PHUTI MOSOMANE
MINISTER in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has confirmed the BRICS summit will take place in South Africa, Johannesburg as planned.
Ntshavheni was briefing the media post a cabinet meeting that took place on Wednesday.
“We have indicated as we speak now nothing has changed. South Africa is hosting the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. If there are any changes from the work of the IMC that they recommend to the Cabinet and a decision is taken there will be an announcement to that effect,” said Ntshavheni.
Minister Ntshavheni said when the time has come, an announcement will be made on whether President Putin will attend the Summit physically or virtually.
She said a decision will be made by the Interministerial Committee chaired by Deputy President Paul Mashatile on whether or not the BRICS summit should be moved to another country, given the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant to arrest the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ntshavheni said the phone conversation between president Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian president Vladimir Putin was a private call between the two leaders and the cabinet does not have details of that meeting.
Next to be called by Ramaphosa, is the Chinese President Xi Jinping in the coming weeks.
A policy of non-alignment
Cabinet also welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision to send ministerial envoys to meet Group of Seven (G7) countries to explain the country’s non-aligned stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
The envoys will include International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to host a delegation of African heads of state who plan to visit Moscow to present their peace initiative to end the Ukraine conflict.
Six African leaders seeking to mediate a resolution to the fighting took a decision to travel to both Moscow (Russia) and Kiev (Ukraine) in mid-June.
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