adminnow risking condemnation for being unsuitable for human habitation.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ambassador Joey Bimha told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade yesterday that a building in New York in the US had deteriorated and could be condemned by local authorities there soon.
“We are not able to do anything on capital expenditure because that has been suspended by Treasury.
“For example, we have our building in New York, which is in a prime area and was a good building but has been neglected for a long time.
“It may be disqualified by New York City Council as not a building,” he said.
He said around US$240 000 was needed to renovate the building, while offices in Washington and Cape Town also needed to be revamped.
“Offices in Washington need repair and have not been attended to.
“They need repairs because they are in a deplorable state.
“Our consulate in Cape Town was vandalised because it was not attended to,” he said.
Ambassador Bimha said his ministry also needed money to buy 30 new ambassadorial vehicles for the country’s 40 foreign missions and another 30 utility vehicles, but had been allocated money for six only.
“The money we were allocated is not enough and what we only got is enough to buy six vehicles. At that rate we will take over seven years to buy the vehicles,” he said.
Ambassador Bimha said they owed at least US$28,5 million in unpaid salaries to staff at various missions and that unbudgeted expenses had worsened their financial position.
“Outstanding arrears amount to US$28,5 million but what we have received is only to cover for running expenses and not the arrears,” he said.
He said such trips to attend the Sadc Troika meeting in Livingstone, Sadc Summit in Sandton, South Africa and two Peace and Security Summits in Ethiopia had not been planned for.
Ambassador Bimha said they had also opened a consulate in Southern Sudan that is to be granted independence on July 9 and this had chewed a further US$400 000 from the US$1 million that had been set aside to cover rental arrears.
Zengeza West legislator Mr Collin Gwiyo queried the rationale behind opening the consulate when Government was facing financial difficulties and proposed that it could have been better to use other missions in nearby countries.
However, Ambassador Bimha said South Sudan offered great opportunities and Government felt it was important to open the consulate so that the country benefited from the good relations with the people from South Sudan.
“It was felt that we helped in Mozambique but did not get much benefit and the same in DRC. So with the interest from the world and Africa on South Sudan, it was felt that we be on the ground as soon as possible.
“There are various opportunities in South Sudan from training, mining and minting money because they are going to have a new currency and we have capacity to mint,” he said.
Committee chairperson, Cde Samson Mkanduri (Zaka East Zanu-PF) said they would facilitate a joint meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Treasury to iron out the issue of outstanding salaries.
He said it was also embarrassing that the country’s properties were dilapidated yet they were the image of the country.
“It does not make sense that Treasury is buying expensive Mercedes Benzs, diplomats are living with no salaries. We have to arrange a joint meeting with yourselves and Treasury to discuss this issue,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was allocated US$77 million in the 2010 to 2011 budget.
Online Reporter