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Statement: The Issue of 128 IEC Personnel from South Africa
and the Role of Ms Gugulethu Matlaopane Kinshasa - His Excellency, Ambassador
Sisa Ngombane, the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in Kinshasa, received
a letter from MONUC dated 17 May 2006, formally requesting a technical assistance
team to support the DRC CEI. Amongst others the letter detailed requests for: - 64
Information Technology (IT) support Officers, to be deployed in CEI's 64 Liaison
Offices; and
- 64 Electoral Officers (generalists), having familiarity with
computer equipment and office systems.
Having considered the merits
of this request, the South African Government agreed to deploy a total of 128
people in 64 Liaison Offices. These staff members arrived in Kinshasa on 2 July
2006 and were accredited by the UN. All of them are currently "gratis personnel".
It must be noted that these staff members have volunteerd their services in solidarity
with the people of the Congo. For the record, Ms Gugulethu Matlaopane, once
an employee of the Electoral Commission in South Africa, left about 24 months
ago. She has visited the DRC on many occasions in pursuit of her private business
interests which the Embassy has no knowledge of. The South African Government
would like to stress that the government efforts and assistance in terms of - Ballot
papers (expertise and transport of ballot papers)
- 128 personnel seconded
to the UN as part of the APEC programme on elections;
- 32 South African
Police Service Officers (SAPS) deployed with the PNC at all provincial centres;
are
directed at helping the Congolese people to have a better election. This forms
part of the need expressed by many role players to have international expertise
to be given to the Independent Electoral Commission (DRC) for it to carry out
its task professionally. Finally, the South African Government has
maintained and will continue to maintain strict neutrality in the election process
in the DRC. Our elected government will not deny the people of the Congo
the right to choose their leaders. Issued by: South African Embassy
in DRC
77 Ngongo Lutete Avenue
Gombe, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of
Congo 26 July 2006 South
Africans Recruited to prepare Electoral Fraud in the DRC, by Keren Kapi
Newspaper
Report (Office Translation)
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