Question NW340 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Reply:

(aa) QATAR

a) Sponsorships

No sponsorships were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and officials in her department.

b) Donations

• The Minister (i) did not receive any donation.

• The Department (ii) facilitated the following donations from the Embassy of the State of Qatar to South Africa:

1) On 29 May 2022 the Amir of Qatar donated blankets, pillows, travel beds, mosquito nets, respirators, generators, medical consumables, kids’ sportswear etc to the value of QR471,883 which is approximately R2,4 million for flood victims in Kwazulu-Natal;

2) Donation of seeds, food, blankets, water tanks, gardening equipment, deep freezer and two cows to the Mookgopong Centre;

3) Donation of blankets, and food to the elderly homes in Mamelodi together with the Moses Mabhida Foundation on 15 February 2023;

4) Donation of blankets and soccer balls to the youth at the Kayamandi project in Cape Town;

5) Donation of two vehicles, an ambulance vehicle, medical fridges, medical equipment, microwave ovens, washing machines and laptop computer together with Nelson Mandela Foundation in support of the Qunu Clinic in Eastern Cape Province;

6) Donation of 50 laptops to benefit schools in rural communities of Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces;

7) Donation of laptops to the Zinikelene Secondary school in Carolina, in the Mpumalanga Province;

8) Assistance in arranging repatriation flights for South Africans abroad during the Covid -19 pandemic in collaboration with Qatar Airways. Passengers, however, paid for their own repatriation tickets.

• There were no donations to any official/s (iii) in the department.

c) Financial Transfers

• There were no financial transfers to the Minister (i), her department and (iii) officials of her department.

(bb) IRAN

a) Sponsorships

(1) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran provided sponsorship for two officials from DIRCO to represent South Africa at the “Iran – BRICS Conference: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation” on 08 August 2023, in Tehran, Iran. The sponsorship consisted of accommodation for the two officials, as well as economy class air fare for one official.

(2) The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran sponsored an official from DIRCO to participate in the 37th International Islamic Unity Conference, which was held in Tehran from 1-3 October 2023. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran provided a round-trip air ticket, as well as transport and accommodation for the duration of the conference.

b) Donations

• No donations were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) or (iii) officials in her department.

c) Financial transfers

• No financial transfers were made to the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.

(cc) RUSSIA

a) Sponsorships

• No sponsorship was received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.

b) Donations

• No donation was received by the Minister (i), her department (ii), and (iii) officials in her department.

c) Financial transfers

• No financial transfers were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.