Pretoria - Two billboards sanctioned by US-based NGO, Avaaz, calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin have caused a stir in the country.
One of the billboards is along the N1 in Centurion, while the other is erected on the R21 towards Pretoria. Putin is due to visit the country in August during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
But the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which South Africa is a member, has since issued a warrant of arrest for the Russian leader, while South
Africa has strong ties with the country, leaving it in limbo on how to act.
Putin is accused by the ICC of human rights violations in his war in Ukraine.
The billboards were erected last week after an online petition run by Avaaz raked in more than 500 000 signatures across the country.
Avaaz is an NGO that promotes global activism on human rights, corruption, poverty, and conflict.
The calling for Putin to be arrested has caused mixed feelings among South Africans and political parties.
Recently the DA said it had taken the legal route to force Ramaphosa and his government to arrest Putin when he visits. Its spokesperson on justice, Glynnis Breytenbach, said: “This court action aims to ensure that South Africa upholds its obligations.”
Similarly, the Legal Resources Centre's Sherylle Dass said the government should comply with the ICC warrant.
Phumza Ditsele, an attorney from Silverton in Pretoria, said if the government did not comply with the warrant, it would have to withdraw from the ICC.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya had initially said that despite the international pressure, Ramaphosa was determined to host a successful BRICS summit.
Last month, EFF leader Julius Malema defended Putin, saying no one would arrest him. He said: “Putin is welcome. We know our friends, we know the people who liberated us.
“If need be, we will go and fetch him from the airport, he will finish all his meetings, we will take him back to the airport. We are not going to be told by these ICC hypocrites who know the real violators of human rights …
“The ICC has failed to act against Western leaders, including former British prime minister Tony Blair and former US presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.”
He argued that Blair and Bush had invaded Iraq without reason, while Obama had attacked and killed Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.
The ANC has not said much about the ICC’s warrant except that Russian leaders are “welcome” in South Africa.
Morena Ledwaba, after seeing the billboard, accused the ICC of “selective prosecution. They must leave Putin alone. When America goes to war with innocent countries there is no noise. But when they make noise the whole world must comply”.
Pretoria News