Minister of International Relations and Cooperation 2013 Budget Speech & Response by ANC and DA

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 30 May 2013
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Honourable Speaker
Honourable Members
Your Excellencies Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Representatives of International Organizations;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Fellow South Africans;
Comrades and Friends,

A few days ago, President Jacob Zuma was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Organisation of African Unity/African Union (OAU/AU) – our Pan-African organization founded in 1963 for promoting our unity in diversity, strengthening our solidarity, and building on our common history and shared values. 

Kwame Nkrumah captured this vision in his address to the inaugural meeting of the OAU when he said: “Our objective is African union now. There is no time to waste. We must unite now or perish”.

Indeed, we have not perished – today we are a continent on the rise.  We pay tribute to our forbearers for their foresight that gave our continent the OAU and its successor, the AU.

Honorable Speaker,
Next year will be twenty years since as a nation we began our journey in 1994 towards a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world. 

During the negotiations, we spelt out our transformation agenda in our May 1992 document rightly entitled Ready to Govern: ANC Policy Guidelines for a Democratic South Africa which set four foreign policy goals for the post-apartheid dispensation, namely:

• The  transformation of our foreign policy with the view to democratizing our international political and economic relations for peace and friendship;
• Our integration as a full member of the international community;
• To develop a foreign  policy that will promote regional cooperation, peace and security; and
• To establish a professional foreign service in which training, employment equity and affirmative action will be important components for the attainment of high standards of service.

Soon after the 1994 elections, we elaborated these ideas further in a document we called Foreign Policy Perspective in a Democratic South Africa which provided additional details of the foreign policy that the new government was going to pursue.

All these unfolded in an era of the transition from the end of the Cold War to a new world order which many thought would be dominated by a triad made up of North America, the European Economic bloc, and Japan.

In just nineteen years we reset South Africa’s international relations that were constructed and developed during 400 years of exclusion, colonialism and apartheid.Today, the goals we set for ourselves when we began this journey have been achieved:

• Our country is no longer a pariah state but a valued and respected member of the international community;
• We have a dynamic, independent foreign policy that speaks to our domestic priorities, which is supported by a professional foreign service;
• We expanded our global footprint from 34 to 126 Missions across all continents and time zones;
• Our international trade surged, creating millions of jobs; and tourist arrivals continue to grow year after year;
• Our African Agenda has placed our continent at the center of our foreign policy;
• Our relations with countries of the South are firmly grounded on shared interests and common challenges;
• Our partnership with countries of the North is based on mutual respect and cooperation;
• We are active in the multilateral system for the transformation of the global governance architecture;
• Our economic diplomacy promotes South Africa’s broad economic objectives globally; and
• We are considered globally a member of what has become known as “emerging powers”.

In the next year and beyond, DIRCO will lead a coordinated campaign, through the footprint we have established, to diversify and consolidate our international relations. The budget we present to you today (Honourable Members) is about availing more resources so that DIRCO can power ahead into new frontiers of cooperation, contributing towards the eradication of poverty, inequality and unemployment.  The proposed figures are attributable to our reality of operating in an international environment.

Honorable Members,
Our journey since 1994 whose achievements are widely recognized has been through small but yet giant steps that we take, working together with our people.  This Administration is one such giant step.

In 2009, this Administration made a number of foreign policy commitments to the people of this country in the context of the five priorities of creating decent work and sustainable livelihoods, while focusing on education, health, crime, and rural development.  This was done with an understanding that the cornerstone of our foreign policy lies in our domestic interests. We stand before you today to affirm that these commitments we made in 2009 have been fulfilled.  We therefore wish to thank all who responded to our call that working together, we can do more.

Honourable Speaker,
Our relations with our neighbours are in good shape, thanks to our bilateral mechanisms as well as the integration objectives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

Bilaterally, we continue to work for strong diplomatic and economic ties with countries of our region; and our Bi-National and Joint Commissions, including continuous exchange of high-level visits, have all been instrumental in this regard.

We stand for a strong SADC as an integrated community in various domains that is supported by an effective Secretariat.

SADC has taken a lead in working for peace and stability in our region, and our contribution in this regard has been through preventive diplomacy and mediation; our membership of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security; and through regional peacekeeping efforts.

As a member of the SADC Organ Troika, we have urged the leaders in Madagascar to put their country first and act in accordance with the letter and spirit of the roadmap that they themselves have committed to in order to ensure a credible election with an acceptable outcome.

We remain seized with the process of assisting the parties in Zimbabwe to implement the Global Political Agreement and the Roadmap to elections in the context of the SADC mediation framework.

We welcome the proposal for an Intervention Brigade as a realistic option to bring security normalcy to the eastern DRC.  SADC’s leadership has set a good example by deploying its brigade as part of this intervention force.Our government condemns in no uncertain terms attacks on civilians, humanitarian actors, and MONUSCO peacekeepers.

These excellent relations we have with our neighbours extend to all regions of our continent. 

During his recent State Visit to our country, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan emphasised the value to Africa and the importance of a strong working relationship between South Africa and Nigeria.

We remain concerned with the peace and security situation on our continent.  The stabilisation of the Great Lakes Region, Central Africa, North Africa as well as parts of West Africa and the Horn of Africa – requires urgent attention if we are to consolidate the gains we have made in recent years to restore peace to Africa. We are therefore in full support of peace initiatives in the DRC, the CAR, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Somalia, and between South Sudan and Sudan.  Libya, Tunisia and Egypt need all of us as they transit towards a new socio-economic and political dispensation. We firmly support the ongoing constitutional processes in these countries and are indeed ready to revitalize our structural bilateral consultation mechanisms with them.

