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173 SouthAfrica’sforeignpolicytowardstheglobalNorth Gerrit Olivier INTRODUCTION S outh Africa’s relations with the global North (North America and Europe) underwent a fundamental redefinition and reorientation after the country’s regime change in 1994. For the first time in the country’s 350-year modern history, an authentic African democratic government took charge, introducing a comprehensive foreign policy shift from the global North to the global South. Whereas the former regime identified South Africa intellectually, ideologically and strategically as a Western country and followed a Western-centric foreign policy, the new government’s choice of identification and alignment was totally different.1 Guided by its struggle history, the new government based its foreign policy on two fundamental tenets: pan-Africanism and South–South solidarity, meaning the primacy of the African continent and a commitment to South–South cooperation. As stated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO): ‘South Africa recognises itself as an integrated part of the African continent and therefore understands its national interest as intrinsically linked to Africa’s stability, unity and prosperity. Likewise, the 1955 Bandung Conference shapes our understanding of South–South cooperation and opposition to colonialism as a natural extension of our national interest.’2 This shift in preferred foreign policy identification and mode of alliance holds fundamental implications for the way in which the country assesses and formulates its national interests, chooses its international priorities, determines its strategies and also brings to the fore the role of ideological interests as juxtaposed to the role of pragmatic economic and strategic interests. Of particular importance is how the operative foreign policy interfaces with the imperatives of the domestic welfare and security of the nation. CHAPTER 9 174 THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN POLICY ORIENTATION AND IDENTIFICATION The end of apartheid marked the beginning of a new era in South Africa’s foreign relations, and the emergence of a new foreign policy. With the restrictions of internationally imposed sanctions and isolation out of the way, the country could turn over a new leaf, remove the shackles of the past, and normalise its foreign relations, bringing them in line with the national interests, values and ideological predilections of the new government. The new situation opened the way for choosing from a variety of options as South Africa suddenly found itself without enemies, with the whole world ready and waiting to engage with it in all fields of international interaction. From the outset it was clear that the break with the past would be emphatic and substantial. The scene was set for the new South Africa to redefine its national interests, embark upon a new foreign policy ideology, and institutionalise a new doctrine to guide its future interaction with the rest of the world. Contrary to early expectations, bold, far-reaching foreign policy changes did not set in immediately after the new government took power in 1994. Under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, the new government acted prudently, feeling its way, with the result that the changes that did come about were not radical in any manner or by any means. The new foreign policy administration under the leadership of an inexperienced foreign minister, an old African National Congress (ANC) stalwart, Alfred Nzo, was finding its feet, trying to administer a smooth, predictable transformation , particularly careful not to disturb the very favourable world opinion of South Africa at the time, not to upset potential foreign investors in a fragile and sanctions-battered South African economy by introducing immediate radical changes of course, or elements of unpredictability, preferring a ‘universalist’ foreign policy rather than a radical ideological one. Apart from signalling South Africa’s strong commitment towards Africa, nonalignment in global politics and supporting the causes of the global South in general, ideology was underplayed in favour of pragmatism; cooperation with all countries and international institutions in pursuit of national interests became the lodestar of the new foreign policy.3 This boiled down to the normalising of bilateral and multilateral relations, promoting an ‘African agenda’, identification with the political and diplomatic preferences of the global South,4 economic diplomacy, and complying with the dictates of universal morality.5 While for traditionalists and ‘standpatters’, particularly the remaining ‘old guard’ of the previous regime this was the preferred approach, it did not go far enough to satisfy the struggle ideologues of the ANC and was, therefore, unsustainable. The new realities of a changed South Africa and CHAPTER 9 [18.222.69.152] Project MUSE (2024-04-25 11...

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