Ramaphosa’s chilly reception sets off French freeze

PRETORIA wants the French ambassador to South Africa, Elisabeth Barbier, to explain why Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s luggage was searched at Charles de Gaulle Airport last month.

The government’s irritation with France also stems from the fact that Nathi Mthethwa, the police minister at the time, was subjected to the same treatment in 2013, as was former tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

International protocol is that heads of state, their deputies, ministers and other holders of diplomatic passports enjoy the privilege of not having their luggage searched when they travel abroad.

But on October 21, French officials would hear nothing of Ramaphosa’s diplomatic status and insisted on searching him — to which he submitted.

The incident, which happened while Ramaphosa was in transit to Cuba on a three-nation tour, has caused a highlevel diplomatic row, with South Africa accusing the European nation of undermining the deputy president’s diplomatic status.

Also at issue is the fact that the French charge diplomats for using their protocol lounges.

A senior government official said Pretoria now wanted to charge French VVIPs and VIPs who currently “receive free treatment at our VIP lounges”.

It has transpired that when the embassy in Paris tried to book Ramaphosa — who was flying commercially — into a VIP lounge at the airport, it was told that it would cost à325 [about R5 000] for the first three people and à10 for each additional person.

VIP facilities at the airport, unlike in South Africa, are privately owned.

Ramaphosa’s office believes that his treatment at the hands of the French was also motivated by the fact that South Africa’s ambassador to France, Rapulane Molekane, was not there to receive him, as per protocol.

Instead, the South African embassy’s political counsellor, Gerbrand Haasbroek, went to the airport, and was ignored by French security officials.

Molekane has now written a formal letter to Deputy Minister of International Relations Luwellyn Landers, informing him that he was in Monaco on official business at the time that Ramaphosa passed through Paris.

Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Ronnie Mamoepa, referred all questions to the Department of International Relations.

Spokesman Clayson Monyela said the department was awaiting a report from Molekane’s office and whatever arose from that process would be dealt with through diplomatic channels. He would not comment further.

French security officials insisted on searching him — to which he submitted