ANC relieved Putin headache has 'finally been laid to rest'

Now that South Africa has managed to save its strong relations with Russia by coming to a mutual agreement that President Vladimir Putin should not attend the upcoming Brics Summit, organisers can focus on more pressing issues. 

This is what ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri told journalists on Wednesday. 

“We acknowledge and welcome this, finally laying that matter to rest, for us and developing countries to focus on the pressing issues of the day, dealing with poverty and unemployment and fighting for a humane and fair society,” she said. 

She was reacting to news that Putin and Ramaphosa had reached “a mutual agreement” that Putin not attend the 15th Brics summit. The announcement, made on Wednesday, comes days after the two leaders spoke about the Black Sea grain initiative as well as preparations for the summit. 

The announcement also lays to rest months of speculation over Putin's visit to South Africa after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant of arrest against him.

“By mutual agreement, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will not attend the summit but the Russian Federation will be represented by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov,” the Presidency said.

Bhengu-Motsiri said the ruling party welcomed the news. 

“The ANC has noted and welcomed the mutual agreement by President Cyril Ramaphosa with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We welcome that the Russian Federation will be represented by the foreign minister and the diplomats based in South Africa.”

Bhengu-Motsiri said it was time to focus on pressing issues in the geopolitical sphere. “There are many who wished President Putin to be here physically but I think that wisdom may have prevailed.” 

Responding to a statement by the Kremlin that Russia did not tell South Africa that arresting Putin on the ICC warrant would be tantamount to war, she said: “That is the position of the president and the government of South Africa. It is not at the injunction of Russia. It is a perspective of the South African government and I think that we restate that as the ANC.” 

Bhengu-Motsiri said the decision was a culmination of a series of consultations between the two governments.  

The ANC, she said, maintains that Putin was welcome to attend the summit.

“Consultations undertaken by the president are the kind that ordinarily happen in government. We have been on record that we wish that President Putin could come to South Africa. We did not say that he is coming, we don't have the latitude to say something like that.

“We don't believe there is anything that is going to threaten this summit. This underscores the need for us to have a very thorough engagement about the state of our geopolitical situation,” she said, adding that the party commends Ramaphosa for “walking the walk and talking the talk”.

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