In this file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on 28 June 2019. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said Western Cape Premier Alan Winde does not have the power to stop anyone from coming to South Africa – including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Winde has come under severe criticism for threatening to arrest Putin should he decide to visit Cape Town.
Putin is expected to visit South Africa in August for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit which will take place in Johannesburg.
Winde’s comments come after South Africa was left with diplomatic egg on its face when President Cyril Ramaphosa made a dramatic U-turn on Tuesday on South Africa’s participation in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a late-night statement, the Presidency reaffirmed that SA remains a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC saying the governing ANC party made an error in its weekend briefing which the president erroneously repeated.
“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 LEAP officers.
“If the South African Police Service is not instructed to act, we will,” the premier warned.
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However, Mbalula said Winde does not have the power to arrest anyone.
“Alan Winde doesn’t have powers to stop anyone coming to this country, Western Cape is a province not a country under a unitary state.”
Former finance minister Tito Mboweni also said Winde is overreaching on what he can do.
“Premier Alan Winde seems not to know the limits of his provincial powers! What a joke! These people!”
The Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) Nazier Pauslen was also scathing in his remarks on Winde’s statement.
“We really need to be free of the f**cktards running the Western Cape. They can’t eradicate the WC of gangsterism and drugs but want to arrest the leader of the world. Imagine the little pissant MEC for Comm Safety arresting Putin. It’s freaken funny,” tweeted Paulsen.
Additional reporting by Narissa Subramoney
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