Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Budget speech & responses by ANC, and DA

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 03 May2016.

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Honourable Chairperson,
Honourable Deputy Ministers,
Honourable Members,
Your Excellences, Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Representatives of International Organizations, Colleagues, Distinguished guests,
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
We are honoured to present this Budget Vote Speech in this year of the 40th Anniversary of the Soweto Uprising. We pay tribute to the 16 June 76 generation whose brave actions led to the declaration of apartheid as a crime against humanity by the United Nations (UN), and triggered a ground swell of international solidarity against the apartheid regime. For this, we shall remain eternally grateful to the international community for their role in the struggle against apartheid, and the birth of a new democratic South Africa.
This is also the “Year of Human Rights with specific focus on Women’s Rights” as declared by the Heads of State and Government during the African Union (AU) January 2016 Summit. Women’s Rights are Human Rights. It coincides with the 60th Anniversary of the historic march by the women of South Africa against inhuman, unjust and discriminatory apartheid laws. In this regard, we reaffirm the centrality of human rights in our foreign policy and recommit ourselves to intensify our efforts at the promotion and protection of women’s rights in particular.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
During the State of the Nation Address on 11 February, President Jacob Zuma, underscored the centrality of the National Development Plan (NDP), the overarching apex policy framework that guides the work of the fifth administration.
In the area of international relations the NDP states:-
 
“in order for South Africa to achieve its national goals of eradicating poverty, lowering inequality, creating jobs and making transition to a resilient carbon economy, foreign relations must be driven by the country’s domestic economic, political and social demands, as well as our regional, continental and global obligations”.
 
In pursuance of this injunction, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has translated the NDP goals into a strategic programme that seeks to:-
 
*   Sustain political, economic and social relations;
*   Strengthen political and economic integration and development of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC);
*   Consolidate the African Agenda;
*   Strengthen and consolidate South-South relations;
*   Leverage relations with the North in advancement of national and continental priorities and agenda of the South; and
*   Advocate for the reform and strengthening of the global system of governance.
*
Honourable Members,
 
We live in a turbulent world characterised by economic crisis on the one hand and political conflict on the other. These twin global challenges pose a serious threat to peace and development in the world. Peace and development are two sides of the same coin. According to the UN’s 2016 “World Economic Situation Prospects” publication, the global economy is expected to grow sluggishly by mere 2.9 per cent in 2016 and 3.2 percent in 2017. The global economic downturn has forced many governments to adopt fiscal consolidation measures side by side with stimulus packages.
South Africa is one of the developing countries whose economics are fully integrated in the global economy, hence the impact. This budget we are presenting here today incorporates the budget reduction of R153 million in the 2016/17 financial year and that will amount to a R1.8 billion reduction over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
 
The hard choice before us in the light of these budget cuts, are to close down some of our missions as some have suggested and face the reality of losing momentum on the gains we have achieved as evidenced by increasing trade and investments.
DIRCO has been at the forefront of coordinating the country’s response to these challenges. Part of our response to this changing global economic landscape, has been to identify economic development opportunities for South Africa.
 
In this regard, DIRCO has been central to the coordination of South Africa’s economic diplomacy programme. In anticipation of growth in both the African and Asian regions, we took a conscious decision to expand and strengthen our diplomatic missions in the two regions.
We increased our presence on the continent from Seven (7) Diplomatic and Consular Missions in 1994 to 47 in 2015. Consequently, South Africa’s trade in the continent increased 39 times from R 11, 4 billion in 1994 to R 385 billion in 2015. We are targeting half a trillion rand trade with Africa by 2019.  As at the end of 2015,    20% of our trade was conducted within the African continent.
 
Honourable Members,
 
With regard to Asia and the Middle East, South Africa’s trade and investment in these regions has grown considerably and continues to do so. In 1994 trade with Asia and the Middle East combined was approximately R45 billion and has increased to approximately R760 billion for Asia and R116 billion with the Middle East. Working together with other governments departments, we can achieve a trillion rand trade with this region by 2019.
 
