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Botswana: Diplomatic Immunity Will Not Save SADC Chief's Son
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
12 March 2008
Posted to the web 12 March 2008
Lekopanye Mooketsi
The son of SADC Executive Secretary, Tomaz Augusto Salomao, who recently crashed a car assigned to his father might not be covered by diplomatic immunity because he is 21.
The young man took his father's official car and crashed into a residential wall along Segoditshane way. A SADC source revealed that the organisation is very strict about the use of official vehicles.
He said unauthorised people are not allowed to drive the vehicles. Only his official driver, it is said, chauffeurs even Salomao. The car was parked at his residence when his son took it without permission and drove away. His father was not home.
It is reported that SADC has already replaced the Mercedes Benz with a new car. It is not known who is going to foot the bill for the damaged vehicle because Salomao's son does not have a licence so the insurance company will not cover it.
A spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Clifford Maribe said only dependants of diplomats who are under maturity age are covered by diplomatic immunity. The maturity age in Botswana is 18 but the SADC boss's son is 21 years old.
Maribe said diplomatic immunity applies even in cases of traffic offences. However, he said, they have not been informed about the accident involving the SADC car.
The SADC contact person at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Taufila Nyamazambo, declined to comment. He said inquiries should be made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
Nyamazambo said he was not informed about the accident because it was a "minor issue". "Why should they inform me about the accident. There are more important things to do," he said angrily.
The Public Relations Officer for the Botswana Police, Chris Mbulawa said they are still investigating. Mbulawa confirmed that the SADC diplomat's son drove the vehicle.
He said nobody was injured in the accident. The police spokesman would not entertain more questions as he said investigations are still on going.
Mbulawa declined to respond to allegations of drunken driving directed at the young Salomao.
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He confirmed that the accident occurred on Saturday morning.
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