Department of International Relations and Cooperation on its 2nd and 3rd quarter 2014/15 performance

Meeting report

The Chairperson explained that there were time constraints attached to the meeting. The Department of International Relations delegation needed to leave the meeting early, as it would be meeting with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts later on. He said the Committee would deal only with the financial report on Quarter 2 of the 2014/15 financial year. The Committee could be briefed at a later meeting on the Quarter 3 report.

He asked the Deputy Minister of DIRCO, Ms Nomaindia Mfeketo to speak to the issue of the qualifications of Ambassador Mninwa Mahlangu and Ambassador Mohau Pheko, deployed respectively to the USA and Japan. He commented that there had also been media reports about Ambassador Zanele Makina, who had been deployed to Cameroon. The Committee also needed an update on the elections that were held recently in Lesotho.

Ms H Maxon (EFF) asked about Ambassador Zinzi Mandela, who had been deployed to Denmark but had not reported for duty for six months.

The Chairperson said the Minister of Home Affairs had stated that there would be visas for business persons from Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA (BRICS) bloc countries, as well as for South Africans in the Foreign Service.

Deputy Minister Mfeketo said that what was read in the media regarding South African ambassadors misrepresenting themselves was unfortunate for the image of the country. She wished to make it clear that there was no requirement for an ambassador to hold a PhD qualification. Why then was there a need to misrepresent? She said that the process of investigation had just started. The ambassadors involved needed to explain things themselves. She appealed to the Committee to let the investigations take their course and to allow appropriate action to be taken. At present there was nothing concrete to report to the Committee. Ambassador Pheko’s term was ending in December 2015, and Ambassador Mahlangu’s term had just started.

Ambassador Makina, who was deployed to Cameroon, had been recalled to account for what had been alleged. An investigation was to take place.

She explained that Ambassador Mandela should have started in Denmark at the beginning of 2015. She had requested that her deployment be delayed, as she had a relative that was seriously ill. The DIRCO had granted her an extension to stay in SA up until March 2015.

The elections in Lesotho had been declared free and fair. All parties had accepted the results. There was no outright winner and hence there would be a coalition government. Political parties were currently in negotiations.

The Chairperson said that a meeting would be scheduled for the Committee to be briefed on the figures for Quarter 3 of the 2014/15 financial year. The DIRCO would also be required to report back on the investigations undertaken on the ambassadors. The Committee should be provided with information relating to elections held in Namibia, Madagascar and Zambia. .

Ms S Kalyan (DA) welcomed the fact that the misrepresentation and other issues relating to ambassadors were being investigated. She asked whether a specific committee had been set up to do the investigations. She suggested that perhaps a forensic audit of all SA’s ambassadors across the board should be done. She pointed out that the South African ambassador deployed to Ghana had used state funds.

Ms D Raphuti (ANC) said she would appreciate it if all the information could be made available to the Committee in writing when the DIRCO next met the Committee.

Mr S Mokgalapa (DA) agreed that more time was needed to elicit greater detail. He said that perhaps SA should embark on an exercise to start vetting its ambassadors. A broader forum was needed to discuss issues in detail. What were the timeframes for investigations? He was aware that there were different types of investigations involved. The behaviour of these ambassadors was an international embarrassment to SA. He felt that an overhaul audit of SA’s ambassadors was needed.

Mr M Lekota (COPE) pointed out that ambassadors represented their heads of state. He assumed that President Zuma would have checked on their credentials. It was a serious matter, and there needed to be consequences for damaging the image of SA. Ambassador Pheko had embarrassed SA while he had been deployed to Canada -- and now in Japan as well.

The Chairperson personally felt that an ambassador did not, per se, need qualifications. Where misrepresentations were made, the question should be asked as to what action the DIRCO should take. If officials could lie about qualifications, people could wonder as to what else they were lying about. The DIRCO must provide the Committee with a detailed progress report.

Deputy Minister Mfeketo explained that the Ghana and Cameroon matter involved an internal process. Investigations were already ongoing. She would not like the incidents to tarnish South Africa’s other representatives. Processes needed to be tightened. Ambassadors presented themselves to the countries to which they were deployed, for acceptance. It was up to the country to accept or reject the ambassador. On Ambassadors Pheko and Mahlangu, misrepresentations had been made. The DIRCO had accepted what the ambassadors had stated or claimed. She once again appealed to the Committee to allow the DIRCO to do its investigations. Perhaps the ambassadors involved had valid reasons for what they had said or done. The DIRCO needed to investigate and report back to the Committee.  

DIRCO and African Renaissance Fund: 2nd Quarter reports
The DIRCO briefed the Committee on its performance information and financial reports for Quarter 2 of the 2014/15 financial year. Information on Quarter 2 pertaining to the African Renaissance Fund was also provided. The delegation was comprised of Ambassador Ebrahim Saley, Chief Operating Officer; Ms Delores Kotze, Chief Director: Director General’s Office; Ms Hlengiwe Bhengu Chief Director: Finance; and Mr Seraki Matsebe, Parliamentary Liaison Officer. In the interests of time, presenters were asked to keep the briefing very short.
 
