MONDAY, 3.30PM
The diplomatic rumpus over President Nelson Mandela’s “lost” letter to the Indonesian government took a new turn on Monday with the news that SA has expelled the Portuguese ambassador for leaking the letter to the press.
It emerged at the weekend that the letter, in which Mandela calls on Indonesian President Suharto to release jailed East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao, was mistakenly delivered to the wrong embassy by a messenger from Mandela’s office.
Indonesia’s foreign minister said it was “disgraceful” that the Portuguese embassy, to which the letter was erroneously delivered, did not return the letter, but instead read it and leaked the contents to newspapers in Lisbon.
Sources in the foreign affairs department on Monday confirmed that Portuguese ambassador Dr Vasco Valente was given 48 hours to leave the country some time late last week. It is believed he left the country on Saturday.
The foreign affairs department on Monday would not confirm Valente’s expulsion, although it is not believed to have damaged diplomatic relations between the two countries. Diplomatic ties remain, and the South African ambassador to Lisbon, Kingsley Makubela, will remain in the post, while the Portuguese government will merely replace Valente, whose term of office was in any event due to expire.
Mandela’s letter has, meanwhile, finally been delivered to Suharto. “We now have confirmation that the letter was received by President Suharto,” said ptresidenbtial spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe, after admitting there had been some “technical hitches” with its delivery.
MONDAY, 5.30PM
Mandela’s office on Monday said he will hold talks on peace efforts in East Timor with United Nations secretary-general Koffi Annan. Annan is scheduled to arrive in SA on Friday and will meet Mandela in Pretoria.
MONDAY, 6.30PM
THE Portuguese government has “vigorously deplored” the expulsion of their South African ambassador, in a protest delivered to the South African embassy in Lisbon.