However, South Africa had on Jan. 25 already invited Putin to the Aug. 22-24 meeting in Johannesburg of BRICS leaders of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
"Because of our legal obligations, we have to arrest President Putin, but we can't do that," Mbeki said.
South Africa on Monday issued diplomatic immunity to all leaders attending the meeting and a gathering of BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town this week.
The international relations department said this was standard procedure, however, for all international conferences in South Africa.
The governing African National Congress decided in December that South Africa should abandon the process and try to effect changes to the ICC from within.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, Putin, Zane Dangor, Thabo Mbeki, Mbeki, Obed Bapela, Britain's, Bapela, Clayson Monyela, Omar al, Bashir, Carien du Plessis, Olivia Kumwenda, Alexandra Zavis, Grant McCool
Organizations:
Criminal Court, ICC, South, Kremlin, Britain's BBC, African National Congress, Thomson
Locations:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Ukraine, Moscow, Johannesburg, Brazil, Russia, India, China, Africa, Pretoria, Cape Town, African