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Sikhumbuzo Moyo – [email protected]

FIREBRAND leader of South African opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Mr Julius Malema has said Russia was at war with imperialism, in the war against Ukraine and declared that he could supply Russians with weapons to push back the imperialists’ agenda.

A few days after calling for the expulsion of United States Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Reuben Brigety, whom he accused of having breached diplomatic protocols when he went public with his allegations that Pretoria supplied arms of war to Moscow instead of raising it with the Government, Mr Malema told BBC anchor Stephen Sackur during BBC’s Hardtalk programme that South Africa is an ally of Russia and its non-alignment position only applied to the war in Ukraine.

Mr Brigety alleged that weapons and ammunition were loaded onto a Russian vessel that docked in South Africa last December but Pretoria has denied approving any arms shipments to Russia.

During the interview in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Mr Malema said: “In the context of the war, South Africa is an ally of Russia, now the second question is where does South Africa stand on the war? It says I am non-aligned in relation to war but Russia remains South Africa’s friend, so we cannot create confusion around there, don’t create an impression that it is Malema who is going to come and create an alliance with Russia.

International Criminal Court

“Actually, I would go beyond that, I would go beyond the friendship with Russia. In the war I would align with Russia and I would even supply the weapons to Russia because Russia is in a war with imperialism and any agenda that seeks to push back the imperialist agenda is well within the policies of the EFF.”.

The EFF leader also wants South Africa to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes but Mr Malema has pledged to prevent any attempt to arrest the Russian president if he attends next month’s BRICS summit in Cape Town. — @skhumoyo2000