Deputy Minister Dlamini misleads Parliament

11 March 2022

During last week's Questions to the Ministers session in Parliament, and in reply to a follow-up question that I had posed to Deputy Minister of International Relations, Candith Mashego-Dlamini, regarding South Africa's R50 million "donation" to Cuba, Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini seemed lost at sea, as she fumbled through an incoherent response stating that such a "donation" did not take place.

Subsequently at Wednesday's International Relations Portfolio Committee, it was confirmed during the confirmation of the previous meeting minutes, that during deliberations, in reference to Deputy Minister Alvin Botes' comments, that it was indeed "a donation, and there is no ambiguity".

Clearly this wasn’t communicated to Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini.

The Portfolio Committee Chair has committed to write to Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini, who conveniently was absent during Tuesday's meeting to respond to her contradicting statement.

This isn’t the first time that contradicting or misleading statements have been made by DIRCO’s leadership. Just two weeks ago we had the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), under the leadership of Minister Naledi Pandor, issuing a statement, calling on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine. Yet, immediately thereafter, a statement was released from the Presidency contradicting this statement, rather requesting a fence-sitting approach of quiet diplomacy and peaceful discussion.

Yet again we have DIRCO caught up in miscommunications, and contradictions. Surely, with the outbreak of a war, we can ill afford such indecisiveness by key role players representing South Africa on an international stage.

The DA will be writing to the ethics committee to request Deputy Minister Dlamini to appear before them and explain why she misled Parliament.

Issued by Mergan Chetty, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, 11 March 2022