Brigitte Weidlich
25 November 2008
The report of a parliamentary committee on its trips to different Namibian embassies and the hardships encountered there by foreign ministry staff was allegedly not discussed with the Ministry prior to publication.
"The Ministry was only informed that the report would be compiled but it was not discussed," said Deputy Foreign Minister Lempy Lukas in the National Assembly on Thursday.
On recommendation of Deputy Speaker Doreen Sioka, she postponed the debate to this week Tuesday.
Some Swapo Members in the House did not like what they heard when Ida Hoffmann, deputy chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security, in her speech noted that the security situation at Namibian embassies in Angola, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were "of great concern."
In Cuba, many goods required for daily life were unobtainable and staff had to travel to Panama to buy them.
Spare parts for vehicles and technical items were unobtainable in Cuba due to the 50-year-old US trade embargo.
The Committee visited Cuba in May this year, while Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola, Zimbabwe and the DRC were visited during July and August 2007.
"In Angola our diplomats are sometimes harassed by the Angolan security agencies while on the road in official diplomatic cars, contrary to the provisions in the relevant Vienna Convention," Hoffmann stated.
"We recommend that our Foreign Ministry should raise this issue with its counterpart in Angola to ensure the safety and security of Namibia's diplomatic staff.
"Communication with headquarters and other Namibian embassies from these missions is a nightmare and we recommended that the Ministry should buy cellphones for key staff members at these missions," Hoffmann said.
Some Swapo MPs made interjections as to the report being rather critical and probably not compiled with the blessing of the Ministry, making it necessary for the Deputy Speaker to use her gavel several times.
Hoffmann said the Ministry was fully aware of the report.
"The report was not discussed with the Ministry, we were merely informed it would be written," Lucas objected.
Either Lucas or Foreign Minister Marco Hausiku will give the Ministry's view on the report.
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