Latest news with #DepartmentofInternationalRelationsandCo-operation
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Russian Ship Fiasco: Dirco's Clayson Monyela says sailors don't have passports
Deputy Director-General at the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco), Clayson Monyela took to X to clarify the reason the Russian servicemen onboard the Russian Navy Baltic Fleet training vessel, The Smolny, which is in Cape Town on its Africa-Asia voyage, were denied permission to leave the ship and walk on South African soil — he says they do not have passports. "The reason the sailors are not able to disembark is that none of them have passports. Immigration laws! This is Department of Home Affairs terrain," Monyela wrote on X, reacting to an earlier story published by IOL. "Diplomatic relations between the two countries are cordial and excellent! President Ramaphosa and (Russian President) Putin spoke on the phone yesterday on more pressing geopolitical issues," he continued. IOL had reached out to Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri for comment on the matter on Thursday.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
SA government raises concerns after 5 hardened criminals deported to Eswatini
The South African government has raised concerns with the Kingdom of Eswatini over the arrival of dangerous criminals to the landlocked country and the impact this could have on South Africa's national security. 'South Africa has raised concerns with the Kingdom of Eswatini following confirmation by the acting spokesperson of the Government, Mrs Thabile Mdluli, that a group of dangerous criminals of various nationalities landed in Eswatini after being transported from the United States of America on a special flight, with the potential of more criminals of this profile to follow,' the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) said. According to SA News, Dirco stated that the arrival of this group was accompanied by a notification from the United States Department of Homeland Security. The group, consisting of individuals from several countries, includes some who have been convicted of serious offences and crimes and were deported from the United States before arriving in Eswatini. Countries of origin rejected deportees Reports indicate that these criminals were deported to Eswatini after attempts to return the men to their countries of origin – Laos, Cuba, Jamaica, Vietnam and Yemen – were rejected. 'Dirco, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, noted the aforementioned statement wherein Eswatini and the United States indicated that they would collaborate with the International Organisation for Migration to facilitate the transit of these inmates to their countries of origin. 'Dirco also noted that the countries of origin of these deportees are unlikely to receive them,' the statement read. Dirco flags national security implications While respecting the decision of the Government of Eswatini, South Africa expressed deep concern about 'the profile of these individuals and the potential adverse impact on South Africa's national security and immigration policy, given the geographical proximity between the two sisterly countries'. Caxton Network News previously reported on the US deporting these five hardened criminals to Eswatini under a 'safe third-country deportation' policy. The five men were incarcerated for serious crimes ranging from child rape to murder, battery of a police officer and grand theft auto. Border towns raise questions of risk Several South African towns and communities, including Barberton, Mkhondo and Pongola, closely border Eswatini. This raises the question of whether South Africans should be worried about the deportation. Caxton previously approached Dr Sonja Theron, a lecturer in security studies at the department of political sciences at the University of Pretoria. She said that relative to the many security threats facing South Africa, this is not significant enough to warrant panic or widespread fear. However, if this becomes a pattern, with large numbers of deportees being sent to Eswatini, it would require closer attention. 'What is more concerning is that this is further evidence of the current US administration's trend towards intimidation rather than co-operation when dealing with the African continent. African states need to ensure they maintain their agency when working with the US.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
The Citizen
04-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
South African government confirms Cape Town woman's murder in US
The government has confirmed with 'deep sadness' the tragic passing of a South African citizen in West Virginia, United States. 'Our embassy in Washington D.C. is providing full consular assistance to the family,' a statement issued by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation said yesterday. According to the department, the circumstances surrounding the woman's death remain under active investigation by the relevant US authorities. 'Out of respect for the ongoing investigative process, the sensitivity of the matter, and the privacy of the grieving family, the South African government will not be providing further detailed commentary at this time,' the department added. According to reports, Kim White Towne (32), a woman originally from Cape Town, was killed, allegedly by her American husband Alexander Towne (32), after he strangled her during a domestic dispute last month. Fox5 reports court documents revealed that Fairfax County police detectives said Alexander made a distress call to 911, tearfully admitting he had choked his wife during an argument. He allegedly told the dispatcher, 'I don't think she's with us any longer.' Upon arrival, police discovered Kim deceased inside the home. Their three-year-old son, who was also present, was unharmed. Towne was taken into custody and faces a charge of second-degree murder. He is currently being held without bail. The Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ronald Lamola, has extended his condolences to the bereaved family during this difficult time. –
The National
15-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Marco Rubio says South African ambassador 'no longer welcome' in US
South Africa's ambassador to Washington Ebrahim Rasool is no longer welcome in the US, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late on Friday, taking ties between the two countries to a new low since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January. Mr Rubio accused Mr Rasool of being 'a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS', referring to Mr Trump by his White House X account handle. 'We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered persona non grata,' he said in a post on X. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the US decision was "regrettable" and called for "diplomatic decorum" between the two states. Mr Rubio, in his post on X, linked to an article from the conservative news outlet Breitbart, which addressed Mr Rasool's remarks via live-stream to a foreign policy seminar on Friday. "He said that white supremacism was motivating Trump's 'disrespect' for the 'current hegemonic order' of the world," Breitbart reported, adding that Mr Rasool noted that Mr Trump's Make America Great Again movement "was a white supremacist response to growing demographic diversity in the United States". In response, South Africa's presidency said it "urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter". The presidency 'remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America', it said. The spokesperson for South Africa's Department of International Relations and Co-operation, Chrispin Phiri, said on X that the government 'will engage through the diplomatic channel'. Mr Rasool, 62, served as South Africa's ambassador to the US from 2010 to 2015 and was reappointed to the post in January. He has served time in prison for his anti-apartheid activism and later became a politician in the African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, the country's first post-apartheid president. Mr Rasool has expressed anger towards the Israeli government for its war in Gaza. In February, in an interview with news site Zeteo, he said what South Africans experienced during apartheid rule "is on steroids in Palestine". The expulsion of an ambassador is a very rare move by the US and comes amid increased tensions between Washington and Pretoria. South Africa has been a supporter of Palestinian rights and has pushed for a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel, one of Washington's biggest allies, of genocide in Gaza. Mr Trump in February froze US aid to South Africa, citing a law in the country that he alleges allows land to be seized from white farmers. One of the president's closest allies, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, has accused Mr Ramaphosa's government of having "openly racist ownership laws". Most farmland in South Africa is still owned by white people three decades after the end of apartheid and the government is under pressure to implement reforms.