The humanitarian assistance we provide is an act of solidarity with sisterly countries in need.

We have for many years been seized with the issue of the status of Western Sahara.  It remains our firm commitment to continue supporting all efforts aimed at achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution in that country. The self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is essential.

Honourable Speaker
The primary objective of the OAU was to achieve a better life for the people of Africa, eradicating all forms of colonialism, and defending their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

We must therefore recall to memory the contribution made by the Conference of All Independent African States and the All African People Conference (AAPC) to the birth of the OAU, because it was these two conferences that led the way and shaped the ideas that are associated with the OAU today.

The AAP Conference,which met for the first time in December 1958 in Accra, Ghana, was a gathering of anti-colonial movements fighting for freedom, along with the few independent African states under the clarion call “Hands Off Africa!”.While the ANC could not attend this conference because of restrictions imposed on it by the apartheid regime, it was nonetheless represented by one of its leaders who was resident in Ghana, a former Treason Trialist, Comrade Alfred 'Tough' Hutchinson.  He read the ANC’s message to delegates which I wish to quote:

We ... welcome the convening of the Conference and wholeheartedly congratulate its organisers. We should like particularly to place on record the deep appreciation of the oppressed people of South Africa of the fact that those who have already achieved their freedom and independence have not forgotten their duties and responsibilities to those who are still in chains, and to the sacred cause of African freedom and independence.
(Close quote)

This history is important not only because of the background it gives to the origins and outlook of the OAU, but also to demonstrate that South Africans were not bystanders in the evolution of the OAU.  Indeed, the ANC participated in the inaugural meeting of the OAU in 1963 and continued as a member through the Liberation Committee which was established for the execution of the OAU’s objective of decolonization.

As such, a series of national activities are envisaged for our own celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the OAU/AU under the theme: “Pan Africanism and the Renaissance”.  A special sitting of this House is to convene so that our Parliament can also pronounce itself on this important Pan-African event.

The celebration of the Golden Jubilee of our Union is the beginning of another voyage towards the centenary of the continental body in 2063.

Today, Africa is different from what it was fifty years ago.   Not only is the decolonisation process almost complete, but significant progress has also been achieved towards African unity. Our continental Peace and Security Architecture, the NEPAD, and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) – are all among the concrete steps we have taken to find African solutions to our challenges of peace, development and democracy.

South Africa’s contribution to this Pan-African endeavor is the reason our country is respected on the continent and globally.  Our role during the transition from the OAU to the AU, in the establishment of NEPAD and the APRM, as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council, as well as our commitment to the AU Commission and other organs of our Union – are all informed by our belief that a better Africa is possible, and in our lifetime. 

Honourable Speaker
Building strong South-South relations is another leg on which our foreign policy stands.  We do this through:
• Establishing good bilateral relations with countries of the South;
• Developing a focused strategy and approach for engagement with the “emerging powers” of the South; and
• Participating in mini-lateral bodies of countries of the South such as the Non-Aligned Movement for the pursuit of the interests of developing countries in the global system.

In this regard, our government is inspired by the outcomes of recent BRICS Summit as contained in the eThekwini Declaration and eThekwini Action Plan.

The IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Trilateral Agreement celebrates its 10th anniversary this year; and we will use this to reflect on the milestones and long-term future of this formation.

What makes our South-South engagement strategy so effective is the fact that it is rooted on strong bilateral relations.

Our relations with the countries of Asia continue to strengthen at a pace that necessitates a greater focus to the East.Africa and Asia share a complimentary outlook for the future.

China and India are not only strategic bilaterally, but are also partners through the BRICS and IBSA.  Furthermore, their partnership engagements with Africa resonate with our African Agenda.

With regards to the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), you would recall that South Africa assumed the co-chairship in June 2012 in Beijing. We remain committed to work together with China over the next six years to ensure the implementation of the 5th FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2013-2015).

The Gulf region is equally important as a political player in global affairs as well as a source of foreign direct investments (FDIs) and destination for our exports.

However, peace in the Middle East remains elusive despite the various efforts to bring some respite to the almost daily toll of human life and shattered livelihoods of people. The view that the conflicts in the Middle East constitute a risk for international peace and security is not far-fetched. It is for this reason that we will continue to direct our efforts in contributing to the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Palestine, Syria and other areas of conflict in that region.

As president Zuma said in his State of Nation Address: “We stand with the people of Palestine as they strive to turn a new leaf in their struggle for their right to self-determination; hence we supported their bid for statehood. The expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian territories is a serious stumbling block to the resolution of the conflict”.

Our relations with Latin America and the Caribbean region are also underpinned by shared South-South values and goals. This partnership is indeed strengthened by the presence of a large African Diaspora in the region. We are committed to the expeditious implementation of the Five Legacy Projects of the AU Diaspora Summit we hosted last year.

Honourable Members
We have good bilateral relations with countries of the North.Our strategic political dialogue with the United States of America continues to positively impact our bilateral relations. The US remains our major trade, investment, tourism and technology partner.

Europe remains South Africa’s main trading partner, source of investment and valuable supplier of cutting-edge technology and capacity-building.  Our partnership with the European Union serves as a platform for political dialogue and the expansion of our economic ties.

