Heads of Czech Missions in Pretoria

The Consulate General in Pretoria, established in 1990 by the resolution of the Czechoslovak Government, started to operate on 17 July 1991. At the same time, the Government agreed on upgrading the Consulate General to the Embassy that began its activity on 29 October 1991 - after signing the Protocol on establishing diplomatic relations between Czechoslovakia and Republic of South Africa (RSA).

	Date of presentation of credentials
Mr. František DLHOPOLČEK, Ambassador	2. 3. 1992
Mr. Jindřich BABICKÝ, CDA	1. 1. 1993
Mr. Pavel VOŠALÍK, Ambassador	12. 8. 1997
Mr. Jaroslav SIRO, Ambassador	16. 4. 2002
Mr. Martin POHL, Ambassador	4. 10. 2007
Ms. Blanka FAJKUSOVÁ, Ambassador	1. 2. 2012

 

Mr. František DLHOPOLČEK

 

Date of birth:               13 September 1953

Education:                  Faculty of Economics and Tourism, University of Economics in Bratislava (degree obtained in 1977)

Mr. František Dlhopolček was admitted to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affaires in 1979. From 1979 to 1983, he worked as the Third Secretary at the Czechoslovak Embassy in Nairobi, later in Africa Department and in the Secretariat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1987 to 1989, he graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow (two-year postgraduate study). Soon after the Velvet Revolution, in 1990, he was appointed Director of the Africa Department. After the establishment of the Consulate General in Pretoria, Mr. Dlhopolček was appointed the first Czechoslovak Consul General in Pretoria. In the following year, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he was appointed the first Czechoslovak Ambassador to Republic of South Africa. Following the split of the Czechoslovak federation, Mr. Dlhopolček moved to the Slovak diplomatic service later that year. He represented Slovakia in the Republic of South Africa at first and later led the Section of Bilateral Cooperation of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Dlhopolček served as the Slovak Ambassador in Israel and then headed the Section of Bilateral Cooperation again. He was appointed Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United Kingdom and served there from 2000 to 2005. At present, Mr. Dlhopolček has been representing Slovakia in China (accredited also to Mongolia) since 2010.

 

Mr. Pavel VOŠALÍK

 

Date of birth:               17 July 1963                                                

Education:                  Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague (degree obtained in 1986)

Mr. Pavel Vošalík joined the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affaires in October 1990 and from September 1993 served as Director General of Legal and Consular Section. In June 1997, Mr. Vošalík was appointed the first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Republic of South Africa, residing in Pretoria and accredited also to the Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia and Kingdom of Swaziland. After his return to Prague, from 2001 to 2003, Mr. Vošalík was appointed Deputy Minister for Multilateral Relations and from 2003 to 2004 Deputy Minister for Legal and Economic Affairs. From August 2004 to June 2008, Mr. Vošalík served as the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada. Since July 2008, Mr. Vošalík has been the Ambassador the Czech Republic in the Holy See accredited also to the Republic of San Marino and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

 

Mr. Jaroslav SIRO

Date of birth:              4 January 1956

Education:                  Faculty of International Law, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (degree obtained in 1980)

Mr. Jaroslav Siro joined the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1980 and he started to work in the Department for Cultural, Educational and Scientific Relations. From 1985 to 1990, Mr. Siro was posted at the Embassy in Addis Ababa as cultural and press attaché. After his return, he graduated from Diplomatic Academy in Vienna (1991 – 1992). In January 1993, he became Director of Sub-Saharan Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affaires. In December 1994, Mr. Siro was posted in Zimbabwe as the Head of Mission where he acted as the Minister-Counappointed Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Zambia, Republic of Malawi and Republic of Mozambique residing in Harare. After his return to Prague, he worked again as Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Department. From January 2002 to July 2007, Mr. Siro served as Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Republic of South Africa, accredited also to the Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia and Kingdom of Swaziland residing in Pretoria. At present, Mr. Siro represents the Czech Republic as Ambassador to Federal Republic of Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Republic of Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Niger, Gabonese Republic, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Mr. Martin POHL

Date of birth:               24 December 1967  

Education:                 University of Agriculture in Prague (degree obtained in 1992)

Mr. Martin Pohl familiarized himself with the South Africa already before his entry to the diplomatic service: from 1992 to 1994 he worked as production manager in a farm near Barberton in South Africa. Mr. Pohl joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997 and after two years, he was posted as the Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra, Ghana. He returned from Ghana in 2003 to the Sub-Saharan Africa Department. Afterwards, he was appointed Director General of Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director General for Logistics. In September 2007, Mr. Pohl was appointed Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Republic of South Africa, accredited also to the Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia and Kingdom of Swaziland. After 2010, Mr. Pohl was accredited as Ambassador also to the Republic of Angola and Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. After his return to Prague in 2012, Mr. Pohl was appointed Director General of the Information Section.

 

Ms. Blanka FAJKUSOVÁ

Date of birth:               15 March 1970         

Education:                  Prague University of Economics - International Trade, International Relations and Diplomacy (degree obtained in 1993), Ph.D. in International Political Relations (degree obtained in 2000)

Ms. Blanka Fajkusová joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1993 and started to work in the Department of International Economic Organizations. From 1997 to 2002, Ms. Fajkusová served as the Second and later the First Secretary in the Permanent Delegation of the Czech Republic to the OECD in Paris. After her return to Prague, she became the Dead of the OECD Unit in the Department of International Economic Organizations. From September 2004 to August 2009, Ms. Fajkusová led the External Relations Unit in the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU in Brussels. During the Czech Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2009, she also acted as the Chair of the Working Group for Transatlantic Relations. Afterwards, from 2009 to 2011, she became Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since February 2012, she has been representing the Czech Republic as the Ambassador to Republic of South Africa, accredited also to the Republicof Botswana, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Namibia, Kingdom of Swaziland, Republic of Angola and Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.