DA: Bathabile Dlamini, Nomaindia Mfeketo tipped to be SA Ambassador

The DA has announced that it will be lobbying against the impending appointment of a new Ambassador after Bathabile Dlamini, Siyabonga Cwele and Nomaindia Mfeketo were tipped to be President Cyril Ramaphosa’s replacement choices for the outgoing Bruce Koloane.

The vacant Ambassador to the Netherlands post

During a recently Parliamentary Q&A session that was chaired by Naledi Pandor, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), it was revealed that Koloane, South Africa’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, had tendered his resignation.

This followed his name being included in the unravelling of the events that led up to the infamous Gupta Waterkloof Airbase landing. The vacant post, Pandor revealed, meant that the government would have to elect a new Ambassador to take over the work left by a disgraced Koloane.

According to the DA’s Darren Bergman — the Shadow Minister of Dirco — the party has been tipped about Ramaphosa’s replacement options and they do not inspire any form of excitement.

Bergman, in a statement, confirmed that Ramaphosa “is imminently expected to announce new Ambassadors who will have the task of representing South Africa abroad.”

“The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on President Ramaphosa to only consider candidates who will serve in the best in the best interests of South Africa and that he steers clear of deploying deplorable persons to represent us,” Bergman said.

Bathabile Dlamini tipped to be favourite for replacement

It is believed that Bathabile Dlamini, the former Minister of Women in the Presidency, Siyabonga Cwele who recently served as the interim Minister of Home Affairs, and Nomaindia Mfeketo — the former Minister of Human Settlements — are the president’s choices to take over Koloane’s role.

“In October last year, the DA laid charges of perjury against Bathabile Dlamini after she allegedly misled the Constitutional Court. Whilst Cwele oversaw the financial and operational abuse of the State Security Agency for the benefit of former President Jacob Zuma during his time at the helm of the intelligence ministry.

“Mfeketo, during her time as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, seemingly abused her position to protect the former President Zuma from accounting to Parliament,” Bergman exclaimed.

The DA will be challenging this appointment

The DA has vowed to lobby against this imminent appointment, stating that an ambassadorial role is one that ought to be filled by someone with ” the utmost integrity and should be beyond reproach.”

“Any person who is implicated in wrongdoing has no place in government or our diplomatic corps. It can no longer be about cushy jobs for the compromised and international travel for the politically connected. An ambassadorial position is far more than just a dumping ground for entitled former minister, it is an important job especially in an economic climate of joblessness and poor growth,” Bergman said.