Coletta Wanjohi
South Africa has granted diplomatic immunity to foreign officials planning to attend the Brics summit in August and a meeting of Brics ministerial meeting set for next month.
Brics group of nations brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The immunity potentially clears the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the summit in person, according to local reports, but an official said it was standard procedure for hosting a summit.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against President Putin in March for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. South Africa is a signatory to the ICC's Rome Statute and is obligated to enforce the arrest warrant.
A Kremlin spokesman has said Russia will take part in the summit “at the proper level”, Russia's Tass news agency reports.
"Russia attaches enormous importance to the development of this format of integration. And Russia will take part in this summit at the proper level," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is quoted as saying.
Mr Peskov promised to give "all the details" later, the news agency added.
In a gazette notice, South Africa's Minister for International Relations Naledi Pandor said the diplomatic immunity covers participants for the period of the ministerial meeting and the summit respectively.
The country's head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, said the immunities were a standard for hosting international conferences and summits.
"The immunities DO NOT override any warrant issued by any international tribunal (like the ICC) against any attendee," he tweeted.
Brics was first formed by Brazil , Russia, India and China in 2009 and a year later South Africa was invited to join.
