By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the Western Cape Premier Alan Winde will not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Briefing the media on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting, Ntshavheni said: “The Western Cape is not an independent republic out of South Africa. The Western Cape is part of the Republic of South Africa. The rules that apply in the Western Cape are the rules of this country. The laws that apply in the Western Cape are the laws of this country.”
Ntshavheni added they were not running a federal government.
“We are running a unitary government system. If President Putin is in the country and he is protected by the presidential protection service, I don’t know how Premier Winde, who does not have even policing functions, will get through the presidential protection service,” she said.
She added that Winde could “dream about it”.
On Thursday, Winde said that while the national government wasn’t sure what it would do with Putin if he came to South Africa for the BRICS summit in August, the Western Cape government would set its law enforcement officers on him.
“If the Russian leader sets foot in the Western Cape, we, as the provincial government, will have him arrested by our own Western Cape government-funded Law Enforcement Advancement Plan officers. If the South African Police Service is not instructed to act, we will.”
Winde added that he was prepared for whatever consequences would come from the national government.
This comes after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes committed during Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Putin is due to visit the country for the BRICS summit in August and South Africa is a signatory of the Rome Statute.
Ntshavheni says the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC ) is to consider the various options available regarding the warrant of arrest issued for Putin
“The work of the IMC is to consider the various options with regards to Putin. The government of the United States indicated that they are not signatories to the Rome Statutes and therefore the ICC cannot issue a warrant of arrest on their soldiers who have violated human rights and slaughtered men, women and children in a number of countries and they said if the ICC does that, they will sanction them, says Ntshavheni.
“Equally, the federation of the Russian Republic is not a signatory to the ICC and there are rules that the ICC must compile.”
SA remains a signatory to Rome Statute
Cabinet has reaffirmed South Africa’s participation in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and confirmed that South Africa remains a signatory to the Rome Statute.
South Africa will continue to advocate for strengthening institutions of global governance, and we continue to campaign for equal and consistent application of international law, “Ntshavheni said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that is chaired by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, which considered various options on the matter.
Earlier this week, the Presidency moved to clarify that South Africa remains a signatory to the Rome Statute and a participant in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“South Africa remains a signatory to the ICC in line with a resolution of the 55th National Conference of the ANC – held in December 2022 – to rescind an earlier decision to withdraw from the ICC,” said the President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
Magwenya explained that the ruling party’s 2022 decision was reaffirmed earlier this week at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in which the NEC reflected on “the potential withdrawal from the ICC as an option that would arise as a measure of last resort in the absence of legal options that would result in fairness and consistency in the administration of international law.”
Workers’ Day
Ntshavheni, said Workers’ Day will be commemorated on Monday in recognition of the pivotal role workers play in building the economy and society envisaged in the National Development Plan.
South Africa will mark Workers’ Day on Monday, 01 May 2023.
“Workers’ Day allows us to reflect on the gains workers have secured during 29 years of freedom and to identify the challenges workers face in a constrained economy.
“It is also a day for us to recommit ourselves to doing all we can to create opportunities for the millions of South African workers who are unemployed and are unable to exercise their skills or to provide for themselves and those around them,” said the Minister.
Ntshavheni said government’s commitment to improving workplace conditions and equity in the labour market is reflected in significant amendments to the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act and Employment Equity Act which were recently signed into law by Ramaphosa.