Based on the above, it can be deduced that there is a direct correlation between the growth of South Africa’s diplomatic missions and the phenomenal expansion of our trade and investment relations in both the African continent and Asia and the Middle East. The same applies to Americas and Europe. With additional Economic Diplomacy efforts and enhanced national coordination, South African trade with the world can reach R 2 trillion by the end of this administration. Without a doubt an unprecedented trade expansion!
 
At the same time, as we explore new markets, we continue to maintain close economic ties with the industrialised economies of the North which provide inter alia preferential market access to some of South Africa’s exports. Enhancing the economic and political dialogue is an important part of our economic diplomacy strategy as they remain a primary source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows into South Africa.
 
Your Excellences,
 
In addition to the economic uncertainties we face, the global security situation has become more precarious in the recent past. We have witnessed with concern growing extremism, increased acts of terrorism and intra-state conflict in various regions across the world including the Sahel. The long standing conflict in Syria and the instability in Libya re but examples of the conflict. These developments have led to an increase in migration flows as people flee the consequences of conflict. It is important that the root causes of migration are addressed, especially the impact on women and children.
 
Honourable Members,
 
Our development is intertwined with that of the Southern Africa region and the African continent at large. Hence our renewed efforts at ramping up industrialisation should be viewed within the overall framework of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap as approved by the SADC extra-ordinary Summit in April 2015. We seek to industrialise the regional and continental economies in order to develop our own manufacturing capacity.
We also seek to radically alter the colonial/post-colonial pattern where Africa was a supplier of raw materials. Africa should produce value added goods for exports into the global economy. It is only in this way that we can address the paradox of a rich-resource continent inhabited by a poverty-stricken population, and make a decisive break with the past!
 
In pursuit of the continental economic integration agenda we have witnessed the launch of SADC, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) in June 2015 in Egypt. This FTA, which merges 26 countries into a free trade zone with 625 million people and a total gross domestic product (GDP) of 1.6 trillion US Dollars, will contribute immensely towards increasing intra-African trade. The Tripartite FTA represent an important milestone towards the conclusion of negotiations for the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area.
 
Your Excellences,
 
Led by President Zuma, the AU Assembly unanimously re-elected South Africa for a second consecutive two-year term to the AU’s Peace and Security Council. This gives us the opportunity to consolidate on the work done in the past two years including contributing to the implementation of Agenda 2063’s goal of “Silencing the Guns by 2020.”
 
South Africa will intensify its diplomatic efforts to help bring about lasting political solutions in Lesotho, Burundi, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region.
Allow me to take this opportunity to commend the outgoing AU Commission Chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, for her admirable leadership in particular the conceptualisation of Agenda 2063 which has since been adopted as the continent’s vision – the “Africa we want”. Her emphasis on continental self-reliance in funding the AU’s programmes and projects will be one of her enduring legacies. Lastly we salute Dr Dlamini-Zuma for her tireless work which has resulted in a marked improvement in the working methods of the AU.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
In pursuit of the NDP goals, particularly concerning energy security, we have engaged in mutually beneficial partnerships with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 
I am happy to report that the Memorandum of Understanding between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the Grand Inga Project signed in 2011 has entered into force. This project, when completed, will be a significant addition to South Africa’s energy mix, contributing 15 000 Megawatts to the national grid.
 
Honourable Members, Your Excellences,
 
The African continent continues to leverage relations with strategic partners such as China in order to achieve its developmental objectives as set out in Agenda 2063. In this regard, the first ever Summit level meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held on the African continent, in Johannesburg, focused on the objectives of Agenda 2063 and the China Two Centenary Goals. China pledged US60 billion for Africa’s skills training, socio-economic and infrastructure development from which South Africa and the continent at large will benefit.
 
Ahead of the FOCAC meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping undertook a State Visit to South Africa culminating in the signing of 23 Agreements amounting to close to 100 billion Rands.
 
Our cooperative partnerships with emerging economies complement other existing platforms which we utilise to pursue the African Agenda. Since we joined the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) formation, Africa’s developmental needs and aspirations have been fully incorporated into the BRICS agenda. The BRICS’s New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai has recently started operations and its African Regional Centre (ARC), will be located in Johannesburg.
 
