A senior South African diplomat has been transferred back home from South Africa House in London following allegations of misdemeanour by his son, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
According to the Sunday Independent, the official’s 12-year-old son was under investigation by British police for taking a ”spray gun” to school.
His 16-year-old son was also reportedly under investigation for allegedly holding a youth at knife-point and stealing his MP3 player.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said the transfer had been ordered ”by mutual agreement between the South African and British governments and in accordance with standard diplomatic practice”.
He said that at no stage had the diplomat been implicated in any of the alleged transgressions by his family members.
Upon his return, he would therefore resume his duties at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria.
Mamoepa stressed that the transfer was ”in the best interests of consolidating the excellent diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United Kingdom”.
At the weekend, Mamoepa said: ”In terms of protocol, if a diplomat or his next of kin, who is covered by diplomatic immunity, commits an offence in a foreign country, the host country is entitled to request the sending country to lift the diplomatic indemnity.”
He said the diplomat was still ”in good standing before the eyes of foreign affairs”. — Sapa