South Africa To Dodge Calls For Putin’s Arrest By Moving Summit2 min read

Senior South African government figures are urging Pretoria to move an upcoming Brics summit to China, so the country can avoid the dilemma of whether to arrest Vladimir Putin for war crimes, The Telegraph understands.

Leading African National Congress (ANC) politicians want President Cyril Ramaphosa to skip hosting the Russian leader, amid fears that the country’s stance over war in Ukraine is harming its economy.

On Monday, the government said it was granting diplomatic immunity to attendees, but denied it was deliberately shielding Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.

Pressure mounted as the opposition Democratic Alliance party launched court action to compel South Africa to act on the warrant if he sets foot in the country.

South Africa’s refusal to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and its hosting of war games with China and Russia have long frustrated the West. Tensions increased sharply earlier this month when the US ambassador accused South Africa of shipping arms to Russia last year.

Leaders of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of nations are due to meet in South Africa in August for a summit that Pretoria sees as a cornerstone of its foreign policy. But the arrival of Putin would leave the country facing a choice of whether to abide by international law and arrest the leader of a powerful nuclear-armed ally, or become a pariah among its Western trading partners.

South Africa’s central bank this week warned that any falling-out with the US risked damaging the country’s financial sector.

A senior government insider told The Telegraph: “We are hoping the president will listen to all this concern and will approach China.

“We are suffering from this whole Russian matter. It is worrying to many people including some in senior positions in the government.”

Pretoria says it is charting a neutral course in the Ukraine war and refuses to be pressured by Europe or America. Many of the ANC old guard also claim solidarity with Moscow because the USSR supported their struggle against apartheid.

The country has repeatedly hosted Sergey Lavrov, the Kremlin’s top diplomat, and he is expected in Cape Town again later this week.