Statement in response to Mail & Guardian Article on Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena

Pretoria- Following the publication of certain allegations by the Mail and Guardian of 27 October, attributed to a former employee of the Department of Foreign Affairs against Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena, Chief Director: Americas in the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department wishes to state as follows:

Firstly, the Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to correct the unfortunate impression created by the article that it is indifferent to serious allegations being levelled against senior managers in the Department.

In this regard, the Department of Foreign Affairs holds no brief whatsoever for members of the Department implicated in serious allegations such as contained in the article.

Accordingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that Ambassador Rakwena's promotion pre-dates the levelling of these allegations against him. The allegations were levelled in late 2005, long after he was promoted.

On the basis of the allegations levelled as well as reports of the Department's own Internal Audit, the Director-General Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba in September 2005 instituted an investigation into the matter and led by Deputy Director-General Mkhuseli Apleni.

Based on the findings, flowing from the Apleni investigations in October 2006 the Director-General Dr. Ayanda Ntsaluba has decided to institute charges of misconduct against Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena in terms of the Disciplinary Code for Senior Managers as proclaimed by the Ministry of Public Service and Administration of 3 September 2003.

The misconduct charges stem from Ambassador Rakwena's tenure as South Africa's Ambassador to Brazil and relate mainly to alleged contraventions of the Foreign Service Code. Since this is an internal disciplinary matter, no further particulars will be released to the public until the matter is finalised.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

2 November 2006.