country of “taking sides” on the ongoing conflict.
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