Deputy President Paul Mashatile says President Cyril Ramaphosa will soon announce whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend next month’s Brics Summit in Joburg or not.
Mashatile was speaking yesterday during a media briefing in Orlando West, Soweto, during the commemoration of the Nelson Mandela International Day.
There has been strong public interest on what will happen if Putin comes to the country following an arrest warrant issued in March by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Russian President.
The ICC is accusing Putin of war crimes in relation to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine since February 2022. Mashatile said Ramaphosa will soon make an announcement regarding Putin’s attendance.
“The issue related to President Putin himself, that matter has been left with the president he’s dealing with it. I think in a week’s time he will say something,” he said, adding that the current Brics Political Parties Dialogue held in Boksburg will set the agenda for the summit.
“You know that there is a Brics Dialogue happening. All the delegations from Russia, India and China are meeting at Birchwood Hotel just to prepare for the Brics Summit next month,” he added.
“We must continue to work together as Brics countries. The good news is that there are many other countries that want to join Brics so we invited many leaders from the continent from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and many other countries because they also want to join BRICS,” he said.
To commemorate Mandela Day Mashatile planted 12 additional vegetable beds at the Morris Isaacson High School where struggle icon Tsietsi Mashinini was a learner when he led the 1976 uprisings against Afrikaans and apartheid.
Mashatile also laid wreaths at both Tsietsi Mashinini Memorial and at Hector Pieterson Memorial Parks before handing gifts at Soweto Home for the Aged.
