AN Irishman and an ANC leader with strong links to Ireland have emerged as key figures in a controversy over South Africa's Health Minister and the 14 million rand (£2.13m) funding of a play on AIDS, writes Patrick Laurence in Johannesburg.
The Irishman is Mr Erwan Fouere, a graduate of University College, Dublin and the European Union's ambassador to South Africa the ANC leader is Mr Kadar Asmal, former chairman of the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement and now Minister of Water Affairs in President Mandela's cabinet.
Mr Fouere unwittingly precipitated the row when he contradicted statements by senior officials in the department of the Health Minister, Dr Nkosazana Zuma, that the play, Sarafina II, had not been financed by South Africans taxpayers but by EU funds with EU approval.
He told South Africa's Sunday Times last February. "We have no record whatever of (the) play among the projects which we agreed to finance."
Dr Zuma, who was summoned before the parliamentary health committee, said. "In the contract that was signed between me and the EU in January (1995) there was no Sarafina II. The idea of (the play) had not been decided at that point, but as soon as that was decided the EU was informed." Pressed for a date, she said. "The EU was informed... before the whole issue was aired in the press.
Opposition parties insisted that the Public Protector, Mr Selby Baqwa, investigate. Mr Baqwa's report tabled in Parliament this week was sharply critical of the department's financial administration. It found the EU bad not been informed that its funds were used to finance the play.
Mr Baqwa agreed that Dr Zuma's department had informed the EU of Sarafina II in August and October. But he added that the reports "did not mention that Sarafina II would be funded from EU funds" and "did not give details of the relevant budget as is required by the agreement with the EU."
Prof Asmal entered the fray during a tense parliamentary debate. He argued that Dr Zuma had relied on senior departmental officials for information for the public as she was "entitled to and that she had emerged "without blemish" from the inquiry.