As has been reported that the NDB has approved its first tranche of projects in April 2016. Each Member State has been allocated a project to implement and South Africa has been allocated 180 billion US dollars for renewable energy. Through this decision, the NDB has commenced to discharge its mandate namely; the funding of infrastructure projects that promotes sustainable development. Africa’s partnerships with USA, India, Korea and Japan are also yielding positive socio-economic results.
 
In the spirit of mutual beneficial global cooperation, we will continue to participate actively in the Group of 20 (G20) processes in our capacity as Co-chair of the G20 Development Working Group.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
As the chairperson of Group of 77 and China, South Africa was at the forefront of articulating and promoting the collective economic and developmental interests of the South within the UN System.  We coordinated the G77 and China positions in the negotiations for the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which was adopted at a UN Summit in  September 2015, and during the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development, which resulted in the “Addis Ababa Action Agenda”.
 
We are satisfied that the 2030 Agenda is all encompassing in that it addresses the three dimensions of sustainable development namely; the economic, social and environmental dimensions, and is aligned to the AU’s Agenda 2063 and our own NDP.
Concerning the climate change negotiations, South Africa utilised its tenure as the Chair of the G77 and China to engender paradigm shift from the mitigation-centric approach to a holistic and comprehensive approach in order to meaningfully address climate change. In this regard, the historic Paris Agreement and the package of supporting decisions covering climate action in the pre - and post - 2020 periods marks the successful conclusion of a four-year negotiation process under the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action initiated by South Africa in 2011.
 
South Africa signed the Paris Agreement at the UN Secretary-General’s high-level event in New York in 22 April 2016 and will commence with the domestic processes required for ratification.
 
Having concluded our mandate as Chair of the G77 and China in January 2016, we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to members of the group for their support and cooperation.
 
Honourable members, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
We remain convinced that the UN is the preeminent organisation for the maintenance of global peace and security, and the advancement of development. We will therefore continue to advocate for its reforms, particularly the reform of the UN Security Council to ensure that this body is both responsive to the needs of developing countries and is truly representative of the current global realities.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
Having said this, DIRCO will intensify efforts to ensure cohesion and better coordination of South Africa’s international engagements. I am convinced that we can avoid duplication of efforts and maximise the benefits deriving from our coordinated international engagements. In this regard, we will take deliberate measures to impress upon all stakeholders to implement the “Measures and Guidelines for the Enhanced Coordination of South Africa’s International Engagements”.
 
As you may recall, I announced in the previous Budget Vote that a South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR), comprising of leaders from academia, business, labour and civil society will be launched. I am pleased to inform you that SACOIR was launched in July 2015 and since its inception the Council continues to provide valuable input and advice in our international relations engagements.
 
Your Excellences,
 
Our diplomatic efforts have not gone unnoticed. South Africa has recently been conferred the Distinguished Diplomatic Service Award from the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC for “outstanding commitment to global education, international affairs and global communications”.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Chair and the Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation for their support and cooperation.
 
Let me extend a word of gratitude to my cabinet colleagues in the International Relations and Cooperation, Trade and Security Cluster for their guidance.
 
Last but not least, I would also like to thank the two Deputy Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation for their work in promoting South Africa’s international relations programme at home and abroad.
 
Finally, allow me to thank the Director-General, Senior Managers and staff of the Department for the execution of decisions on South Africa’s international relations programme.
 
The following words of President Nelson Mandela addressing a Joint Sitting of Parliament to mark 10 years of democracy still ring true: “In a cynical world we have become an inspiration to many. We signal that good can be achieved amongst human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared to believe in the goodness of people”.
 
I thank you
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Responses

DIRCO Budget Vote by Hon Mpumlwana (ANC)

Honourable Chairperson,
Honourable Minister and deputy Ministers,
Honourable Members,
Honourable Diplomats,
Distinguished Guests and Honourable South Africans

Bhotani

This DIRCO budget is deservedly supported by the ANC.

