In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

68 CHAPTER 4 Soft power TheessenceofSouthAfrica’sforeignpolicy Karen Smith INTRODUCTION … we should not overestimate ourselves as a small middle-income country. Neither should we ignore the relative influence we enjoy coming from our widely respected transition to democracy … Small as we are, but because of our international image, we are able to ‘punch above our weight’ whilst at the same time ensuring that we act in concert with others.1 T he above statement would seem to indicate that the importance of soft power was recognised early on in the new democratic dispensation.2 According to Carlsnaes and Nel,3 the goodwill that accompanied South Africa’s re-entry into world affairs was regarded as an opportunity and was consciously used by subsequent administrations. The new leaders realised the benefits of positioning South Africa as a good global citizen – not only to advance global normative goals but also to advance South Africa’s national interest. This was recognised in the African National Congress (ANC) 1997 discussion document, which stated that a focus on the principles outlined in the 1994 document on international affairs, including the promotion of democracy and human rights, ‘cannot be considered idealistic which shifts our focus away from the harsh realities of “national interest”. Rather, the identification of such principles should be seen as an essential part of defining the national interest.’4 This important realisation appears to have been sidelined in recent years. Instead, the idea that the pursuit of national interest and an idealistic foreign policy are irreconcilable has taken root in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)5 and other government departments. Policy-makers need to be reminded of the former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans’s point that ‘a country’s interest in being seen as a good international citizen is as important a national interest as the traditional national interest goals of security and economics’.6 69 SOFT POWER While many commentators on South Africa’s international relations discuss soft power as being a part, or even an important part, of our foreign policy, it is argued in this chapter that most underestimate the centrality of soft power: South Africa’s foreign policy is overridingly driven by ideational rather than by material forces. In the absence of significant military and economic power, soft power is the preferred instrument of foreign policymakers , and coercive strategies have been largely absent in South Africa’s international relations since 1994. Not only has soft power been a component of our foreign policy, it has been the central component. This has enabled South Africa to play a much more important role in international relations than its material power would suggest. In recent years, however, and largely due to a mismanagement of soft power and lack of a conscious strategy to harness it effectively, South Africa’s international image has become somewhat tarnished. The objective here is not to provide a detailed account of how soft power has been used in South Africa’s foreign policy since 1994. Instead, the focus is on providing a brief critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the government’s use of soft power since 1994, and to provide some recommendations as to the way forward, and specifically with regard to DIRCO’s role. First, however, it is important to briefly situate this chapter in the framework of international relations theory, and engage with the meaning of the slippery concept ‘soft power’ and related terms such as ‘public diplomacy’. THE SOFT SIDE OF POWER The theoretical framework of this chapter is based on the constructivist notion that the world is socially constructed, and that material factors are given meaning through intersubjectively held meanings. Furthermore, if we start from the assumption that identities and interests are constituted by ideas, then the beliefs that states hold about themselves and, perhaps more significantly, the beliefs that others hold about them, become essential factors in understanding foreign policy. This is where the influence of soft power – which helps to shape the identity of a state in the minds of other states – becomes important to explore. While the traditional indicators of power (population, military might, economic strength) remain important elements of a state’s power in the international system, most governments now recognise that what has been called ‘soft power’ can be equally important, especially in promoting recognition by others. As Nye notes, ‘sometimes countries enjoy political clout that is greater than their military and economic weight would suggest [3.144.202.167] Project...

Share