Ambassador Saley apologised for the absence of the Director General of DIRCO, Ambassador Jerry Majila, as he was attending a mandatory meeting in Zimbabwe. Ambassador Saley was wearing the hat of Acting Director General in the present meeting.

Mr Mokgalapa responded that the present meeting was also mandatory for the Director General.

Ms Kotze spoke to the performance of the DIRCO in terms of its Annual Performance Plan (APP). Performance in relation to targets in the DIRCO’s programmes were elaborated upon.
 
Programme 1: Administration
Forty-five vacancies had been filled, some within the four months turnaround time. E-recruitment had been used to assist with turnaround times. Seventy-four training programmes had been provided, of which four were for international participants. There had also been an improvement in the payment of suppliers, with an average of 99% of suppliers being paid within 30 days.
 
Programme 2: International relations
Twenty structured bilateral and 18 high level visits with various countries had been undertaken. Bilaterals with countries like Turkey, Mexico, Germany and the Czech Republic had been undertaken. Economic diplomacy work had included meetings with chambers of commerce, targeted government ministries, high level potential investors and importers.
 
Programme 3: International Cooperation
The DIRCO had participated in UN General Assembly (UNGA) elections to elect members of the principal organs and subsidiary bodies of the United Nations. It had also participated and played an active role in continental and regional structures to contribute and enhance efforts for sustainable development. The DIRCO had furthermore convened three national consultative sessions on the African Union Agenda 63.
 
Programme 4: Public Diplomacy and State Protocol Services
Seventeen media briefings had been held to articulate SA’s position on international affairs. Twelve public participation programmes had also been undertaken. There was furthermore continued rendering of state protocol services.

Ms Bhengu continued by highlighting aspects of the Quarter 2 Financial Report. For Quarter 2, projected expenditure had been set at 50.3%, but actual expenditure had been 44.5%. The actual expenditure amounted to R2.7bn. The DIRCO projected a shortfall amounting to R500m, based on the prevailing rates, due to the depreciation of the rand against other major currencies on expenditure incurred in foreign currency in missions abroad, as well as transfer payments to international organisations.

Recurring findings by the Auditor General had been that assets of the DIRCO were not physically verifiable and that assets were not recorded in the fixed asset register. Some measures implemented to improve upon the management of assets had been to develop a turnaround strategy on assets management, to review the asset procedure manual, to appoint asset controllers at Head Office and to enforce the verification of assets using scanning devices (HARDCAT). She noted that by the end of March 2015, all assets would have been verified.

A performance report of the African Renaissance Fund (ARF), comparing performance indicators against targets achieved, was also presented to the Committee. On the finances of the ARF, total available funds amounted to R1.3bn. For 2014/15, some of the approved projects by the ARF were humanitarian assistance of R15m to South Sudan, humanitarian assistance of R11.2m to Palestine women and children, humanitarian assistance for the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa and other African countries amounting to R32.5m, and SA’s mediation support to the Kingdom of Lesotho peace process, amounting to R3m.

The Chairperson interjected, and said that time had run out. He asked Members to guide him on what the process would be for discussion with the DIRCO on what had been presented.

Ms Kalyan suggested that questions by Members be deferred to the next session that the Committee had with the DIRCO.

Ms Maxon agreed with Ms Kalyan’s suggestion.

Ms Raphuti also agreed to the suggestion, but stated that the Director General should be present at the next scheduled meeting. She emphasised that the Committee needed to see the DIRCO’s fraud management plan.

The Chairperson informed the DIRCO that the Committee expected to be briefed on the figures for Quarter 3 of the 2014/15 financial year, as well as engaging in discussion on both Quarter 2 and Quarter 3’s figures.

Deputy Minister Mfeketo asked if it was possible for the progress report on the allegations pertaining to the ambassadors to be deferred to a later meeting than the one that was scheduled for the briefing on the Quarter 3 financial report, as there might not be anything to report on, as investigations were either being initiated or ongoing.

The Committee agreed that the briefing on the Quarter 3 figures, as well as discussions on both quarters, would suffice for the next meeting.

Ms Kalyan wished to add an additional item to the Committee’s meeting agenda. She said that a petition on the National Coalition for Palestine had appeared on the order paper of Parliament. Various portfolio committee’s would be involved, such as Trade and Industry, Defence, and Mineral Resources.

The Chairperson assured her that the issue would be discussed -- perhaps even by a multi committee forum. The issue was noted.

Mr Lekota and Ms Maxon excused themselves from the meeting.

Ms Kalyan was concerned that there were still bodies of South African victims from the Nigerian Church Disaster that had not been returned back to SA. The DIRCO needed to brief the Committee about the issue.

The Chairperson said that that many departments were working on the matter. The Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, was leading the mission to Nigeria.

Committee minutes
Committee minutes dated 20 August 2014, 3 September 2014, 15 October 2014, 16 October 2014 and 24 October 2014 were adopted unamended. Committee minutes dated 17 September 2014 and 5 November 2014 were adopted as amended.

The meeting was adjourned.