The Department of International Relations (Dirco) has ordered several diplomats to leave South Africa within 72 hours for flouting their diplomatic privileges.

This follows an intensive investigation that found them guilty of engaging in illicit trade in duty-free alcohol.

On Thursday, the Lesotho government confirmed diplomats had been expelled from South Africa.

While Friday, Malawi's foreign ministry reported its officers in Pretoria have been dismissed on similar grounds.

They are also expected to relinquish their diplomatic status, returning all diplomatic tools to Dirco.

In a statement issued late Friday night, Dirco confirmed that the foreign envoys have been declared “persona non grata” a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection from diplomatic immunity from arrest and other kinds of prosecution.

The department’s Clayson Monyela said investigations into similar transgressions by other missions accredited to South Africa were underway.

“The South African government calls upon all diplomatic missions accredited to the republic to respect, uphold and comply with all the laws of the land.”

Last year, South Africa's Eyewitness News uncovered a duty-free alcohol ring run by Lesotho diplomats.

At the time, they justified their actions, saying they were making up for the shortages in their salaries.

Mmmsshheewww


The next person has something better to say

pyyxxaro:
Mmmsshheewww


The next person has something better to say

Lol !

Anyway, I'm expecting the expulsion of Nigerian diplomats soon.

Report from 2020

Eyewitness News has uncovered a duty-free alcohol ring run by Lesotho diplomats in South Africa who say they are making up for the shortages in their salaries.

What started as an Eyewitness News investigation into the government of Lesotho’s inability to pay expenses for staff resulted in the discovery of various fraudulent activities.

The country’s Consul General in Johannesburg Majoro Mohapi spilled the beans after City Power cut off the electricity supply to his home in Sandhurst.

Mohapi said he spent Christmas without electricity after City Power cut it off because he owed more than R100,000 (3 million naira) and had been reconnected illegally.

“I was ill advised by my staff that sometimes the bills were not paid and so it piled up until City Power cut it off and my staff reconnected it.”

Mohapi said he and other colleagues often spent their own money to cover expenses such as petrol and cellphones to do their work – but some had resorted to selling alcohol that they bought duty-free.

He said it was knowledge that his colleagues sold duty-free alcohol and even took it across the border.

“I would say 90% of my staff are doing that and they are making profits out it. To me it’s an illegal business because they are defrauding the South African revenue authority of tax.”

Diplomats are allowed to pass borders without declaring goods and Mohapi said some of them used this privilege to export to bars and restaurants in Lesotho.

Wetin alcohol dey cause for the world no be small.

Sunnybay7:
Wetin alcohol dey cause for the world no be small.

Alcohol is big business in all of Southern Africa.