Strategic Planning Session

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International Relations

27 May 2022
Chairperson: Mr S Mahumapelo (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

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x2 Presentation: NDP & Foreign Police: Prof Siphamandla Zondi from the University of Johannesburg + Key Considerations for Economic Diplomacy- Wits: Prof Mzukisi Qobo Outstanding 

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation held a virtual strategic planning session with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and a few foreign policy experts. The Chairperson emphasised that the session would focus on what the Committee thought it needed to be doing and look at how the Committee would act on its objectives.

The Department presented seven focus areas, but focused mainly on progress in the implementation of the Foreign Service Act, 2019. The Act will come into force on a date to be determined by DIRCO and proclaimed by the President. It was said that specific matters needed to be addressed in the regulations in order to operationalise the Act. Draft regulations were finalised and would be published by notice in the government gazette in the next fortnight. Stakeholders would have the opportunity to provide comments and input on the draft regulations within ten working days from the date of the publication of the notice.

The Department also focused on the organisational structure review progress and said the Minister submitted the proposed organisational structure to the Minister of Public Service and Administration for consultation in line with certain regulations. The DPSA has analysed the consultation request taking these regulations into consideration.

The Department also presented progress on its missions closure project and reported that ten closures have concluded and that two more were earmarked for 2023. On SAPDA, Minister Pandor and the Minister of Finance have reached a consensus on the draft SADPA bill. The Department is currently processing the matter internally before submission to Cabinet in the second quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year. The legal form of SADPA will be a schedule 3A public entity in the PFMA.

Prof Siphamandla Zondi, University of Johannesburg, made a presentation on the National Development Plan. He outlined key global factors that affect international relations and advised among other things that South Africa needs to have a better understanding of the changing international environment and to improve its research capacity on international matters. He said the Department needed to develop the capability to advance foreign policy objectives coherently and there needed to be more implementation, oversight, and the improvement of systems.

Dr Philani Mthembu, Executive Director, Institute for Global Dialogue, led a discussion on parliamentary diplomacy expectations. The focus was on the role Parliament played in creating coherence for all state actors and non-state actors involved in international relations. This landscape defines parliamentary diplomacy. Parliament needs to learn how to coordinate state and non-state actors. Parliament needs to start engaging these actors but also needs to start engaging other legislative bodies on the continent and globally. He said the Portfolio Committee needed to actively engage with their counterparts in other countries and not only with other legislatures but also foreign executives.

Ms Sanusha Naidu, Foreign Policy Analyst, Institute for Global Dialogue, led a discussion on South Africa and how it sees itself in the world. She emphasised that South Africa needed to look at whether it is achieving the peace and stability objectives set out in its foreign policy. She said that South Africa needed to look at what type of role it wants to craft around these issues: Will it be more political or more about how to integrate the country on the African continent. She said that this needed to be determined from the context of South Africas own development agenda. She said South Africa previously played a strategic role on the continent which has since faded. The last point she raised was that Parliament needed to look at what has happened to South Africas identity in the international arena.

Adv Vasu Gounden, ACCORD Executive Director, led the discussion on conflict resolution on the continent. He said that COVID-19 had exacerbated conflict on the continent and that the Russia-Ukraine war might fuel conflict on the continent even further. He said there was a rise in insurgency and explained how it arises. He said there were significant parts of Africa reaching dangerous tipping points and that Africa is in a race against time to address insurgencies.

He said addressing the root causes of these conflicts would take between two and four decades. He showed Members evidence that armed, complex, and protracted conflict would characterise large parts of the African landscape in the coming decades. He said prevention at both local and national levels must assume the highest priority and this was why ACCORD had high level training for mediators and prefers mediators to be from local communities. Increasingly the AU would need to accompany mediation with peace enforcement.

Members said the issue of oversight important, and more oversight needs to be done on the NDP objectives. The Portfolio Committee needs to relook at how it plays its oversight role to be more effective.

There are many political differences on foreign policy on this Committee, but the focus needs to be clear. Africa has a big role to play in the changing balance of power.

Oversight should be the focus of the Portfolio Committee. The Committee needs to engage officials from Parliament and DIRCO on the oversight model currently being used by the Sixth Parliament. This model is very limiting and does not give Committee enough scope to get involved in AU and SADC planning because this fall outside of the Committees mandate. There needs to be a clear view of what the mandate of the Portfolio Committee should be

The issues would be captured in the Committee’s Strategic Plan. 

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed Members, staff, presenters who would be taking Members through the different themes, and everyone present in the virtual meeting. The meeting will be for the duration of the day. The meeting programme was originally for two days but unfortunately had to be compressed into a one-day meeting to accommodate other programmes of Parliament and commitments Members have over the weekend. He asked presenters and Committee Members to be cognisant of time when presenting or discussing to try to save time.

