WELCOME TO POST

UNCLAS PRETORIA 000612 Note - PII Data Removed DEPT FOR HR/EX FOR: FRANK P. TALLUTO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER AMGT SF SUBJECT: WELCOME TO POST Ref: State 019165 Congratulations on your assignment to Pretoria. You will be part of a large and diverse team working on a variety of interesting issues whether you work in a regional office or strictly on a bilateral basis. We warmly welcome you and look forward to your arrival. If you have particular questions concerning life in Pretoria, please feel free to e-mail the CLO at clopretoria@state.gov. You may also visit the Overseas Briefing Center at FSI or access their information on the internet at http://fsi.state.gov/. Our Embassy internet website www.southafrica.usembassy.gov has useful information related to the Embassy and its operations. Any internet search engine will return a host of information about South African culture and leisure activities. Please review the information in this document organized by topic: ¶A. Check-In ¶B. Arrival: Pre-Arrival Notices ¶C. Arrival: Post-Arrival Airport Procedures ¶D. Driver's Licenses ¶E. Education ¶F. Family Member Employment ¶G. Housing ¶H. Mail and Packages ¶I. Medical ¶J. Passport Requirements ¶K. Pets ¶L. Security ¶M. Vehicles ¶N. Visas and Members of Household ¶O. Embassy Points of Contact ¶A. CHECK-IN Your first stop on your first day at work should be the HR office in room 226. They will give you your check-in package and an HR Officer will give you a short in-brief. When you come to this meeting, bring your passport and those of your family along with two 2X2 photos of each person over 16 years of age. HR needs these to begin accrediting you and your family. If HR cannot start the process immediately, there is a risk your temporary visas will expire before a residency visa is granted. ¶B. ARRIVAL: PRE-ARRIVAL NOTICES Please send a cable and an e-mail to your new office, the CLO and HR informing them of your arrival information as soon as you have firm travel plans. E-mail addresses are listed at the end of this cable. Including the following information will help everyone at post make sure your arrival goes smoothly: ¶1. the date and time of arrival; 2. the airline and flight number; 3. the number of accompanying family members; 4. any pets scheduled to arrive with you, including their sizes and breeds; and ¶5. a personal e-mail address so that we may contact you after you leave your current assignment with the name of your sponsor and other information. ¶C. ARRIVAL: POST-ARRIVAL AIRPORT PROCEDURES You will be met outside the international arrivals area by your sponsor or another U.S. mission member. In the highly unlikely event you are not met, please use a public phone in the terminal to call the switchboard during business hours at (012)-431-4000, or the Marine Guard at (012)431-4169 if you arrive after 17:00 or on a weekend or holiday. ATMs are available in the terminal and phone shops accept credit cards. Do not use any type of taxi or public transportation to get to the Embassy. ¶D. DRIVER'S LICENSES A current driver's license from another country, which is in English and has a photograph and the signature of the bearer, is acceptable for use in South Africa as long as you have your South African Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) identity card or a copy of your diplomatic passport and residency visa with you. Please note that if you have a family member or member of household who does not hold a U.S. diplomatic passport, they must obtain an International Driver's Permit (IDP) from AAA in the U.S. prior to arriving in South Africa and before operating a motor vehicle. ¶E. EDUCATION The American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) and the North American International School (NAIS) both offer an American style curriculum and school year. AISJ's Pretoria campus currently offers grades Pre-K to 6. Contact Ben Weinberg, the school director at +27 12 344-6242 or by e-mail bweinberg@aisj-jhb.com for more information. AISJ's Johannesburg campus offers Pre-K through grade 12. Contact Elinor Parkes, the admissions director at +27-11-464-1505 to 1508 or by e-mail eparkes@aisj-jhb.com for more information. The website for both campuses is: www.aisj-jhb.com. NAIS, located in Pretoria, offers grades Pre-K through grade 8. NAIS will open their high school program in August 2009 starting with grade 9 using a curriculum accredited by the University of Nebraska. Contact Ken Baucom, the school director at +27-12-460-1154 or by e-mail kenbaucom@nais.org.za. The school's website is www.nais.org.za. NAIS uses the North Carolina Public School Curriculum which is accredited by the University of Nebraska. For a listing of local South African schools, please contact the CLO or the Overseas Briefing Center. The South African school year begins in mid-January and ends in early December, with breaks throughout the year. Some Mission members do send their children to local schools. Schools that accommodate children with special needs are listed on the Pretoria Embassy website under CLO. If you have a child with special needs, please contact the Regional Medical Officer, the Human Resources Officer and the Financial Management Officer. Their e-mail addresses are listed below. ¶F. FAMILY MEMBER EMPLOYMENT Family members who wish to work should begin looking at the job vacancy announcements in the Jacaranda Journal, Embassy Pretoria's weekly newsletter. They should also request and submit a Family Member/MOH Employment Interest form to HR. To receive the newsletter and the form, please contact the CLO at CLOpretoria@state.gov. Alternatively, you can download the full vacancy announcements for all of the Mission's current positions,including AEFM positions, on the Embassy intranet page at http://web.pretoria.state.gov/ sections/per/Vacancies.htm Applicants should pay close