Setting the record straight
South African High Commissioner to Namibia, Thenjiwe Mtintso, has denied a report by Namibian Sun that a dinner allegedly organised at her official residence in honour of former South African President Thabo Mbeki was canceled last week due to the planned arrival of Mbeki's long-time rival, Jacob Zuma, in Windhoek.
A representative of the South African High Commission, Kasturie Maharaj, had earlier told Namibian Sun: "It was not an embassy dinner; it was a private dinner hosted by the High Commissioner. It was not an official event by the embassy as such."
Maharaj did not confirm is the dinner was called off, and if this was over Zuma and Mbeki’s history of political rivalry.
However, Mtintso yesterday said that no such dinner for Mbeki had been planned. "There was no dinner organised for former President Mbeki. We had some uMkhonto weSizwe veterans living at the residence and, of course, they had to eat there. But it was not dinner in the sense that was portrayed in the Namibian Sun article. People had to eat while living there," she explained.
Mtintso further rejected the notion that the presence of Zuma influenced any decision about a dinner, stating: "I cannot discriminate my principals. Even President Ramaphosa was in town, how can I organize dinner for one leader only? We knew quite early that former President Zuma was not coming, so how could we still go ahead and call off the dinner if he was the main issue for us?"
A representative of the South African High Commission, Kasturie Maharaj, had earlier told Namibian Sun: "It was not an embassy dinner; it was a private dinner hosted by the High Commissioner. It was not an official event by the embassy as such."
Maharaj did not confirm is the dinner was called off, and if this was over Zuma and Mbeki’s history of political rivalry.
However, Mtintso yesterday said that no such dinner for Mbeki had been planned. "There was no dinner organised for former President Mbeki. We had some uMkhonto weSizwe veterans living at the residence and, of course, they had to eat there. But it was not dinner in the sense that was portrayed in the Namibian Sun article. People had to eat while living there," she explained.
Mtintso further rejected the notion that the presence of Zuma influenced any decision about a dinner, stating: "I cannot discriminate my principals. Even President Ramaphosa was in town, how can I organize dinner for one leader only? We knew quite early that former President Zuma was not coming, so how could we still go ahead and call off the dinner if he was the main issue for us?"
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