With his excellency, the president leading the planning team and Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane the implementing team, they deserve the whole country's respect and praise.

South Africa's foreign policy is, today on an upward march, adapting and innovating, from frontier to frontier, beginning in our SADC neighbourhood, across the entire Africa for the implementation of the African Agenda, into the South to strengthen our co-operation there, to the North where our partners value a relationship with us, and in multilateral organizations where South Africa's independent voice continue to be heard. It is through the leadership of these dedicated son and daughter of South Africa as well as the selfless efforts of the entire department that South Africa is today an equal among equals and whose opinion is always respected.

Strengthening the African Agenda.

The African continent remains central to South Africa's foreign policy, and this thrust forms the basis for our cooperation partnerships and engagements all over the world.
Hosting the African Union (AU) Summit in June 2015 was yet another reaffirmation that Africa's prosperity is key to our foreign policy priorities. The Summit set out measures for the roll out of Agenda 2063 as a continental vision for the Africa we all want.
In October to November 2015 we hosted the AMANI AFRICA II Field Training to test the full operational capability of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC) with a view to launch the African Standby Force (ASF).
Strengthening political and economic integration of SADC.

We contributed to efforts which culminated in the launch of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) in June 2015 in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. The tripartite FTA integrates markets of 26 countries with a population of 632 million, or 57% of Africa's population. This milestone builds momentum towards successful conclusion of the Continental Free Trade Area negotiations due by 2017. This is a step which will ensure that Africa trades more and more with itself.
As Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation from August 2014 to August 2015, South Africa participated in regional peace and security initiatives as well as mechanisms for entrenchment of democracy. In this regards we led and supported six (6) SADC Electoral Observer Missions (SEOMs to Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, Zambia and the Kingdom of Lesotho.
We will continue to forge closer political, economic and social relations through targeted high-level interactions in Africa. The realisation of the Africa We Want requires peace, be it in the SADC, Great Lakes, the Horn, or in North Africa.
South-South Cooperation

Beyond our continent, South Africa remains engaged with the countries of the South and the East to advance issues of common interest and mutual benefit in the agenda of developing nations.
We4 are part of BRICS. BRICS serves as a catalyst to promote the African Union's regional integration programme as well as related continental infrastructure programmes.
President Zuma was mandated in 2012 by AU leadership to support and pursue the creation of BRICS BANK. He subsequently hosted the first BRICS outreach summit in 2013 together with AU leadership to discuss infrastructure development.
He was then designated by AU as a nodal point between BRICS and African leaders. At the sith BRICS summit South Africa was designated to host the African Centre of the new BRICS Development Bank.

However BRICS Bank remains the elephant in the room. Servicing more than two thirds of the world population, it is seen as a threat to world capitalists. Many attempts are being made by its enemies to destabilise or change the regimes that are part of BRICS.
In December 2015 South Africa hosted the 2nd Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in order to further strengthen the friendly cooperation between China and Africa under the new circumstances, jointly meet the challenge of economic globalization and promote common development agenda.

We participated in the India-Africa Summit to pursue the collective goal of utilising cooperative partnership to advance our African interests and interests of the global South. We did so conscious of the developments in the global arena including the need for concerted effort to work towards realisation of the SDGs. Ndibala ntonina?

It is this ANC government that has so brilliantly and honourably represented South Africa in the world. It is only ANC that is capable of doing this. I call upon the people of South Africa to please come in their numbers and vote ANC in local government election.
 

Remarks by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, H.E. Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, (ANC) on the occasion of the Presidency Budget Vote Debate

Honorable Speaker/Chairperson
Honourable President of the Republic of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma,
Honourable Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa,
Honorable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Honourable Members and Colleagues,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a great honour and privilege to participate in this debate that marks the President's Budget Vote Speech for the year 2016/17.

Please allow me, at the very outset, to extend my sincere felicitations to President Jacob Zuma on delivering an exceptional Budget Vote Speech which speaks to the core business of our democratic government, and indeed highlights our milestones over the past 22 years.

