ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has criticised wasteful foreign mission spending, and has called for urgent fiscal discipline in South Africa.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has expressed concern over South Africa’s wasteful spending on foreign missions, revealing that the country spent R3.45 billion in the 2023/24 financial year on maintaining 115 embassies, high commissions, and consulates worldwide.
Mashaba emphasised the need for urgent fiscal discipline and a comprehensive review of these operations to ensure taxpayer money is being used effectively.
According to a parliamentary reply obtained by ActionSA, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) allocated significant amounts across various regions, with R950 million in Africa, R900 million in Asia and the Middle East, R813 million in Europe, R465 million in the Americas, and R325 million on global governance and multilateral missions.
However, no system is in place to assess the cost effectiveness of these missions, raising concerns about wasteful spending.
Among the most concerning revelations were embassies in countries where South Africa has limited or no strategic or trade relations.
For instance, the South African embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic, cost taxpayers R25.7 million, while missions in Nouakchott (Mauritania) and Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) amounted to R16.1 million and R15.6 million, respectively.
Mashaba criticised this expenditure, stating, "These amounts cannot be justified in a country that struggles to fund basic services."
Even more alarming, South Africa continues to fund missions in conflict zones, such as Damascus, Tehran, Ramallah, and Tel Aviv, where meaningful diplomatic activity is unlikely. The mission in Tel Aviv, despite being non-operational, still cost R27.2 million in 2023/24, he said.
Further waste is found in the duplication of diplomatic missions. South Africa operates multiple embassies in countries like the US, Saudi Arabia, India, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with little justification for such extensive representation.
"Most of these functions could be managed with leaner alternatives – such as consulates, shared services, or rotational envoys – at a fraction of the cost," Mashaba said.
Most troubling of all, when ActionSA inquired about any measures to evaluate the value of these foreign missions,DIRCO responded with a flat “No”. Mashaba noted, "This government is flying blind with taxpayer money."
''At a time of fiscal crisis, ActionSA maintains that government must CUT THE FAT. We reiterate our call for urgent fiscal discipline and demand a comprehensive review of all foreign missions to ensure that every cent spent abroad delivers value for the people back home.''
Adding to the criticism, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has also raised red flags around mismanagement and lack of accountability within DIRCO.
A separate DA parliamentary question uncovered that advocate David Kweli Nkosi, a diplomat now posted to Amman, Jordan, still owes DIRCO nearly R800,000 for damages to rented properties during prior postings in Austria and India.
According to DA deputy spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, Ryan Smith, only R10,000 has been paid back, with the department having renegotiated the debt down to R116,615, a move the DA attributes to “departmental inefficiencies".
Smith said: “If advocate Nkosi can trash international rental property twice at the taxpayers’ cost, he can find the money to reimburse the state once-off, following his immediate dismissal.”
Smith slammed the redeployment as a “sordid case of international embarrassment”, adding that DIRCO’s handling of the matter reflects “gross negligence and indifference” by Minister Ronald Lamola.
The DA is calling for Nkosi’s immediate dismissal, full repayment of the debt, and a renewed focus on restoring integrity within South Africa’s foreign service.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
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