Consul-General in Dubai, Andrew Lebona. (Facebook/Andrew Tsepo Lebona) The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has recalled its Consul-General in Dubai. He is accused of security breaches and misconduct.
The department said it would also pursue solutions with Equatorial Guinea, where two South African engineers have been in jail since February 2023. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has recalled its Consul-General in Dubai, Andrew Lebona, amid allegations of security breaches and misconduct. In a media briefing on Monday, the department said it had "acted on information from whistleblowers" and recalled Lebona "from Dubai to Pretoria to respond to the preliminary investigation findings".
"The investigation is still ongoing," Dirco said. Lebona's recall follows a Sunday Times report of an alleged visa scam at the Dubai Embassy. According to the report, Lebona is accused of arranging break-ins at his offices as part of an elaborate scheme to sell visas for United Arab Emirates citizens to enter South Africa.
He is also accused of several forms of misconduct, including allegedly arranging for his son to illegally obtain diplomatic travel authority. Meanwhile, Dirco has said it was pursuing "solutions" with Equatorial Guinea over two South Africans incarcerated in Malabo. In a media briefing, Dirco said it was "deeply concerned about the ongoing detention of its citizens".
Meanwhile, South African engineers Peter Huxham and Frik P.