New Permanent Representative of South Africa Presents Credentials

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

The new Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, Jerry Matthews Matjila, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

From 2011 until his latest appointment, Mr. Matjila was the Acting Director-General of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.  He was previously Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 2010 to 2011, serving concurrently as Consul-General to the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

Mr. Matjila was Deputy Director-General of the Asia and Middle East Branch in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation between 2006 and 2010.  He was Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Community from 2001 to 2006.

He served an earlier stint as Deputy Director-General, between 1999 and 2001, and was High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal from 1995 and 1999, having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994.

Mr. Matjila was educated in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Norway and Germany.

Born on 14 July 1952, he is married.