We are looking forward to participate at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) V Summit to be held in Yokohama, Japan, from 1-3 June 2013.

Honourable Members;
Our country attaches great importance to promoting multilateralism.  Since re-entering the world stage in 1994, South Africa has taken up many international positions of responsibility, often the task was daunting, but through the innovative hard work and dedication of our people, we have consistently recorded resounding successes.  Today we are an influential global player.

We have sought to utilise our various memberships in the international fora to promote our national interests and advance the African Agenda.

The United Nations remains one single fora where nations of the world converge under one roof to discuss issues of common interest. South Africa’s election to the UN Peace Building Commission, following directly on our UN Security Council membership, is testament to our continued commitment to global peace and security. It also coincides with our membership of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is the principal coordinating body for economic and social matters within the UN system.

Building on G20 reforms of the international financial architecture and the Bretton Woods institutions, we should intensify our advocacy and diplomatic work on the transformation of the global governance system.  The expansion of the UN Security Council in the permanent and non permanent category should be a priority.

South Africa has continued to play an active international role in numerous multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation meetings, because this is important to our agenda for the creation of a peaceful and prosperous century.

The next three years will also be critical in setting the post-2015 agenda for the international partnership for development.

Honourable Members
This journey to freedom, as our icon Madiba taught us, is but a long walk.  Every good step we take is just the beginning of a better one. Some priorities should therefore preoccupy our approach into the future.

We have initiated implementation modalities on the National Development Plan.  One of these is on South Africa’s national interests with the view to elaborating a policy and strategy in a manner that balances our domestic priorities with equally important imperatives of cooperation and partnership as well as Pan Africanism and South-South solidarity.

The African Agenda must be consolidated.  The AU continues to be the primary vehicle that carries the hopes and aspirations of all Africans. As we look to the future, as South Africa, we embrace Vision 2063 of the AU which is encapsulated in the 50th Anniversary Declaration adopted recently at the conclusion of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. This Vision contains priorities that form the pillars of the tasks bestowed on us by history in our march to the next 50 years of our Union in 2063. 

The achievements of decolonisation must entail self-reliance and true socio-economic emancipation.

The success of NEPAD’s Presidential infrastructure initiative that we champion and the AU’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) is essential not only to our integration agenda, but specifically for the realisation of the Continental Free Trade Area.

The current trend of gaining political power unconstitutionally has to be halted.  In this regard, the decision taken by the recent AU Summit, at the initiative of South Africa on the urgent establishment of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises is historic, and indeed a leap towards the operationalisation of the African Standby Force.  

Elections should not be a source of dispute and political instability but a democratic path through which the people decide peacefully on who should govern them as stipulated in the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

Honorable Members;
We are glad to announce that the administrative requirements for the establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency have now been completed. The Proclamation was signed by President Zuma and the Agency will soon become operational. Shortly, we expect to table a Bill in Parliament for the creation of the Partnership Fund for Development. This Fund will replace the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund and provides the mechanism for the funding of development cooperation programmes administered through the Agency.
The establishment of the South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR) is also in the final stages.

DIRCO has made strides to improve on our human resource capacity by filling some of the key positions which were vacant. Organizational development remains at the heart of a well functioning organization.

Our Department took heed to a Presidential call for job creation.  Since 2005, DIRCO placed unemployed youth on Cadet, Learnership and Internship programmes through which we continue to contribute towards job creation initiatives.  Today, beneficiaries of the Cadet programme, Ms M Letlala, Ms NP Malekane and Ms NS Msimang are here as my special guests.  I am also pleased to be joined by 20 scholars from three schools in Cape Town, that is, Langa High School, Zonnebloem Nest Senior Secondary School and Beauvallon Secondary School who are here as part of the DIRCO’s “Take-a-Girl and Boy-Child to Work Day”.
We remain committed in our efforts to further respond to another Presidential call to prioritize “communication and marketing” in our work. We continued to strengthen our Public Diplomacy mandate through informative public participation platforms to enhance communication between government and public. We believe that the establishment of our internet based radio station “UBUNTU Radio” will further enhance and strengthen our desire to reach out to our national and international partners with ease.

Honorable Speaker and Members,
The foreign policy goals we set for ourselves when we began this journey in 1994 have been achieved. We have now reached a turning point where we have to marshal our forces in order to remain among the top economies of the world of today and the future. We are ready for this task.  History defines destiny, not only in humans, but also amongst states.We are stronger and more determined for the long walk in this journey to a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world.

As we say in anthem of the Africa Union:
Let us all unite and toil together
To give the best we have to Africa
The cradle of mankind and fount of culture
Our pride and hope at break of dawn.

I thank you!

Budget Vote speech by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim I Ebrahim, to the National Assembly, Cape Town

30 May 2013

Honourable Speaker;
Honourable Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present;
Honourable Deputy Minister Marius Fransman;
The Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors, and High Commissioners;
Representatives of International Organisations;
Invited guests;
Ladies and gentlemen,

Our foreign policy of Ubuntu expresses the desire for others to also have what we want for ourselves. South Africa’s foreign policy, like that of any other state, is a projection of our domestic imperatives. Through our foreign policy, we project South Africa’s vast opportunities as an investment destination of choice, as a world-class tourist destination, and as an exporter of quality goods and services.

