'Western Cape is not an independent republic': Minister slams Winde over Putin arrest comments
The national government has slammed Western Cape Premier Alan Winde over his comment that Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers would arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he arrived in the province.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said: "The Western Cape is not an independent republic out of South Africa. The Western Cape is part of the Republic of South Africa. The rules that apply in the Western Cape are the rules of this country. The laws that apply in the Western Cape are the laws of this country."
Ntshavheni added they were not running a federal government.
"We are running a unitary government system. If President Putin is in the country and he is protected by the presidential protection service, I don't know how Premier Winde, who does not have even policing functions, will get through the presidential protection service," she said.
She added that Winde could "dream about it".
On Thursday, Winde said that while the national government wasn't sure what it would do with Putin if he came to South Africa for the BRICS summit in August, the Western Cape government would set its law enforcement officers on him.
"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 Law Enforcement Advancement Plan officers. If the South African Police Service is not instructed to act, we will."
Winde added that he was prepared for whatever consequences would come from the national government.
This comes after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes committed during Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
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