President Zuma delivered this speech at a time when our country enters its third decade of freedom. We owe our gratitude to the President for his distinguished leadership and visionary approach to international relations. Under his leadership, South Africa continues to receive recognition as an important role player in international affairs.

Honourable Members,

The in-depth articulation of the President about the values and principles for which we fought should serve as an inspiration for all of us to join forces, and worker harder in our pursuit to create a better Africa, and a better World for all who live in it.

It is our present day foreign policy which beckons us to commit not only to our own development but the development of the African continent as a whole, for the creation of an Africa we want. After 22 years of freedom, we are proud to proclaim that the African continent remains central to our foreign policy. It is this approach which forms the basis for our cooperation and solidarity with countries of the South and political and economic dialogue with countries of the North.

Our foreign policy commands us to become champions of cooperation and partnership over competition in the global arena.

Working together with our partners, we continue to identify opportunities which will form part of our response to the current global economic landscape which remains volatile for many countries - both developed and developing. An important means to achieve this goal is to formulate and implement a robust economic diplomacy programme in order to reshape our economic outlook.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The work we do as a country speaks for itself. Just yesterday during my Department's Budget Vote I announced some of our milestones since 1994. Notably, over the past 22 years, we have increased our presence on the continent from Seven (7) Diplomatic and Consular Missions in 1994 to 47 in 2015.

The result of this is South Africa's increase of trade share in the continent from R 11, 4 billion in 1994 to R 385 billion in 2015. We are targeting half a trillion rand trade with Africa by 2019. As at the end of 2015, 19.5 % of our trade was conducted within the African continent. We are confident that this will contribute to improving the living conditions of all our people.

We are honoured as a country by our re-election, for a second consecutive two-year term, to the AU Peace and Security Council. This is yet another opportunity for us to consolidate our gains of the past two years, including contributing to the implementation of Agenda 2063's goal of "Silencing the Guns by 2020." The respect that South Africa has amassed over the years has seen South Africa being requested to lead in peace efforts in South Sudan, Burundi and Sri-Lanka to mention but a few examples.

Honourable Members,

You will agree with me that our foreign policy will be shallow if it does not take the SADC region into confidence. It is precisely for this reason that our development is intertwined with that of the Southern African region.

Our country's accelerated scope of industrialisation should be viewed within the overall framework of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap which was approved by the SADC extra-ordinary Summit in April 2015. We seek to industrialise the regional and continental economies in order to develop our own manufacturing capacity.

In the pursuit of a better South Africa and a better Africa, we have we have continued to leverage relations with strategic partners such as China in order to achieve its developmental objectives as set out in the NDP and the AU's Agenda 2063.

Mr President,

The first ever Summit level meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held on the African continent, in Johannesburg, focused on the objectives of Agenda 2063 and the China Two Centenary Goals. China pledged US60 billion for Africa's skills training, socio-economic and infrastructure development from which South Africa and the continent at large will benefit.

As a prelude to the FOCAC Summit, we were honoured by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he undertook a State Visit to South Africa. This visit culminated in the signing of 23 Agreements amounting to over 100 billion rands which will be used to improve the economy and the lives of our people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our membership of BRICS bears testimony to the reality that South-South Cooperation is a force for change and development amongst like-minded nations. Accordingly, the BRICS's New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai has recently started operations and its African Regional Centre (ARC), will be located in Johannesburg.

We are inspired by recent announcements that the New Development Bank has approved its first transaction of projects in April 2016. In this allocation, South Africa has been allocated 180 billion US dollars for renewable energy which accelerate the pace of economic development

The subject of climate change has become prominent due to its importance in our livelihood and the future of our planet. It is for this reason that we have utilised our tenure as the Chair of the G77 and China to engender paradigm shift from the mitigation-centric approach to a holistic and comprehensive approach in order to meaningfully address climate change.

Accordingly, the historic Paris Agreement and the package of supporting decisions covering climate action in the pre - and post - 2020 periods marks the successful conclusion of a four-year negotiation process under the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action initiated by South Africa in 2011.