Indeed, this is what we do on a daily basis through all our Missions abroad, through our high-level visits, diplomatic interactions and the various channels of mass communication. A recent study released by Brand SA affirms that South Africa ranks very favourably, especially with regard to financial infrastructure, competitiveness, governance and human development in comparison to global and emerging market competitors. These findings were compiled from data sourced from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Economic Forum and the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, among others.

Honourable Members;

It is in our national interest that we continue to champion the promotion of human rights in our country, Africa and the world.

The major hallmarks of our human rights agenda are most visible in the conduct of our foreign policy strategies, particularly, in our efforts to strengthening the African Agenda. Our involvement in peacekeeping missions in Africa finds expression in our key foreign policy strategy on Africa. We are inspired by the belief that the promotion of human rights is essential for development and prosperity of any nation in the world.

It is not surprising that South Africa is increasingly called upon to share its experiences and to play an active role in mediating between conflicting parties, in assisting with post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts by those countries emerging from conflict, and to assist others in developing their own mechanisms for reconciliation and nation-building.

We have demonstrated our commitment to continue monitoring the on-going political transitional processes in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. We have offered our assistance and experiences to the transitional governments and political role players in these countries, particularly in the drafting of their respective constitutions and in the reconciliation process.

We must also emphasise that, for Libya in particular, we have made an undertaking to share our experience with the formation of a National Defence Force as well as the establishment of an institution similar to our Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We will be firming up this commitment in the near future.

We have been actively involved with the Government of Sri Lanka. Our approach has also taken into account the important role of civil society, non-governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders. The idea behind our involvement is to help the people of Sri Lanka in dealing with the aftermath of the civil war that took place in 2009. I have personally visited Sri Lanka to engage at various forums, mainly about our own experiences. Similarly, I also had an opportunity to engage with a number of delegations visiting our shores from Sri Lanka on the same issues. We will continue our efforts to share the message of hope and peace with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka.

Such countries are constantly reminded of the importance of strengthening economic ties, which in turn ensures that the transition to peace is accompanied by visible and growing prosperity among all sectors of society.

Our message is therefore consistent throughout – the importance of establishing inclusive dialogue, the importance of justice, democracy, the rule of law and a legitimate Constitution as a basis for peaceful co-existence.

Honourable Chairperson:

As the Minister has already indicated, Asia remains a strategic continent for South Africa, and our political and economic relations continue to strengthen.

The importance of some of the countries notably China, Japan, India and South Korea as foreign direct investors in our country could not be overemphasised. The region’s importance for South Africa is underscored by the fact that Asia is the fastest-growing region in the world, followed by Africa. Although trade between South Africa and these countries is growing, the skewed trade in their favour requires sharp focus.

The South African Government will continue to strengthen its engagements with all its key partners, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Honourable Members;

Another important structure that defines our milestones is the South Africa-China Strategic Dialogue. This is an important platform where we engage on issues of common interest and mutual benefit. At its fifth session, which took place in November 2012, the establishment of the Joint Working Group on South Africa-China Cooperation featured prominently. It was also during this session that the Chinese Government offered a total of 200 scholarships to the Government of South Africa. We must take advantage of this opportunity.

Our relations with Japan remain solid. We continue to enjoy cordial bilateral relations with this part of Asia, through our Strategic Cooperation Partnership. In March this year, I had an opportunity to co-chair the 12th South-Africa-Japan Partnership Forum meeting, which was an important milestone in the evolution of our bilateral relations, focussing on the official development assistance from Japan to South Africa, and the upcoming Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V).

Our relations with South Korea are sound, particularly in the fields of trade, information and communications technology and water management.

Honourable Chairperson;

Our engagements with Central Asia, specifically, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are gaining momentum. Towards the end of this year, we expect to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan in South Africa. We are looking forward to a stimulating dialogue on issues of common interest.

We are also making economic strides in neighbouring Uzbekistan. SASOL has established a permanent presence in this country, and will partner with the Uzbek Government in the production of liquid fuel from gas.

Honourable Members;

The deteriorating military and humanitarian situation in Syria and the resultant number of fatalities, internally displaced people and refugees continues to increase. South Africa has condemned the on-going violence perpetrated both by the Government of Syria and the atrocities committed by rebel and sectarian groups. South Africa is convinced that there can be no military solution to the crisis and urges all parties to immediately put an end to the violence, to start engaging in dialogue, and reach an agreement on a political transition based on the Geneva Communiqué of June 2012.

The granting of Observer Status to Palestine by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last November was a significant turning point in the struggle for Palestinian statehood. We again urge all parties in the Palestine/Israeli conflict to enter into genuine negotiation, to create an independent Palestinian State, based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Likewise, we continue to support the right to self-determination of the Saharawi people.

The Republic of Iraq remains an important country for South Africa. We are guided by our shared common history of a struggle for independence and self- determination. We have already welcomed and hosted the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Iraq to our shores in November 2012, and an agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the two countries was signed.

Although the Islamic Republic of Iran finds itself in a difficult position internationally, our government is of the view that we should continue to maintain good relations with this country. At the invitation of Dr Hossein Abdollahian, Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs, I paid a visit to Iran in April 2013. One of the objectives of my visit was to encourage his government to take the necessary steps to seek consensus with the UN and its agencies on its nuclear programme.

Honourable Members;

India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are both strategic platforms, which allow for South-South politico-economic cooperation to strengthen and counteract the global balance of forces.

