Parliament, Friday, 3 September 2021 – The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation yesterday received an update on consequence management related to the cases of the Director-General and Ambassador Faisel Moosa. Further, the committee received a briefing from the department on its performance for the third and fourth quarters of the 2020/21 financial year and that of the African Renaissance Fund.
The committee heard from the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Naledi Pandor, that she has not received the report on the disciplinary cases as yet, despite one of the cases appearing in media reports this week. Minister Pandor will report to the committee once the disciplinary processes have been completed and will look into the matter of leaks to the media.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, in summing up said that the Minister will respond to the committee in 14 days on some of the committee’s views on the comments made on social media associated with the acting Director-General. The Minister will report on both questions relating to the New York pilot project as well as the disciplinary processes without compromising the cases. The Minister will also respond to the letter written by the former Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on the availability of the Director-General and the department’s senior management for portfolio committee meetings.
The committee also noted that the department was unable to achieve some of its targets in the first and second quarters due to the Covid-19 pandemic and that the department found it difficult to do its work virtually, which affected its targets for the third and fourth quarters.
The committee also expressed its concern on the slow implementation of the Foreign Service Act, which was assented to by the President in 2019. The committee cautioned the department that the Act was meant to promote and advance South Africa’s international relations and cooperation abroad in an effective, coherent and comprehensive manner.
The committee also touched on the Partnership for Development Bill, aimed at repealing the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund Act. It also wanted to know how much was loaned to Cuba and how much was paid back. The department responded that the initial loan of R63m has been repaid and that R131m was reserved for Cuba in this current financial year, of which R22m was utilised for procurement of South African goods for Cuba, and that these loans are paid back with interest.
The committee applauded the swift action of the department to repatriate 35 South Africans out of Afghanistan.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION, MR SUPRA MAHUMAPELO.
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