APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa should not allow a situation where the Russian President Vladimir Putin gets arrested during an official visit to the country in August because that “would be tantamount to a declaration of war” on Russia, opposition politician Bongani Baloyi has said.
The International Criminal Court in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin for committing war crimes during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Baloyi, the leader of the newly-formed political party Xiluva, on Monday warned Pretoria against effecting the arrest warrant on Putin, whose country is not a signatory to the Rome Treaty which set up the court.
“If South Africa were to effect an arrest on the sitting president of another country, it will be tantamount to a declaration of war,” Baloyi said.
He added: “I don’t think South Africa can afford to effect such a declaration of war. If such were to happen, it means that we will be directly declaring war on Russia.”
The party leader said South Africa should not allow such a case to happen, where a sitting head of state of another country is arrested during an official visit.
That would not be good for the country because it would affect “the country significantly – a declaration of war,” Baloyi said.
South Africa currently chairs the BRICS bloc, which comprises some of the world’s leading emerging countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The BRICS leaders are due to hold their annual summit in the South African port city of Durban August.
NM/jn/APA