Deputy President Paul Mashatile says the government is still trying to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin not to attend the next month's Brics summit. 

As a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which has issued a warrant for his arrest, South Africa is obliged to arrest Putin, should he come to SA. But this is an unthinkable proposition for the government, as the government invited him. 

"It's a big dilemma for us. Of course, we cannot arrest him. It's almost like you invite your friend to your house, and then arrest them. That's why for us, his not coming is the best solution.

"The Russians are not happy, though. They want him to come," he said in an interview in Johannesburg on Friday.

Mashatile was tasked with dealing with the dilemma by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and proposed three options, none of which have been accepted by all the Brics partners. These included relocating the summit to China, Putin not attending but sending his foreign minister in his place, and holding a virtual summit.

"So, we are in a situation where the summit will probably be here, and the Russians want Putin to come. So, we've now decided to leave this matter with the president who is talking to Putin. The president is going to the Russia-Africa summit later this month, so they will continue to talk. We want to show him the challenges that we face because we are part of the Rome Statute and we can't wiggle out of this," Mashatile said.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor confirmed last week that the Brrics summit will be held in South Africa.

Mashatile said that no decision had been taken to uninvite Putin, and the strategy remained one of persuasion until Ramaphosa met him in Russia at the end of July. Uninviting him was tricky as Russia had been an original member of Brics while SA joined later, he said. 

South Africa's bonds and currency were hit hard after the claim by US ambassador to SA Reuben Brigety that South Africa had sold arms to Russia, which were loaded onto the now famous Lady R, which had docked in Simonstown. Mashatile says he is keenly aware of the financial consequences for South Africa should Putin arrive and not be arrested.