Ladies and gentlemen;

Moving closer to the prospects that the Indian Ocean Rim holds for our development, it must be emphasised that this formation has attracted the quest for influence and hegemony in the geo-strategic context, driven by global competition for natural resources and market share. A clear strategy to engage this formation is therefore necessary for our own economic development.

In the immediate neighbourhood, these include countries such as India, which is projected to rank third-largest in the global economy by 2050.

The need to leverage this agglomeration of key economic anchor countries is in congruence with South Africa’s domestic priorities, namely economic growth, job creation and skills development, as well as the regional and continental integration agendas.

Clearly, South Africa’s foreign policy continues to evolve and respond to the dynamics of the ever-changing global politics.

We will therefore continue to work effectively to advance our national interests through our foreign policy engagements.

I thank you.

Budget Vote Speech by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Marius Fransman, to the National Assembly, Cape Town

30 May 2013

Honourable Speaker,
Honourable Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and other Ministers with us today,
Honourable Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim,
The Chairperson and members of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors,
High Commissioners,
Representatives of International Organisations
Invited guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.

As our foreign policy approaches its 20th anniversary next year, it is critical that we fully assess the progress made in respect of our international relations agenda. It is appropriate that we evaluate the impact of our engagements against the agenda we have placed before us. In her address, our Minister did justice to that.

Honourable Chairperson,

Today, South Africa is a better place than it was 19 years ago. Our promise to create a better life for all our people is beginning to see the light of day. Changing the quality of the lives of our people has been our vision for the past 19 years. Creating more employment, reducing the levels of poverty and unemployment was and still is the cornerstone of our democracy and reason for our foreign policy.

When the African National Congress took over the reins of government in 1994, our new government was faced with multiple challenges of transformation. Today, this country has been transformed in every sphere. Today, our international relations engagements have elevated our country from a pariah state to a great nation we can all be proud of.

We have opened up economic opportunities for our people, integrated our land into the global village and played no small role in bringing peace and stability to our continent. But we also recognise the challenges that still lie ahead.

From increased levels of education, access to water, electricity, sanitation and housing, to a visionary foreign policy that is premised upon the principle that our economic prosperity as a country is intrinsically linked to the prosperity of the rest of Africa.

Over the past 19 years, we have promoted relations with strategic partners, and build formidable partnerships with like-minded states, we developed and implemented a foreign policy agenda that is founded on the principle that there can be no development and prosperity in Africa without peace and no peace and prosperity in Africa without development.

We have played our role in preventing and mediating conflicts across our continent, we have committed our resources to post-reconstruction and development on our continent. We have developed and implemented an independent and robust multilateral architecture in favour of the developing world.

We have successfully designed and implemented a foreign policy based on the principles of Ubuntu, human rights, human development and international solidarity with the developing world. Today, we can confidently say that we have made progress. Africa today is a far more peaceful (albeit the challenges) continent than it was two decades ago. In brief, this is what this great nation has achieved in the past 19 years.

Honourable Members,

The year 2013 marks the penultimate year before our country celebrates the 20th anniversary of our freedom in 2014. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the deaths of two of South Africa’s greatest patriots, democrats and diplomats – Comrades OR Tambo and Chris Hani.

It is also the 25th anniversary of the death of another great patriot, diplomat and protégé of OR Tambo – Comrade Dulcie September.   It is therefore important that as we forge ahead in the implementation of our foreign policy agenda, we dedicate our achievements to these great citizens of our country.

Honourable Speaker,

The extent to which we can succeed in advancing our foreign policy is directly dependent upon the support and mandate we receive from the masses. It is common course that our foreign policy initiatives have historically been perceived as a terrain which is far removed from our communities.

This is a perception we have to dispel among our people.  It is for this reason that the Public Participation Programme under the leadership of our President, and approved by Cabinet in 2010, has been fully utilised by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to debunk these misconceptions and ensure that our people are fully involved in the development and implementation of our foreign policy agenda.

We have used this space to reinforce accountability to citizens and robustly engage with them in respect of policy priorities through continuous public participation events. We have in the past three years travelled the length and breadth of this country. We have engaged and interacted with the citizens through structured meetings.

We have shared and debated our foreign policy trajectory with students, business, the elderly, our youth, non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations across all spectrums of society. We have had focussed sectoral meetings and outreach programmes with different sectors in preparation for our hosting of COP17/CMP7, the Global African Diaspora Summit and recently the Fifth Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Summit, among others. 

This community and civil society engagements have brought us closer to the citizens – helping us to not only communicate our work, but to also amend and formulate international relations policy to benefit our people.

Honourable Chairperson,

This year, we intend to continue in engaging and prioritising our work with the youth, women and the unemployed citizens through outreach programmes. Just yesterday, I had a community outreach programme where I addressed the people of Cape Town about the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity/African Union (OAU/AU), outcomes of the recently concluded AU Summit as well as plans for the year-long celebrations of this anniversary.

This year, we also intend establishing BRICS community chapters which will form the basis for community empowerment by our BRICS countries within local communities. This initiative will give impetus to BRICS commitments at local, provincial and national levels.

We have also succeeded in applying similar community-based structured engagements within the Saldanha Industrial Development Zone precinct. We will, therefore, continue utilising the latest social media platforms to further enhance our approach to outreach programmes.

Honourable Chairperson,

The promotion of peace, democracy and justice on the continent comes at a cost. Our Minister has just announced the progress made thus far regarding the establishment of the South African Partnership Development Agency. Indeed, the signing of this proclamation is one more step in the right direction towards accelerating the establishment of the agency to assist the Government in pursuit of its vision of international solidarity, and a better Africa through mutual assistance as well as partnership with other development actors.

