Monograph 13: Fairy Godmother, Hegemon or Partner? In Search of a South African Foreign Policy, Edited by Hussein Solomon
Evans and Newnham defines foreign policy as the "... activity whereby state actors act, react and interact."1
Since 1994, various analysts have commented that South Africa lacked a
foreign policy; rather, that its foreign relations was characterised by
ambiguity and incoherence. Was this really so? Did Pretoria`s foreign
relations really lack the necessary orientation and strategic purpose to
qualify as foreign policy? If this is so, what accounts for South
Africa`s lack of coherence? On the other hand, if this was not so, how
does one account for Pretoria`s continued relations with states such as
Libya, Cuba, Nigeria and Indonesia, given this country`s much vaunted
human rights stance? How does one also account for South Africa`s rapid
about face on the question of the `Two Chinas` when it switched
diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing?
In an effort to come to terms with these questions, the Human
Security Project of the Institute for Security Studies hosted a workshop
entitled In Search of a South African Foreign Policy. With the
exception of the article by Professor David Black and Dr Larry Swatuk,
all other articles in this monograph emanate from papers delivered at
this workshop.
In the first article, Roland Henwood attempts to demystify South
African foreign policy by identifying the underlying principles of this
policy. In attempting to reconcile these principles with the reality,
he illustrates some of the fundamental problems facing South African
foreign policy-makers.
In a critical assessment of South Africa`s foreign policy
establishment, Greg Mills stresses the need for foreign policy-makers to
define and prioritise objectives and to take cognisance of both their
own limitations and the nature of the world outside. Obstacles impeding
the development of a coherent foreign policy are also identified.
In their penetrating examination of South Africa`s relations
with the African continent, David Black and Larry Swatuk argue that
these relations are characterised both by continuity and change. They
explore these relations within three expanding concentric circles: the
`new` South Africa itself, the Southern African region and sub-Saharan
Africa as a whole. In their analysis, they make two important points.
Firstly, the nature of South Africa`s engagement with the region will
also be dependent on the success Pretoria achieves in addressing the
historical injustice and grossly inequitable life chances which are the
legacies of the apartheid era. Secondly, our notion of foreign relations
needs to be expanded to include non-state actors such as South African
corporations.
Western states and the media often portray South Africa as the
natural leader of Africa. This leadership is also often expressed by
Western academics in middle power terms. In his article, Hussein Solomon
argues that, given the ambiguities of middle power leadership both as
an academic construct and in practice, and because of the real fears
among the country`s neighbours, it is imperative that middle power
leadership as a foreign policy orientation be eschewed in favour of what
could be termed `co-operative leadership`.
Finally, in her provocative response to the current debate on
South African foreign policy, Marie Muller provides critical comment and
some insightful suggestions regarding further areas for investigation
and research. While her focus is on Pretoria`s regional policy, this is
contextualised within `general` South African foreign policy.
While this monograph is concerned with South African foreign
policy in general, it unashamedly focuses on Pretoria`s relations with
Africa, and Southern Africa in particular. The reason for this focus is
not hard to find. Marie Muller succinctly notes in her article that,
"... relations with one`s neighbours are usually most immediate as
these will have a direct effect on how a country is otherwise able to
function in the international community."
Midrand
May 1997
ENDNOTES
- G Evans and J Newnham, The Dictionary of World Politics: A Reference Guide to Concepts, Ideas and Institutions, Harvester-Wheatsheaf, New York, 1992, p. 100.
