Diplomatic note:

South African Director General suspended after letter from Norway's Ambassador

subscriber | 08 June, 2010

Norway's Ambassador to South Africa, Tor Christian Hilden, has hit the headlines in South Africa after he wrote a letter complaining over controversial Director-General of Labour Jimmy Manyi's behavior in a meeting between the two which led to the suspension of Manyi. The Norwegian's complaint to the Minster was that the Jimmy Manyi, who is also Chairman of the the pressure group Black Management Forum, had not kept to discussing the channeling of Norwegian aid to South Africa's labour market but had been persistent in talking about private business.

The suspended Director General however said he had only given the Norwegian Ambassador a free presentation of black empowerment and equity issues.

Johannesburg's Sunday Times said Manyi had wanted to release a report about corruption at the Labour Ministry and that that was the reason for the suspension.