Honourable Members,

Today we must be a proud nation for we have risen to the occasion by signing the Paris Agreement at the UN Secretary-General's high-level event in New York on 22 April 2016.

As the chairperson of Group of 77 and China in 2015, our country was at the forefront of articulating and promoting the collective economic and developmental interests of the South within the UN System.

It was a great honour and privilege for us to coordinate the G77 and China positions in the negotiations for the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", which was adopted at a UN Summit in September 2015, and during the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development. This resulted in the "Addis Ababa Action Agenda" for which we are proud.

It is our considered view that the phenomenal growth of our foreign policy influence, the key global role we play, and our respect for human rights remain sources of moral inspiration in our international relations engagement. Let me take this opportunity to remind this honourable house, that South Africa engages in international relations not for the sake of it, but to improve the lives of our people, the lives of Africans as a whole and the lives of the disadvantaged throughout the world. We have made great strides but there is still much more to do. As President Mandela said in 1953,

'..there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow again and again before we reach the mountain tops of our desires'

So we too must continue to toil 'again and again' until 'we reach the mountain tops' of prosperity for all.

As I conclude, let me take this opportunity to thank President Jacob Zuma for his sterling leadership, and for his selfless commitment in ensuring that our foreign policy remains on course.

I thank you.

SA needs to return to human right based foreign policy: Stevens Mokgalapa (DA) Shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

SA foreign policy has undergone a metamorphic process since the democratic dispensation two decades ago; President Mandela declared that human rights would be a guiding principle of our foreign policy. The current government has veered off this principle with our foreign policies now being perceived as inconsistent, flip-flopping, incoherent, lacking direction and rather confused. A paradigm shift is essential if SA is to reclaim its global standing and respect as a leader in human rights, rule of law, respect for international law and democracy. President Zuma has violated the Constitution as indicated by the Constitutional  Court ruling and the Supreme Court of Appeal has also dismissed the government application for leave to appeal on the Al-Bashir matter – this confirms that SA is an embarrassment of its former self.
 
The essence of diplomacy is premised on the  promotion and protection of national interests, SA’s national interests are defined broadly as the enhancement of a better Africa in a better world. This is abstract and there is a need to define in detail the terms of our national interests – the question is what is SA’s bottom line? The National Development Plan (NDP) also highlights the need for broader consensus and clarity on what constitutes our national interests. We acknowledge the national priorities of poverty, unemployment and inequality together with 5 government priority programs: education, health, crime, jobs, economic growth however this needs to be translated into narrow national interests for clarity of purpose of our international relations strategy. Foreign policy is by definition an extension of domestic policy, our domestic imperatives should always be prioritized in every international relations exercise that we engage in.
 
The NDP recommends a thorough analysis of the political and economic costs and benefits of SA strategic representation and actions abroad. The DA agrees with the National Treasury 2015 budget review which called for rationalization and review of our missions abroad. The cost of maintaining many of our missions is unsustainable due to high property and staffing costs. SA‘s global foot print should not be determined by quantity of missions abroad but rather by how we remain true and consistent to our principles and values: the Constitution, democracy, human rights, respect for international law and the rule of law, and most significantly return on investment. In place of many missions, we need to investigate alternative methods such as the use of ICT and online services and the regional clustering of missions.
 
With 125 missions in 107 countries and with accreditation of more than 160 countries and organizations resident in SA, the major programs 2, 3 and 5 cost well over 4 billion which is a lion share of the entire 5,8 billion budget for the Department. This is far too costly for the national fiscus, especially in the current economic climate. The DA believes that South Africa’s missions should be aligned to trade, investment and economic competitiveness to ensure economic growth and value for money.
 
Chairperson allows me to address you on the aforementioned Departmental programs.
 
