The foreign affairs department managed logistics for 27 international outgoing visits by President Thabo Mbeki and another 19 by Deputy President Jacob Zuma for the financial year ending on March 31, according to its annual report tabled on Tuesday.
Thirty-five incoming visits, including visits by foreign and deputy foreign ministers, occurred over this period. The department co-ordinated and managed 82 ceremonial functions, including, dinners, banquets, receptions, credentials and signing ceremonies, as well as protocol assistance at bilateral meetings, summits and conferences, the report says.
Referring to the diplomatic and presidential guest houses, the department said 17 361 guests were attended to. A total of 39 foreign diplomatic appointments, 32 foreign consular appointments, 51 South African diplomatic appointments, nine South African consular appointments and six South Africans appointments to multilateral organisations were processed during this period, the report says.
A total of 8 000 dignitaries were facilitated through the state protocol lounge at Johannesburg International Airport. These included foreign heads of state or government, ministers, diplomats and other dignitaries. The diplomatic community in South Africa numbered 8 462 members, including diplomats, consular, administration and technical staff and their dependants.
About 50 000 official and privately owned vehicles belonged to the diplomatic community and were registered with the department. During the year, 64 bilateral and seven multilateral international agreements or treaties were concluded, the report says. – Sapa