South African envoy suspended

The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr. Morgan Phologane, is in trouble again, according to The Dispatch.

This time, not with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). He is in deep trouble with his employers, the South African government, which has served him with a letter of suspension. When a long distance call was made to Mr Craig Coleman, Deputy Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs on the envoy's suspension, his answer was, "no comment."

Dispatch investigations revealed that His Excellency Phologane had been served with a letter of suspension for what a source described as his "undiplomatic consumption of alcohol in public and its embarrassing consequences; his public moral activities not befitting a diplomat and in general, his indifferent attitude towards enhancing relations between Ghana and South Africa." He was also not in "full presence" when President John Kufuor visited South Africa recently.

H.E. Phologane is reported to have appealed to his superiors to give him a month to wind up in Accra whilst investigations continue. He consequently returned to Accra last Monday (June 18), where one of our scouts met him when his plane touched down at 1730 GMT.

Even though he decided to speak to our reporter at the airport, he later asked him to meet him at home. He said it would be irrational, "it is not true, it is unheard off," for his appointment to be revoked.