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- Naledi Pandor has been slammed for suspending Dirco director-general Kgabo Mahoai.
- Mahoai's suspension comes after revelations the department spent R118 million for a piece of land in New York, which did not exist.
- Some MPs believe Pandor is managing her department like a spaza shop.
MPs have slated Naledi Pandor for suspending Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) director-general (DG) Kgabo Mahoai.
Some MPs, even from within her own party, accused Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Pandor of running the department like a spaza shop.
Thandi Mahambehlala, chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, made it clear that Mahoai's suspension is not connected to the recommendations the committee previously made.
READ | Dirco paid R118m for a piece of land in New York that turned out to be an 'unsuitable' old building
"There was no need to suspend the current DG. A report of the Auditor-General identified officials who should be held responsible for the irregularities for the tender on the New York matter, which includes the former DG, chief financial officers and other members of the bid adjudication committee," Mahambehlala said.
Last week, Pandor placed Mahoai on precautionary suspension after the department spent R118 million for a piece of land in New York, which did not exist.
News24 reported in October that a fact-finding mission to New York, carried out by MPs in December 2019, found that the piece of land meant to house South Africa's diplomats did not exist.
The report concluded:
The chief of state protocol, Nonceba Losi-Tutu, has been appointed as acting DG.
Pandor was not present at the meeting and this further raised the ire of several MPs.
ANC MP Desmond Moela said: "That thing is a spaza shop chairperson...I can bet with the last cents I have. Let me tell you, that spaza shop is falling each and every day. We must not allow that, we must not allow [the committee] to be undermined."
DA MP Mergan Chetty echoed Mahambehlala's remarks, and accused Pandor of showing no respect to the committee.
"This minister seems to be treating this committee as if we are a spaza shop. It is unacceptable that we have invested our time, as well as finances from the department, to go and do oversight and make sure we come back with facts. The fact that the minister believes we must be aware of the suspension of the DG, through the media, is totally unacceptable," he said.
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EFF MP Thembi Msane said: "The minister does not feel or see the need to account to the committee. The committee did an oversight in 2019 and this is after finding the irregularities. We took it among ourselves to leave our home and spend taxpayers' money to fly to New York in order to check what has happened. This matter has never been urgent, it is only this committee that took it upon itself to make sure this matter is considered urgent."
ACDP MP and party leader Kenneth Meshoe called on Mahambehlala to address the matter with Pandor's office.
Pandor's spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele is yet to respond to a request for comment.
His comment will be added once received.
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