'Safety not our responsibility'

2003-11-17 11:50

Tisha Steyn

Cape Town - Government takes no responsibility for the safety of South Africans abroad, says foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepe.

Nic Prinsloo, a News24 user living and working in Saudi Arabia, says no security warnings were being issued by the SA embassy in Riyadh.

A blast ripped through a residential area in Riyadh on November 9, killing 17 people.

Prinsloo wrote: "Despite the fact that we may have more than 5 000 South Africans working in Saudi Arabia, we are totally ignored by the SA embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia."

He said the only warning messages received in Saudi Arabia, came from the US and UK embassies.

"What I read in your articles are statements made by ambassadors world wide and political leaders taking the safety of their citizens at heart, except our government.

"In more than two years, we have received one message from our own embassy, which was outdated more than six months" as it apparently had to be approved in Pretoria before being issued.

Ronnie Mamoepe on Monday told News24: "All South Africans have been advised by the government of the changing conditions in the region as and when circumstances demand".

He said the safety of all citizens, visitors and workers in Saudi Arabia "is the responsibility of the local law enforcement agencies rather than the South African mission.

"In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, the SA mission in Saudi Arabia, as happened elsewhere, liases with the law enforcement agencies with a view to the safety and security of South African citizens."

Mamoepe said the government would continue to "monitor the situation on an ongoing basis and advise its citizens accordingly as and when necessary".

- News24