Here’s how much SA is spending to refurbish foreign mission properties in London
Renovation costs for properties in London and De Haag account for only 30% of the overall bill for all foreign mission buildings.
The South African government is investing hundreds of millions of rands to refurbish its foreign mission properties, with a focus on London's assets. At least R167.5 million has been allocated for renovations in London, while over three times that amount is needed for properties worldwide. These renovations include consular buildings, official residences, and memorial buildings, such as a home previously occupied by Oliver Tambo.
Democratic Alliance spokesperson on international relations, Ryan Smith, revealed these figures after receiving a written question from Dirco. Smith stated that the condition of these properties reflects the neglect South Africa's embassies have faced due to mismanagement and misprioritization of funds. He criticized Dirco for prioritizing agreements with ideological partners, such as Cuba, over critical infrastructure maintenance, estimating that the country has spent over R1 billion on such deals between 2012 and 2022.
Smith concluded that South African diplomacy will not advance as long as the ANC continues to prioritize political whims over essential diplomatic infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