The Agency will serve as the focal point for all South Africa’s outgoing development assistance. It will provide greater policy cohesiveness, harmonisation, synergy and coordination among all spheres of government.

We believe that South Africa is uniquely placed to develop partnerships with African countries, and other partners, those from the North and South, the multilateral institutions, civil society and the private sector, in a manner that drives innovation around African developmental challenges for the creation of self-sufficient societies, reducing the need for aid and capitalising on the human and natural resource assets of Africa.

Today, Africa has become a place of real opportunity and optimism with improved regional integration, a strong continental voice, a drive towards democracy and good governance and with signs of real economic growth.

Honourable Speaker,

We have also participated fully in the resolution of conflicts in the region. Since the 2009 coup, Madagascar has been suspended from membership of both the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the AU, pending restoration of a constitutional order. Our country as a member of the SADC Ministerial Committee Organ Troika as well as the chair during the period 2010 to 2011 committed itself to ensure that Madagascar implemented its Roadmap towards constitutional normalcy.

Today, we talk of a Madagascar that is preparing itself to host elections in July and September this year. For our part, we will continue to work closely with the SADC Troika on politics, defence and security cooperation in its efforts to finding lasting peace and stability through peaceful elections.

Honourable Members,

In a complex and insecure world, it is necessary that South Africa articulates and presents its foreign policy positions with a singular voice. Our department remains central in the coordination of the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy pursuant to Cabinet’s approval in 2008 of the “Measures and Guidelines for Enhanced Coordination of South Africa’s International Engagement”.

Our success in securing the release of Prof. Cyril Karabus is an example of an expression of this mandate. In the past few months, we had intense negotiations with the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to secure the release of Prof. Karabus, who was arrested in August 2012 at the Dubai International Airport while on transit. Today, Prof. Karabus is back at home. We must therefore express our appreciation to the Government of the UAE, DIRCO embassy staff in Abu Dhabi and all other individuals who played a direct or indirect role in supporting this process.

The role we play in providing consular services to South Africans in distress abroad is critical in strengthening social compact. Furthermore, in order to keep a record of South Africans travelling abroad, we have introduced an Internet- based system known as the Registration of South African Abroad (ROSA).

We continue to provide the necessary support in cases of missing South Africans abroad, repatriation of mortal remains of South Africans who pass away in foreign countries, and those who are detained and serving time away from home. Our government will continue providing the necessary consular support to all South Africans in distress. In short, our consular services are stronger now than ever before.

We continue to review and strengthen our human resource capacity. Our department is currently embarking upon an organisational review process after a functionality assessment conducted in collaboration with the Department of Public Service and Administration. The end product of the review will help us to effectively perform our dual mandate of both domestic and Foreign Service dimensions.

Honourable Speaker,

Our department continues to make strides in giving priority to the promotion of gender, youth and women. As a result, approval for the establishment of a Youth Directorate has been granted by the Department of Public Service and Administration.

Our State Protocol unit continues to attach great importance to working with other organs of the state, including provinces for more coordinated engagements. Through our outreach programmes, as a result, there has been an increased understanding and acknowledgement that international relations is not a shared mandate.

The year in review has also been an eventful one. Our department has and continues to facilitate and host incoming state visits, joint ministerial commissions, international conferences, and many other events that require the necessary protocol services.

With the limited resources at our disposal, we continue to achieve the goals we have set ourselves to achieve. In addition to providing training on economic diplomacy for our diplomats, our Diplomatic Academy has championed training on the Post-Reconstruction and Development Programme to African diplomats from different parts of Africa, especially those countries emerging from conflict.

Accordingly, the proposed Budget Vote tabled by the Minister today represents the priority areas that our department place significant emphasis on: Administration, International Relations, International Cooperation, Public Diplomacy and State Protocol, and Transfer Payments.

As a department, our foreign policy engagements spread across different regions with different currencies. The multiple currencies continue to affect our operations, and indeed impact negatively in carrying out our mandate.

It is our innovation that has brought to the fore some of the ideas we have embraced.  We have given a good account of our work, and we must look forward into the future with great optimism, and do more in attaining the goals we set in our vision for 2030.

Today, Africa is rising. Let us also rise as peoples of Africa. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU, let us recommit ourselves to promoting an integrated, prosperous, peaceful and unified Africa driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

I thank you!

Ian Davidson, Shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Highlights:
South Africa has experienced a decline in power and influence in world affairs and lost some of our moral authority in Africa;
Our voting record during the last two terms as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council has often been widely decried for some time siding with rogue regimes;
Nowhere in the Ministry’s definition of national interest, in the Department’s mission or in DIRCO’s six strategic priorities which flow from its vision do we get a clear understanding of goals, priorities or trade-offs that need to be made;
The DA agrees with the NDP that South Africa can play a leading role in BRICS by helping to facilitate deeper integration of relations between African states and other BRICS members; and
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane must implement the NDP’s proposal of convening a high level, high impact, task team to investigate South Africa’s foreign relations.

The Minister has delivered a glowing report on her Ministry – and let me say that I have been in parliament now for 14 years and in respect of her officials such a glowing report is well deserved.

In respect of policy development and in the positioning of South Africa in the geo political world there is however another view.

