SOUTH Africa announced on Thursday that it will proceed with hosting the BRICS bloc summit in August as originally planned, dismissing speculation that the event might be moved to China to accommodate Russian President Vladimir Putin. The speculation arose due to concerns that South Africa, as a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC), would be obligated to arrest Putin on war crimes accusations if he attended the summit.
South Africa, as an ICC signatory, has a duty to act upon any arrest warrant issued against Putin regarding the deportation of children from Ukraine, despite his denial of the charges. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently met with Putin on June 17 during his visit to Russia, highlighting the historical alliance between the African National Congress (ANC) and Russia dating back to the anti-apartheid struggle.
In a statement, the Department of International Relations confirmed that the 15th BRICS Summit would be held in South Africa from August 22 to 24 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya affirmed that the entire summit, including the participation of BRICS heads of state, would take place in South Africa. However, officials declined to comment on Putin’s attendance at the summit.
Earlier reports had suggested that the BRICS countries were considering shifting the summit to China, a non-member of the ICC, to avoid potential legal complications. Nevertheless, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, stated on Tuesday that Putin had not yet responded to the invitation extended prior to his ICC charges. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have confirmed their participation in the summit.
While South Africa maintains neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, it has faced criticism from Western powers for its perceived friendly relations with Russia, including hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and conducting joint naval exercises.
The confirmation of South Africa as the summit’s venue reinforces the country’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations as an ICC signatory and hosting the BRICS leaders for discussions on strengthening cooperation among the member nations.
