If Winde wants to meet his maker prematurely, he must try to touch Putin: Malema

EFF leader Julius Malema says anyone who threatens to arrest Russia’s Vladimir Putin when he attends the Brics Summit in South Africa in August “is blowing hot air”. 

“President Putin is more than welcome here and no-one is going to arrest President Putin. Everyone who is saying that is blowing hot air. I don’t think the premier of the Western Cape knows what he is talking about. 

“If he wants to meet his maker prematurely, he must try and touch Putin. No-one can do that. Not even [US president Joe] Biden can say such a reckless statement when it comes to Putin,” said Malema on Saturday. 

He made the remarks during a cleanup campaign in Soweto.  

The government is in a predicament after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant of arrest against Putin last month. It is not yet clear whether the Russian president will attend the summit. 

South Africa is a signatory to the court, meaning the country has toarrest Putin.  

This week Winde lambasted Ramaphosa for inviting Putin to the summit. He said if the Russian leader sets foot in the Western Cape, the provincial government will have him arrested by Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers.

The government and the ruling ANC this week contradicted one another in what appeared to be a communication blunder in imparting the party's national executive committee meeting (NEC) outcome on the matter.   

“That boy of the Western Cape is a spoilt brat who behaves like some young fellow who feels entitled. There is nothing he can do. 

“Putin ... is a world hero. Anyone who stands up to the bully, America, is a friend of ours, even if he is not a communist or socialist. 

“That he is trying to create a situation where there is no one Big Brother but there is an alternative in case we disagree with America, that person is welcome and that is why the EFF supports Putin. He is more than welcome, this is his home. 

“We are standing here in Soweto today without soldiers and police. This place during the struggle was an army base and we were not allowed to have any political activity here. Today, we are free because we fought those people with the guns that were given to us by the Soviet Union and at the centre of the SU was Russia.  

“Today we cannot turn against our friends who were there for us during a needy time and the most difficult time.”  

Weighing in on the matter, in a post-cabinet briefing on Friday, minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said she does not know how Winde will get past Putin's security, and reminded the premier that the province is part of the country.

 “The Western Cape is part of South Africa. The laws that apply in the Western Cape are the laws of this country and we are not running a federal government system, we are running a unitary system. Premier Winde can dream about whatever.”