Question NW1077 to the President of the Republic
24 May 2021 - NW1077
Chetty, Mr M to ask the President of the Republic
Whether, with reference to the reply of the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation to question 31 for oral reply on 3 March 2021, regarding the R118 million irregular expenditure on the New York Pilot Project and her admission that her department had nothing to show for the R118 million spent, and in view of the fact that this is now an international embarrassment, he will (a) recall Ambassador Jerry Matjila, who was the Director-General of the specified department during the initiation of the highly controversial project and (b) suspend Minister Nkoana-Mashabane, who failed to exercise her executive oversight as the then Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, resulting in damaging South Africa’s international image; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
I have been informed by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation that in her Oral Reply to the question posed by the Honourable Member on this matter, she indicated that the Department had brought a review application in 2018 to have the tender award reviewed and set aside, and to request the recovery of the money that had been paid to the service provider. As the Minister also indicated in her Oral Reply, the judgement is still awaited.
Ambassador Jerry Matjila, who was the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, is no longer an official of the Department, as the Employer-Employee relationship was terminated on 15 January 2021.
There is no intention to suspend Minister Nkoana-Mashabane.