He said that Mr Mpanza would facilitate the sessions.

The Chairperson shared with the Committee a quotation from the philosopher, Plato: “He who wishes to serve his country must have not only the power to think, but the will to act.” This is the context he used to develop a proposal which will help the Portfolio Committee to act because the Committee has done the necessary mind application.

This session will focus on what the Committee thinks it needs to be doing. Has the Committee done sufficient work to ensure that ordinary South Africans are at the centre of the work the Committee does? What platforms does the Committee provide for people to play a meaningful work in the oversight work the Committee does? The Committee is limited to intellectuals, the middle-class and organisations who participate in the Committees work. The Committee needs to look at how it will engage people who are in the villages of South Africa and ordinary South Africans who live in townships. He said the Committee also needed to look at how it will engage foreigners who have made South Africa home whether they are here legally or illegally. He said at the centre of the Committee’s work should be ordinary people who lack access and encounter everyday problems.

He said activities such as “Operation Dudula” needs to be looked at but not only Dudula but events happening around South Africa. A foreigner was burned to death in the Free State for allegedly selling drugs. He said the Portfolio Committee cannot merely read these events in the media and write responses on this, but the Committee must act on these matters, like Plato said people must act. The Chairperson said the Committee needs to find platforms and ways to engage people on these matters. If the Committee agrees then village, townships oversight forums must be developed. These forums must consist of South Africans and foreign nationals and their focus must be on how to work together and advise the state on how to deal with issues affecting the country. The level of active involvement of citizens needs to increase. These forums will enrich and help government shape policy and help citizens interact with government officials and the Portfolio Committee. This will enhance the work that the Portfolio Committee does. The Chairperson said he is happy the Portfolio Committee is acting and hopes this session will be fruitful and focus on bringing people together and nation-building.

Presentation: Policy and Legislative Priorities: Department and African Renaissance Fund
Mr Zane Dangor, Director-General, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), lead the presentation. He thanked the Committee for inviting them to this session. He said they will focus on the following seven focus areas; but would not discuss them all and will only discuss important points to save time.

Policy and legislative priorities
• DIRCOs priorities emanating from its 2022/2023 Annual Performance Plan (APP) and Budget Vote Speech
• Progress on the implementation of the Foreign Service Act
• Organisational structure review of DIRCO
• Property and asset management
• Digital strategy update
• Progress on missions closure project
• Creation of SAPDA

DIRCO’s priorities for 2022/2023
Mr Dangor said DIRCO would continue to promote excellence in the conduct of South Africas foreign policy and continue to stress the centrality of diplomacy and negotiations. As a priority, the agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will eliminate import tariffs on 97% of goods traded on the continent, as well as address non-tariff barriers.

The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), an initiative between COMESA, the EAC and SADC and which is anchored on three pillars (regional market integration, infrastructure development and industrial development), is a precursor to the vision of realising the priority of an economically integrated continent. Economic diplomacy, including trade and investment promotion (especially support for the President’s investment initiative), and inward tourism, will build on the foundation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) to promote growth and contribute to the improvement of the lives of all South Africans.

As South Africas foreign policy implementation is guided and shaped by its national interest, the Department will continue to utilise high-level bilateral meetings and structured bilateral mechanisms to advance wide-ranging objectives. DIRCO will adapt to fluidity in the global environment by reviewing certain relationships and alliances in a pragmatic way to better realise foreign policy objectives, given fundamental shifts in the global political and economic environment, including the global trend away from multilateralism to unilateral-centred international relations. South Africa will continue to leverage key global political and economic processes of the North to promote Agenda 2063 in particular, and the broader development interests of developing countries in general.

Progress on the implementation of the Foreign Service Act 26 of 2019
The Foreign Service Act (FSA) 26 of 2019 was assented to by the President on 26 May 2020 and published in the government gazette on 4 June 2020. The Act will come into force on a date to be determined by the Department and proclaimed by the President. Specific matters need to be addressed in the regulations in order to operationalise the FSA. The purpose of the Act is to professionalise the Foreign Service and provide a legislative mandate to DIRCO by providing for:

• The management, administration, accountability and functioning of a professional foreign service;
• The operational requirements that are suitable and supportive of the operations of the foreign service in a global environment;
• The promotion and advancement of international relations and cooperation of the Republic in an effective, coherent, and comprehensive manner;
• Conducting and coordinating international relations at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels.

Draft regulations were finalised and will be published by notice in the government gazette in the next two weeks. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide comments and inputs on the draft regulations within ten working days from the date of the publication of the notice. Once comments have been received it will be considered and the draft Regulations will be finalised. The President will be requested to proclaim a date for the entry into force of the FSA and the Minister will publish the Regulations on the date proclaimed.

