DRC ambassador's dubious SA residency sparks diplomatic tension

Congo nominates new representative to Pretoria

- By Mzilikazi wa Afrika

The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) ambassador to South Africa, Binene Mulaja Fidèle, was sent packing three years on the job after it was established that he has a questionable South African permanent residency.

A Sunday World investigation established that Fidèle was also v-listed (blacklisted) in South Africa for five years before he was nominated by Congolese President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to be ambassador to South Africa on February 15, 2022.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been avoiding approv-ing Fidèle's credentials for years while the home affairs department was investigating how he acquired his permanent residency in South Africa.