acts decisively against a deviant member of his delegation
25 July 2006
Kinshasa - The leader of the South African Observer Mission (SAOM) to the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Defence Deputy Minister Mluleki George has
withdrawn one member of the SAOM for breaching the SAOM code of conduct and
recommended that he be sent back to South Africa with immediate effect.
Deputy Minister Mluleki George had earlier been given a report on the
memberâs inappropriate behaviour including drunkenness on duty and refusal to
co-operate with the team he was part of in Tshikapa in the Kasai Occidental
province.
Deputy Minister Mluleki George subsequently had a meeting with the member
during which the member expressed his desire to be released from his duties in
the SAOM to which the Deputy Minister acceded.
The Deputy Minister further consulted with the South African Embassy
officials in the DRC, the Secretariat of the SAOM and the South African
National Non-Governmental Organisation Coalition (SANGOCO), the organisation to
which the member belongs.
The leader of the SAOM subsequently recommended that the member be withdrawn
and the decision be communicated to SANGOCO.
The leadership of SANGOCO in supporting the SAOM leaderâs decision said
âPlease receive SANGOCOâs support for the decision to withdraw one of our
members. We can not afford to have an individual who puts South Africa into
disrepute.â
Deputy Minister Mluleki George is currently leading the SAOM to the DRC. The
SAOM is stationed in the DRC until 4 August 2006 to observe all phases of the
elections including election campaigns, the voting process and the counting of
votes.
They are deployed in 24 designated result centres out of a total of 64 in
all the 11 provinces.
Enquiries:
Vincent Hlongwane
Cell: 082 385 1169
Sam Mkhwanazi
Cell: 83 628 0858
Lindo Nkomonde
Cell: 082 875 9631
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
25 July 2006
