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Sexual Misconduct Charges against South African Ambassador NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO 479 QUESTION
TIME: 20 AUGUST 2004 MRS CS BOTHA (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: 1.
Whether, with reference to her reply to Question No 33 on 12 August 2004 and in
light of her (a) constitutional obligation to give account to Parliament of the
exercise of her powers and the performance of her functions and (b) moral obligation
to women who have a right to freedom from sexual harassment, she will consider
her refusal to answer questions about her decision in respect of the disciplinary
hearing of a certain ambassador (name furnished); if not, what are the reasons
for failing her obligations; if so, 2. whether, acting as the appeal authority
in the disciplinary hearing of the said ambassador who was found guilty of molesting
several Indonesian women in 2001 and of the sexual harassment of a certain person
(name also furnished) who was an employee of her department, in November 2003,
she took into consideration, in overturning the findings of guilty by presiding
officers, the (a) corroboration of the evidence of the said person with regard
to the positioning of the ambassador and this person where alleged acts of sexual
harassment took place, (b) resultant finding by the presiding officers that the
testimony of the ambassador was unreliable and therefore improbable, (c) unsubstantiated
version of the said ambassador with regard to his allegations of a bigger conspiracy
against him and of him being framed by sinister forces and (d) statement under
cross-examination by the said ambassador's own witness that the said person and
her colleagues had reported acts of sexual harassment against the ambassador without
being coerced to do so; if not, (I) what factors were taken into consideration
and (ii) on what basis did she dismiss each of the factors listed above; if so,
on what basis did she come to a different finding from the presiding officers? REPLY:
(a) & (b) This matter is sub judice. END
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