Program 1: The DA is concerned about the high level of vacancies (currently 287) which will impact on the department’s ability to fulfill its mandate even though the budget has increased.
Program 2: This is the main driver of DIRCO’s revenue at a cost of R3,1 billion. The question we need to ask is, what is the value of our outgoing and incoming visits both by the Head of State and Ministers? Is there an alignment of our economic and domestic imperatives to our missions and bilateral relations as well as national joint commissions? What is the impact on economic diplomacy?
Program 3 International Cooperation: outcome 11 of the MTSF 2014-2019 envisages that government seek to create a better SA and contribute to a better and safer Africa in a better world. This requires that SA take the lead in terms of global issues. Furthermore, the NDP also envisages that SA play a greater leadership role in Africa by leading development and growth in Africa, this means that SA needs to speak up in multilateral forums like UN, AU, and SADC when human rights abuses occur in South Sudan; when dictators oppress people in Zimbabwe; when democracy is under threat and civil war and genocide are rife in Burundi; when elections are rigged in Uganda; and when dictators do not want to vacate office in Rwanda. This is the cancer that will erode Africa and take Africa back to the dark ages. SA cannot just sit-back and observe this dire situation – we must speak up and act as well as ensure that the UN resolution to protect is upheld.
 
SA’s track record in multilateral forums is shameful and inconsistent. Our votes are often against the principles and values of our Constitution, highlighted by the recent damning Human Rights Council report on SA human rights which includes the fact that amongst others women, children, prisoners, indigenous  people, foreigners and protestors are suffering abuse. Furthermore it condemns SA’s commitments to upholding its obligations under international law with the Al-Bashir issue being a brazen example. This has led to SA losing global moral respect and being labeled as a non-compliant signatory of the Rome Statute.
 
SA’s silence and partnerships with undemocratic and autocratic regimes such as China and North Korean have also dented our international image and compromised our integrity.
 
The DA welcomes the Foreign Service Bill which is long overdue, to professionalize and regulate our diplomatic core and foreign service. The recent scandals involving our diplomats in Japan, Norway and Ghana have dented our national brand. SA’s image is in disrepute and this Bill will go some way to addressing those shortcomings to ensure that our diplomatic corps and foreign service is no longer a dumping ground for ANC rejects but a service for the country‘s national interests.
 
The DA is concerned about program 4, public diplomacy; we always call for more funding to this program because of its significance especially considering the unique role that this department is playing in the global arena by communicating and marketing our foreign policy to the global audience.
In Program 5, the DA recongnises that international transfers need to be part of multi-lateral forums and must contribute to candidacy diplomacy. We must ensure that our efforts have influence and we must desist from being blank cheques to be used by others.
 
The DA is concerned about the audit outcomes of the department. For two consecutive years the department received a qualified audit opinion which revealed millions in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Three critical issues were raised by the Auditor General namely, lack of leadership, lack of consequences management and lack of requisite skills by senior management. These issues need your urgent attention Minister to ensure that they do not reoccur and that there is stability in the department towards achieving a clean audit outcome.
 
The department spends over R575 million on property leases abroad and maintenance and the building of chanceries, staff houses, and official residences. The amount spent on infrastructure for the current budget will be R209 million and will increase up to R303 million in the next financial year. This is a source of concern and measures must be put in place to deal with this issue by reviewing missions and costs.
 
In conclusion, SA needs an independent, values driven foreign policy backed by the DA’ s values of freedom, fairness and opportunity. We need to be a leader in human rights based foreign policy which ensures economic growth to create jobs and focus on economic diplomacy. We must be part of a rules based world order and we must offer a clear definition of SA’s national interests based on national consensus and dialogue. The ANC government has lost all global respect because it protects individuals and regimes not the people. The DA will ensure that SA returns to its core values of human rights based foreign policy and regains our global standing.

 

Dirco is a safehaven for unqualified, fraudulent Ambassadors: Sandy Kalyan (DA) Shadow Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

I would like to start off today by paying tribute to a former Member of this House, Dene Smuts. She was a fine lady and an outstanding Parliamentarian. In doing so she was a fierce defender of the Constitution and Human Rights. May her soul rest in peace.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) derives its responsibility from the Constitution of South Africa, 1996 and the National Development Plan (NDP). Chapter 7 of the NDP envisions South Africa as a globally competitive economy and an influential leading member of the international community. The plan envisions South Africa (SA) as promoting and contributing to sustainable development, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and peace and security within the global arena.

