Alpheous matter dealt with at
MBABANE – Government is not taking its Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo’s statement about South Africa, lightly.
The matter, according to government, is now being dealt with at diplomatic level.
This comes after the intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Thuli Dladla, who said government was working on the issue diplomatically.
Dladla was responding to this publication’s questions, regarding the matter whereby the South African Deputy Director-General responsible for Public Diplomacy in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Clayson Monyela, said the statement made by the Eswatini Government spokesperson to the effect that ‘South Africa is infested with a cancer of criminality from head to toe’, was very unfortunate.
Diplomatically
Dladla, in her brief response, said: “We are working on the issue diplomatically.”
Monyela said the South African Government would be taking this matter up, using the proper diplomatic channels, to seek an explanation from the kingdom as to whether those views represented the country or an individual.
He stated that they wanted to believe that the views expressed by Nxumalo were his own and not those of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
He said it was a very unfortunate statement that was made by Nxumalo, but as South Africa, they would resist the temptation to
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thuli Dladla. return insults with insults. “What we will not allow for South Africa and the people of this country is to be insulted by an individual hoping to be speaking on behalf of a neighbouring country. By the way, we have excellent relations with the Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.
On Tuesday, SAfm journalist Sakina Kamwendo had a heated interview with Nxumalo. Kamwendo asked for Nxumalo’s comment on the allegations made by the Economic
Freedom Fighters (EFF) former Secretary General Godrich Gardee, who accused Eswatini authorities of being involved in his daughter’s murder case.
When sought for comment, Nxumalo said he did not manage diplomatic relations between countries but he was a public speaker. He said diplomats would do what they had to do and he would continue to do what he had to do while in office.