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The Leader the South African Observer Mission to the DRC acts
decisively against deviant member of his delegation Kinshasa - The leader
of the South African Observer Mission (SAOM) to the DRC, Defence Deputy Minister,
Mluleki George, has withdrawn one member of the SAOM for breaching the SAOM code
of conduct and recommended that he be sent back to South Africa with immediate
effect. Deputy Minister Mluleki George had earlier been given a report on
the member's inappropriate behaviour, including drunkenness on duty and refusal
to co-operate with the team he was part of in Tshikapa in the Kasai Occidental
province.
Deputy Minister Mluleki George subsequently had a meeting with
the member during which the member expressed his desire to be released from his
duties in the SAOM, to which the Deputy Minister acceded. The Deputy Minister
further consulted with the South African Embassy officials in the DRC, the Secretariat
of the SAOM and the South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), the organisation
to which the member belongs. The leader of the SAOM subsequently recommended
that the member be withdrawn and the decision be communicated to SANGOCO. The
leadership of SANGOCO, in supporting the SAOM leader's decision said "Please
receive SANGOCO's support for the decision to withdraw one of our members. We
can not afford to have an individual who puts South Africa into disrepute". Deputy
Minister Mluleki George is currently leading the SAOM to the DRC. The SAOM is
stationed in the DRC until 4 August 2006 to observe all phases of the elections,
including election campaigns, the voting process and the counting of votes. They
are deployed in twenty four (24) designated result centres out of a total of sixty
four (64) in all the eleven (11) provinces. Enquiries: Vincent Hlongwane
on +27 82 385 1169
Sam Mkhwanazi on +27 83 628 0858
Lindo Nkomonde on +27
82 875 9631 Issued by the South African Observer Mission c/o South
African Embassy in the DRC
77 Ngongo Lutete Avenue
Gombe, Kinshasa
Democratic
Republic of Congo
25 July 2006
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