Question NW166 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
01 March 2024 - NW166
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
(1)What is the position of her department regarding the request by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr S O R Mahumapelo, to the Director-General of her department that all senior members of all official royal and traditional households throughout the Republic must be issued with diplomatic passports; (2) whether her department will accede to the request and issue the specified passports according to the request; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any members of official royal and/or traditional households in the Republic have diplomatic passports issued by her department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of all the diplomatic passport holders from official royal and/or traditional households? NW172E
Reply:
1. Diplomatic Passports are issued to the 13 recognised Kings, Queens and Principal Traditional Leaders as well as the spouse and the Personal Assistant when accompanying in terms of the South African Diplomatic Passport Policy.
2. Diplomatic Passports will only be issued to those who qualify in terms of the South African Diplomatic Passport Policy.
3. The details of any members of official royal an/ or traditional households in the Republic who have been issued with diplomatic passports may not be divulged in terms of the following:
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996;
South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, No. 04 of 1994;
Identification Act, No. 68 of 1997;
Promotion of Access to Information Act, No. 02 of 2000;
Protection of Personal Information Act, No 04 of 2013;
South African Passport and Travel Documents Regulations, 1996;
Intelligence Services Act, 2002 (Act No 65 of 2002)
Intelligence Services Oversight Act, 1994 (Act No 40 of 1994)