attention to the required qualifications section of the job vacancy announcements. To be considered, an applicant must meet each of the required qualifications. The Family Member Employment Coordinator, Monica Ewing, Ewingms@state.gov, can provide more information. Family members interested in employment should hand-carry paper and electronic copies of their current resume or OF-612 and past performance reviews with them to Post. Prior U.S. government or military service must be referenced on the resume/OF-612 with dates, locations and pay grades. Please provide copies of SF-50s for U.S. Government/State Department service or a DD-214 for military service when applying. Pretoria has a Strategic Networking Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP assists spouses of direct-hire U.S. Government employees with their search for employment outside of the Mission. For further information on SNAP, please contact Monica Ewing at EwingMS@state.gov. Eligible Family Members may apply for consular, general services or budget and finance training at NFATC on a space available basis through the Family Liaison Office in Washington. If your family members are interested, they may read more about this program at http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/. Qat http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/. Special Note for Members of Household (MOH) regarding Embassy employment: Mission South Africa currently is not able to grant any hiring preference to MOH's, although they may be considered for jobs in the Mission. If an MOH elects to work on the local economy, they must work with their employer to obtain the appropriate work and residency permits. ¶G. HOUSING Embassy Pretoria's Interagency Housing Board (IAHB) makes all housing assignments based on your family size, the grade of your position and 15 FAM. The GSO Housing Office will send you a housing preference questionnaire soon. Please complete and return it as soon as possible so the Housing Board is able to take your requests into consideration to the extent they can. Due to security concerns, Post is transitioning away from stand-alone residences. Most available housing units are in multi-unit compounds or gated communities. The GSO Housing Office will provide information on your specific house once an assignment is made. All quarters are fully furnished. Post will provide a basic welcome kit until your personal effects arrive. You will keep the welcome kit during your tour and use it again when you are ready to leave. South Africa's electrical power is 220v/50 cycle. Post provides three transformers for each household. You will need to supply your own UPS, surge protectors, and additional step-down transformers if required. These are widely available in South Africa, as are converter plugs. South Africa can experience frequent electrical outages country-wide. Post is currently installing generators, but not all residences have them yet. We strongly advise you to bring/purchase surge protection for all sensitive electronic equipment. GSO will advise whether your housing has a generator or not. By regulation, gasoline-operated portable generators are prohibited from use within 50 feet of USG-provided quarters. ¶H. MAIL AND PACKAGES Embassy Pretoria sends and receives all personal and official mail via diplomatic pouch. Personal mail should never be marked with any 'official' references. Your new address for personal mail is: Your Name 9300 Pretoria Place Dulles, VA 20189-9300 Official mail is sent via the Department of State's diplomatic pouch mailing address. Your new address for official mail is: Your name Department of State 9300 Pretoria Place Washington, DC 20521-9300 Because we send all outgoing mail via pouch, it must adhere to the following Department of State diplomatic pouch regulations: Outgoing personal mail: You may send any letter or flat from Post with appropriate postage as long as it complies with USPS definitions (see www.usps.gov). Merchandise ordered from a retail outlet in the U.S. during your tour in Pretoria may be returned by pouch with the manufacturer's pre-paid return label or necessary postage applied. Be sure to bring an adequate supply of postage as none are sold at Post. Incoming personal mail: Individual boxes may not exceed a total of 17x18x32, or 67 inches in length (the longest dimension) plus girth (around the other dimensions) or exceed 50 lbs. in weight. A shipment (the combined total of all packages addressed to one person and received on any given day at the central pouch facility) cannot exceed 250 pounds nor can it occupy more than six cubic feet of area (about the size of five boxes of copier paper). ¶I. MEDICAL No vaccinations are required for entry into South Africa if you are coming from the United States, Europe or Asia. However, travelers coming directly from countries where yellow fever is prevalent must have proof of valid yellow fever vaccination given in the last 10 years. The Embassy Health Unit recommends that all incoming personnel be vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid. There is no risk of malaria in Pretoria. However, malaria prophylaxis will be recommended and provided, if you travel to certain regions of South Africa or other countries in the area. The Health Unit will give you a briefing during your first week at Post to clarify risk areas. ¶J. PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS South African immigration authorities will not let you enter South Africa unless you have two blank, adjoining visa pages in your passport. They will also deny you entry if your passport is not valid for at least six months after your arrival. If you or anyone in your family has a passport that will expire during your tour, we highly recommend that you obtain new ones valid for the entire length of your tour. This will eliminate the need to obtain new visas and diplomatic IDs in