With a proudly acclaimed global footprint of 125 missions worldwide, I submit, that the Minister and the Ambassadors at our missions are finding it infinitely embarrassing to defend SA in light of the Constitutional Court’s finding that the President of South Africa violated the Constitution. Much is made of SA’s national interests which are rooted in the values enshrined in our Constitution. The State is the prime custodian of constitutional responsibility. So when the Head of State violates this very Constitution for self-gain, not only is it going against national interest, but it compromises our country on the world platform.

DIRCO recently won an award from UNIVERSUM where it was rated as the third-best employer. Is this an achievement? I think not. The real reason why many employees love working for DIRCO is because their internal checks and balances are likely to be the worst in the world and where less than ethical behaviour lands you a plum job as an Ambassador.

Let’s talk a little about Chris Ngcobo. He was a former police officer. He consistently lied about having a matric certificate and faced a disciplinary committee. He resigned before the disciplinary committee could happen but, lo and behold, he is now Ambassador to Mali. I ask you, with tears in my eyes, no matric, but he is SA’s Ambassador. The Portfolio Committee in its BRR report for 2014 observed that some diplomats have been tasked with administrative responsibilities not appropriate for their educational backgrounds and professional experience.

Given this observation in 2014, is the appointment of Ngcobo just plain stupidity on the part of DIRCO or a carefully orchestrated plan to self-destruct?

Let’s take Dr Pheko, Ambassador to Japan, who claims to have a doctorate. This doctorate was obtained 4 years after a university which issued fake degrees closed. She remains Ambassador to Japan. Incidentally, President Zuma knew of her fake degree when she was Ambassador to Canada, did nothing about it but instead sent her on to Japan.

Let’s not forget Bruce Koloane, who landed a diplomatic posting in the Netherlands. He was the fall guy in the Guptagate scandal.

No wonder DIRCO is a great place to work.  If you cheat and lie, you only have to say sorry and you still get to keep your job!!

DIRCO’s mission statement proclaims that SA is regarded as a champion for the protection and promotion of Human Rights. Regrettably SA’s voting record at the United Nations Human Rights Council has been uninspiring to say the least. Our flip-flop handling of the UN Resolution on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is a case in point. We first voted against it along with North Korea, Syria, China and Russia, but later shifted our position to support it. This too only after it was reported in the media. A rather feeble excuse of “we didn’t have the full information in the first instance” was offered as a possible reason for this faux pas. Similarly, SA is in agreement with the urgent need for UN reform but we are not vocal in lobbying a resolution calling for such reform.

In an effort to shore up its role of big brother on the continent, SA has undertaken too many foreign payments which the taxpayer is bankrolling. An example is the R2 billion for the BRICS Development Bank which could balloon to R24 billion over the next 6 years; and R123 million for our UN contribution.

In June 2014, at the AU Heads of State Summit, the very same one which Al-Bashir brazenly attended and then ran away from in the dark of night, a funding model was discussed which proposed a R700million per year payment for the upkeep of the AU. This amount almost doubles our current payment. No mention was made of this during the Department briefing to the Portfolio Committee. At the time, former Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, said that the Minister of DIRCO was “attending to the matter”. Madam, can you please advise this House, what is the status of this resolution?

SA is the host country for the Pan African Parliament (PAP) and while most of the original agreement has been honoured, it is definitely time for a review. The current President of PAP has turned the PAP into a bit of a circus. Fancy robes and insignia. Demands of a S Class Mercedes. And the list goes on.

The PAP protocol asking for PAP to change its status from a consultative body to a legislative one was lodged with this Parliament last year, but has yet to be discussed by the Portfolio Committee. It has some serious implications and we would be well advised to look at it very, very carefully.

In conclusion, in keeping with the Minister of Finance’s call for austerity measures and one of the aspirations of the NDP, the DA calls for DIRCO to conduct an audit of foreign representation in terms of whether the country should maintain its current global footprint. We look forward to the review.