Guilty ambassador still at post
2003-03-14 20:27
Cape Town - South Africa's ambassador to Indonesia, Norman Mashabane, is still at his post more than a year after being found guilty on workplace sexual harassment charges.
A foreign affairs departmental inquiry recommended in December 2001 that he be sacked, but he appealed.
This meant he could carry on working pending finalisation of the matter.
In October last year, the department said the appeal was "under consideration" by minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Sapa asked the department last month whether that was still the case, what the appeal mechanism was, when the minister intended taking a decision, and whether the complainants were still working at the embassy.
Ministerial spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa replied on Friday: "Is the case still under appeal? Yes".
It was reported last year that staff at the embassy in Jakarta were enraged that Mashabane was back at work. He was reportedly found guilty on 21 of 22 counts of harassment he was charged with.
His case was one of a spate of disciplinary actions launched by the department in late 2001 against senior diplomats at foreign missions.
- SAPA