the middle of your tour, which is a lengthy process that results in you and your family being without passports and diplomatic identification until the South African Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issues new versions of both. Bring certified copies of marriage/birth/adoption certificates with you to Post as well if anyone on your orders does not share your last name. The DFA requires this documentation before they will issue a Diplomatic ID or residency visa. Special note for regional personnel regarding passports: If you plan to use multiple passports for your travel, please be aware that the DFA will only issue one South African residency visa. Contact your new office in Pretoria for details about arranging visas for travel to your serviced posts prior to arrival in South Africa. Special note about private servants regarding passports: South Africa allows diplomats to bring one private servant with them to Post. The same passport requirements that apply to Diplomats also apply to private servants, so please ensure your staff's passports are in order. South Africa only processes visas for domestic servants after you are fully accredited, so they should arrive with visas valid for at least 90 days. ¶K. PETS Owners shipping pets to Post should contact Beverly Paolini at JoosteBA@state.gov in GSO Shipping. She will step you through the process of getting your pet to South Africa, and can provide a list of pet travel agencies that can assist you. All pets must have an implanted microchip, and owners must have the chip details. If a pet has been in the U.S. for at least six months, it will not be quarantined in South Africa. The quarantine times for pets arriving from other countries varies. Please be aware that if your housing is in a compound, you will most likely have only a small yard. Walking pets along the street, especially after dark, isn't wise due to security concerns. Please check with the GSO Housing Office on this point before deciding to ship a pet to Post. ¶L. SECURITY All new arrivals must schedule an RSO briefing for themselves and their adult family members at the earliest opportunity. Scheduling information is in the check-in package provided by HR. All American personnel under Chief of Mission authority must complete an overseas personal security training course before coming to Post. State employees should ask Qbefore coming to Post. State employees should ask their CDOs to schedule them as appropriate. Employees of other agencies should contact the office that coordinates their assignment to ensure they meet all security-training requirements. South Africa is a critical crime threat post, and maximum vigilance must be exercised at all times. Do not wear expensive, flashy jewelry in public or show large amounts of money after you arrive in South Africa. At OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, be aware of the possibility of petty crime, including baggage theft and pilferage. Post strongly recommends that travelers not place electronics, jewelry, cameras or other valuables in checked luggage. Make an inventory of items in checked baggage to aid in claims processing if theft does occur. After you and your sponsor arrive at your house, your sponsor will show you how to use your alarm system. Personnel are strongly encouraged to use all residential security features such as grilled doors and locks to make sure your residence is as secure as possible. At a minimum, always set your alarm when you leave your residence and before you go to bed. ¶M. VEHICLES No left-hand drive vehicles may be imported into South Africa. Since South Africa changes the requirements concerning the importation, purchase and sale of motor vehicles often, please refer to the shipping instruction cable sent by GSO for the latest information on vehicles. If you need information on purchasing a vehicle before or after you arrive at Post, contact Jolene Ehlers at ehlersjx@state.gov or (27)(12)431-4048 (Department of State diplomats) or Cindy Lou Mouton on (27)(12)431-4270 (all non-Department of State agency diplomats)or by e-mail at moutoncl@state.gov. They can provide you with any information you may need. Please bear in mind that duty-free vehicles cannot be registered until the South African Department of Foreign Affairs has issued you your Diplomatic Identity Card which may take up to one month. ¶N. VISAS Visas are not required for your initial entry into South Africa. If you are traveling with non-U.S. citizens, they may need a visa to enter South Africa. Please check with HR Pretoria on your specific circumstances. Contact information is listed at the end of this cable. Special note about Members of Household (MOH) regarding visas: The DFA only defines MOH as common-law partner of more than two years or private domestic servant. If you and your partner have been together for at least two years, DFA will require documentation to that effect. DFA grants renewable one-year residency visas to private domestic staff. The DFA reviews visa requests for MOH who do not fall into the preceding categories on a case-by-case basis. If you are bringing or contemplating bringing a Member of Household with you, please immediately contact the Human Resources Office at PretoriaIncoming@state.gov. ¶O. EMBASSY POINTS OF CONTACT Management Officer: Jennifer Haskell HaskellJ@state.gov Community Liaison Office: clopretoria@state.gov HR Officer: Gilda Weech-House WeechhouseGT@state.gov Regional HRO: Ray Murphy MurphyRH@state.gov General Services Officer: Peter Drew DrewPW@state.gov Vehicle Office:: Cindy Lou Mouton Mountoncl@state.gov Pets/Shipping questions: Beverly Paolini JoosteBA@state.gov Housing: Femi Akinyemi AkinyemiAA@state.gov Financial Management Officer: Maureen Danzot DanzotMM@state.gov Regional Medical Officer: Dr. Kimberly Ottwell ottwellkk@state.gov Regional Security Officer: Don Schenck schenckda@state.gov LA LIME