President Zuma, in his State of the Nation address unequivocally endorsed the NDP indicating that it would be this country’s road map and be front and centre of government policy going forward. He also indicated that all departments in their planning would have to align themselves to the NDP.

The Democratic Alliance welcomed that.

However in chapter 7 of the NDP the Commission puts forward a different view of DIRCO which I think the minister needs to respond to.

In the section reflecting on South Africa’s Status in the World, the report in the context of South Africa as a middle income country overstretching itself diplomatically, states that notwithstanding our drive to open up new Embassies:
“SA has experienced a relative decline in power and influence in world affairs” (Page 237)

The document goes on to say that:
“South Africa lost a great deal of moral authority – as a power resource – that the country enjoyed in the period immediately after the 1994 elections” (Page 237)

After reflecting on the International fora which we are members of particularly our once regular invitation to the G7, the report again states:
“When all of these issues are considered, South Africa’s foreign relations are becoming increasingly ineffective and the country is sliding down the scale of global competitiveness and overall moral standing”. (Page 238)

The Minister needs to interrogate why the report comes to these conclusions.

Is it because most of the current constructs which theoretically underpin our foreign policy are either overblown, inconsistent or incoherent, or is it that they don’t appropriately define or advance or prioritise South Africa’s national interest abroad, or is it that they do not at least acknowledge the tensions embedded in the clash between value driven policies and those driven by the country’s national interests.

Or is it because we raised expectations in the world when Nelson Mandela on the eve of his presidency said that:
“Human rights will be the light which guides our foreign policy”

This human rights base of the ANC’s founding fathers has been undermined through several of the country’s foreign policy decisions. Our voting record during the last two terms as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council has often been widely decried for some time siding with rogue regimes.

Our positioning on the Arab spring dashed expectations with contradictions and somersaults.

And here is the irony – we turned our backs on long repressed citizens under the heel of various fiefdoms and tyrannies when they began to demand and demonstrate for basic democratic and economic rights, just as their compatriots in South Africa had done some two or three decades before.

Compatriots fighting for values that are now enshrined in our own constitution.

Now let me acknowledge immediately that human rights cannot be the sole determinant of international relations. South Africa’s national interest is also of critical importance.

The problem is, as the NDP suggests, SA has yet to define appropriately what these national interests are. 

The White Paper, under the broad umbrella of Ubuntu defined our national interest:
“as the development and upliftment of our people, stability of the Republic and constitutional order, growth and development of the South African economy; growth and development of Southern Africa, a stable and prosperous African continent, and a just and equitable world order”

This sounds like a combination of a summary of South Africa’s constitutional premise and a normative pitch for a new world order.

Nowhere in the Ministry’s definition of national interest, in the Department’s mission or in DIRCO’s six strategic priorities which flow from its vision do we get a clear understanding of goals, priorities or trade-offs that need to be made.

I think the Commission recognises this as in its paragraph of Proposals to Reposition South Africa in the Region and the World it states clearly that South Africa needs clarity on its national interests. They go so far as to recommend that there be an urgent convening of a high level, high impact, task team to investigate South Africa’s foreign relations. The task team it says should produce definitive studies on:
South-Africa’s national interest
South Africa in the context of African geo-politics
South Africa’s role in the world, especially in BRICS and multilateral relations.

What an indictment.

You see the problem is that when you abandon your human rights base and have no clarity as to what your national interests are, you end up by being perceived in international fora as being inconsistent or incoherent and even end up fighting battles in countries where we have no place.

On a different note I want to commend the department for, of late, placing great emphasis on economic diplomacy even though it is not listed as one of the Department’s six priorities.
Economic diplomacy encapsulates the broad international policy making processes, not to be confused with commercial diplomacy which refers to the work of bilateral measures aimed at marketing the country and promoting trade and investment. But here again there is criticism from the Commission.

It notes in this context:
“South African diplomats have great skill in drafting memoranda of understanding, policy statements and agreements but lose momentum when it comes to implementing agreement terms or following up our promises of benefits.”

A further important note they make, echoed by business, is that there is a marked dislocation between the efforts of South African business leaders and government leaders and officials.

Government they correctly observe may negotiate trade deals but it is private companies that actually trade across borders.

Joining BRICS, the NPC observes, is an important development in the history of South Africa’s international relations.

And in this connection in the run-up to the 5th BRICS summit we were assailed with a great deal of hype as to the benefits of BRICS, what its potential was and what was about to be achieved.

The outcome has been a lot more sober.

One positive potential outcome which we welcomed was the imminent creation of a development bank possibly even sited in South Africa.

In this context, the summit was all BRICs and no mortar.

We will await an announcement.

The thrust of the statements made by the respective participants at the end of the plenary indicated that in practise there are major hurdles putting together a common vision for the organisation.

Not only is there a lack of a common underlying value system, but there are also divergent national interests that inform its roll in a changing global landscape. Clearly a lot more thought has to be given by each member to where its country’s self-interest begins and where the interest of BRICS as a geo-political block starts.

Having said that, the DA agrees with the NDP that South Africa can play a leading role in BRICS by helping to facilitate deeper integration of relations between African states and other BRICS members.

One of DIRCO’s six strategic priorities which clearly are in the national interest is the strengthening of political and economic integration of the SADC region. Such an integration would clearly enhance South Africa’s status in Africa, in BRICS and the greater geo-political world.

Yet notwithstanding this priority there has been little or no progress.

