MOSCOW, April 26. /TASS/. The South African presidential office has denied plans to quit the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing a communication error from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.

"The presidency wishes to clarify that South Africa remains a signatory (to the ICC)," the office said in a statement, adding that the "clarification follows an error in a comment made during a media briefing held by the governing African National Congress."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that the ANC had decided to withdraw from the ICC because of the body’s bias on certain issues.

An ANC official told TASS that the decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute had been made at the ANC National Executive Committee’s meeting. Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation Supra Mahumapelo, in turn, told TASS that lawmakers planned to hold a vote on the issue before the end of June.

South Africa, which is currently chairing the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), is engaged in preparations for a BRICS summit set to take place in Durban in August. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 24 that no decision had been made yet on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s participation in the event.