Yet another top official in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has been suspended in connection with a botched project to acquire land for development in New York.
Chief Financial Officer Caiphus Ramashau has been put on precautionary suspension as a first step in implementing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation’s oversight report on the R118 million land deal.
Questions remain about the so-called purchase of the land with the department having nothing to show for the monies paid.
The committee has welcomed the steps Minister Naledi Pandor is taking to implement the recommendations of its report.
Minister Pandor called on to explain multi-million rand procurement of land in New York:
A statement says the Minister informed committee Chair Tandi Mahambehlala of her decision to put Ramashau on precautionary suspension as a first step in implementing the committee’s oversight report.
Earlier, Pandor suspended the department’s director-general Kgabo Mohaoi whose role in the purchase remains unclear.
The Minister also said in Parliament in early March that efforts were underway to recover the monies through the high court where the tender award is under review.
The committee applauded the Minister’s efforts to keep them apprised of latest developments, something they took issue with earlier.
Requests to Dirco’s spokesperson for clarity on their latest actions against officials have gone unanswered.
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