Clear integration milestones were set for deepening integration in SADC with a view to accelerating poverty eradication of other economic and non-economic goals. These milestones included a preferential trade area by the year 2000, free trade area by 2008, customs unions by 2010, common market by 2015 and monetary union by 2018.

None have been achieved.

The NPC in its report suggests in its paragraph on Cooperation and Integration in Africa that:

 “South African policy makers tend to have a weak grasp of African geo politics”, because of this foreign relations with African states are often tentative, with policy makers vacillating between leading and muddling through on issues of integration and cooperation”

I think the NPC makes a very important observation on the matter of SADC integration when it notes that:

“South Africa needs to purposely shift from regionalisation, which allows for transnational activity without formal political cooperation to regionalism, which involves conscious political planning and possibly the creation of formal institutions.”

Regionalism is an alternative which allows South Africa to significantly increase SA’s trade and investment but allows the country to remain in full control of its destiny in Africa.

The NDP has many more interesting yet, for the ministry, problematic observations which time does not allow me to go into.

It is clear to me however that the Minister and her team, instead of coming to the House with a glowing report needs to go back, re-read the NDP, engage in a great deal of introspection and appoint that task team suggested by the commission.

It is only then that her Department will be able to comply with President Zuma’s instructions for all departments to align themselves with the NDP.

Bill Eloff, Shadow Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Highlights:
Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth averaged 4.8% over the last five years and Africa’s 5.1% which makes South Africa’s 2.7% a grim picture. The Department needs to be doing more to create economic opportunities for SA in Africa;
South Africa has more embassies than most countries but we do not know how this money is being spent. The DA calls for an audit of all South Africa’s embassies; and
The DA calls on the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to include tourism and economic programmes within our embassies.
I have to congratulate our Minister of International Relations and Co-operation for trying to give the Department credibility by giving immediate response to issues such as Professor Karabus and the Gupta scandal, where she met with Virendra Gupta to convey the Government’s displeasure over his actions. It is strange she did not know beforehand. She is also to raise the issue with the Indian Government but we are awaiting their response and her feedback.

Of her Deputy Minister Fransman we cannot say the same. 

He should spend more time focussing on his role as the Deputy Minister rather than provincial party politics.

As we have seen with the Central African Republic and other countries. We just have to back the losing horse in all races. Do we really think in choosing sides, and if our candidate loses, our future relationship with that country would ever recover? No, we are losing the battle to become a major role player in Africa. Why not rather stay neutral and try to get parties around a table to get solutions. Promote democracy and the open opportunity society, and let the people decide for themselves.

We are slipping further back. Our membership in BRICS was because of our stock exchange, the biggest in Africa. But Nigeria’s stock market gained 35% and Uganda’s 39% over the last year. Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth averaged 4.8% over the last five years and Africa’s 5.1%. Our 2.7% paints a grim picture.

Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa leapt from $6 billion in 2000 to $34 billion last year.  We have to ask the question as to where the problem is if we do not get our share.

We, as a committee have not been allowed to visit any embassy to do oversight. We do not know how the money is being spent. All we know is that we have more embassies than most countries. All we hear is of the progress the Department is making in doing oversight over their Embassies, up to now we have not seen any reports. I suggest an audit on the Embassies to see if some of them can be consolidated. What benefit is it to the people of South Africa? The staff, how well are they equipped to enhance our tourism and economy. What are the results of every Embassy as a unit? 

There must be something wrong otherwise the Minister of Tourism would not have announced in his budget vote that he is opening more tourist offices in Africa and Brazil. Why can’t these offices be combined, isn’t it a huge overlap? Can’t he rather make use of our offices or train our staff to be up to his Department’s standards.

I call upon the Minister to start a programme that includes tourism and economic opportunities in South Africa to all the foreign embassies of South Africa so that they have first-hand knowledge to promote our country.

Our future economic success lies with SADC. Together we can grow to be the financial hub of Africa, although we are at the moment the partner with the smallest growth rate.

Article 4(c) and 6(1) of the SADC treaty states: “SADC and its member states shall act in accordance with the principles of Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law”.

Instead Judge AG Pillay, the Chair of the UN Committee on Economics, Social and Culture Rights and former President of the SADC tribunal, had to say: “President Zuma and other SADC leaders effectively killed off the SADC Tribunal at Mugabe’s behest. Their decision had left citizens with no recourse to justice when they are abused by their own governments, also corporations are now left unprotected.

The tribunal cases in which Zimbabwe and others were found guilty are still hanging in the air, in silence. Instead of enforcing human rights and the Rule of Law, we give them a loan.

80% of applications before the Tribunal, consisted of cases of individuals against states, show that leaders do not care for human rights or the Rule of Law. This is the exact opposite to the vision of the DA. We care not for certain people we care for everybody.

What is the message that we sent out to the rest of the world, and investors who want to invest?

South Africa is a major transhipment point for drugs on the continent and has the second highest number of narcotics addicts in Africa. The Minister must introduce to the SADC countries a regional mechanism for Southern Africa to curb illegal transit of drugs such as Kofi Annan’s West African Commission on Drugs.

Dear fellow South Africans, wake up and smell the wealth coming to Africa. The world needs oil and food. Africa has 60% of the unused agriculture land of the world. And when you look at the latest oil and gas deposits map, you will see from Eritrea to Mozambique and Namibia is the future oil kingdom. The question? What are we going to do to be part of it?  If you snooze, you lose.  

Anne Frank said:  “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”