Serious diplomatic tensions between Belgium and South Africa as a result of the latter's imprisonment of Belgian citizen Helene Passtoors emerged yesterday.
The South African minister of foreign affairs, Pik Botha, confirmed that the Belgian government had ordered three South African embassy officials to leave Brussels.
Botha responded by reserving his country's right to respond in an "appropriate" manner. The expulsions linked to the continued imprisonment of Passtoors for treason, would not contribute to Belgium's' objective of securing her release.
He said the government had been "prepared to consider the representations of the Belgian government in the light of special circumstances prevailing in this, particular case".
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
