passport
Barry Streek
Dr Mario Ambrosini, the special adviser to Minister of Home Affairs Mangosuthu Buthelezi, is set to be reappointed to his highly paid position in contradiction of rules approved by the Cabinet.
Cabinet policy specifies that only South African citizens may be appointed to the position of special adviser. Ambrosini, however, is not a South African and carries an American passport.
In a recent letter to the Cape Times, he said he was not required to leave South Africa to apply for extensions to his residence visa as he acquired his visa before this policy came into effect. Many other foreigners are obliged to leave the country before they can apply for extensions to their visas.
Ambrosini, a constitutional lawyer, advised the Inkatha Freedom Party during the constitutional negotiations leading up to the 1994 interim Constitution and elections. After the elections, he was appointed a special adviser to Buthelezi.
It could not be ascertained whether Ambrosini’s employment, or the extension of his contract, has been discussed by the Cabinet, but it was established this week that Ambrosini continues to be in office.
Ironically, one of his roles in his capacity as special adviser to Buthelezi has been to help draw up South Africa’s immigration policies, which include an official policy that foreigners can only be appointed into positions when there are no qualified South Africans to fill them.