Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena
2 November 2006
Following the publication of certain allegations by the Mail & Guardian
of Friday, 27 October 2006, attributed to a former employee of the Department
of Foreign Affairs against Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena, Chief Director: Americas
in the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department wishes to state as
follows:
Firstly, the Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to correct the unfortunate
impression created by the article that it is indifferent to serious allegations
being levelled against senior managers in the department. In this regard, the
Department of Foreign Affairs holds no brief whatsoever for members of the
department implicated in serious allegations such as contained in the
article.
Accordingly, the Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to state that
Ambassador Rakwena's promotion pre-dates the levelling of these allegations
against him. The allegations were levelled in late 2005, long after he was
promoted. On the basis of the allegations levelled as well as reports of the
department's own Internal Audit, the Director-General Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba in
September 2005 instituted an investigation into the matter, which was led by
Deputy Director-General Mkhuseli Apleni.
Based on the findings flowing from the Apleni investigations, in October
2006 the Director-General Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba has decided to institute charges
of misconduct against Ambassador Mbulelo Rakwena in terms of the disciplinary
code for Senior Managers as proclaimed by the Ministry of Public Service and
Administration of 3 September 2003.
The misconduct charges stem from Ambassador Rakwena's tenure as South
Africa's Ambassador to Brazil and relate mainly to alleged contraventions of
the Foreign Service Code. Since this is an internal disciplinary matter, no
further particulars will be released to the public until the matter is
finalised.
Enquiries:
Ronnie Mamoepa
Cell: 082 990 4853
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
2 November 2006