Organisational structure review of DIRCO
In December 2021, Minister Pandor submitted the proposed organisational structure to the Minister of Public Service and Administration for consultation in terms of chapter 3, part 1 of regulation 25(2)(a) of the Public Service Regulation (PSR), 2016, and the 2016 Directive on Changes to the Organisational Structure. The DPSA has analysed the consultation request taking into consideration the provisions of the PSR, 2016, and the 2016 Directive on Changes to the Organisational Structures by departments. The analysis further considered the Organisational Design (OD) and job evaluation (JE) principles that emphasise the need to ascertain the functional relationships between units, to avoid duplication, overlap and mismatch of functions across the Department. The overall finding of the DPSA is that the proposed organisational structure is aligned with the mandate and strategic objectives of the Department and the overall priorities of the government.

The DPSA advised against the movement of the Chief Directorate: Property and Facilities Management as this is against Public Service Generic Functional Programme 1 (Administration) Structure, and not being in line with the Public Finance Management Act, and also the Chief Financial Officers Handbook for Government Departments. The functional grouping number three of the Generic Functional Programme Structure places the property and facilities management function as part of financial management services. Properties and facilities are viewed as physical assets that are utilised by and support day-to-day operations. Acquisition and disposal of assets are regarded as a financial transaction linked with the overall responsibilities of the CFO.

The DPSA also went further to ask DIRCO to benchmark with the Department of Defence, which also manages all defence properties and assets. The preliminary outcome of this benchmarking exercise indicates that property and facilities management at the Department of Defence are managed through that Departments Financial Management Division.

It is therefore proposed that newly redesigned IPFM be retained in the OCFO and be capacitated to meet the demands of the Foreign Service Act. The Department is currently finalising work on areas of concern raised by DPSA and will submit a final proposed organisational structure to the Minister for final consultation with the Minister of Public Service and Administration to request concurrence.

Progress on Missions Closure Project
Ten missions were closed during FY 2020/2022. A further two missions will be closed by 2023.The closure of a mission has political, human, and financial implications, and must be managed in a coordinated manner so as to ensure that when South African finally leaves the host country it is done in a manner that does not diminish our reputation within the country or in the eyes of the people we are dealing with.

Given the enormity of the project of closing down a mission, close coordination among all role players is necessary to ensure that decisions are expedited with due regard to regulatory frameworks, including the PFMA and departmental processes, while ensuring that the relevant approval processes must still be followed, for example, approval to dispose of assets and records and financial and lease processes.

Cabinet supported a recommendation for the closing of 12 diplomatic missions (Cabinet minutes of 5 August 2020). Ten diplomatic missions were closed in 2021 and two missions are earmarked for closure in 2023. This will allow DIRCO to save about R72 million in 2021 and R162 million in 2022.

Mission closed during 2021:
• Minsk (Belarus)
• Helsinki (Finland)
• Milan (Italy)
• The Holy See (The Vatican)
• Bucharest (Romania)
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Lima (Peru)
• Muscat (Oman)
• Fiji
• Chicago (USA)

Earmarked for closure in 2023:
• Sofia (Bulgaria)
• Toronto (Canada)

Progress on South African Development Partnership Agency
The Minister of DIRCO and Minister of Finance have reached a consensus on the draft SADPA bill. The matter is currently being processed internally in DIRCO before submission to Cabinet in quarter two of the 2022/2023 financial year. The legal form of SADPA will be a schedule 3A public entity in the PFMA. The government component will be delisted from the Public Service Act. The current model under discussion is an amendment of the ARF Act to include all functions of a development agency including having an independent accounting authority as opposed to the DG of DIRCO being the accounting authority.

Mr Mpanza thanked the Director-General for his presentation. He said he had connectivity issues and might break up while speaking. Presenters should note all presentations will be for 30 minutes and another 30 minutes will be for discussions. Presenters must focus on key points of their presentation, but Members will ask them anything from the presentation since they have been circulated. All presenters must switch on their cameras when presenting.

Presentation: National Development Plan and Foreign Policy
Prof Siphamandla Zondi from the University of Johannesburg will lead this presentation. He thanked the Committee and said he had been involved with the Committee for over 16 years and feels honoured and proud to work with the Committee. He said he would not be comprehensive but will touch on key points as Members already have an understanding of the presentation.

Key global factors that affect international relations
• Resurgence of nationalism and protectionism in the United States and parts of Europe;
• Growing pan-European inward-looking in light of Russia-Ukraine war;
• Rise of China and other countries triggers hope for shift in global balance of power but also south-south cooperation;
• COVID-19 pandemic has increased solidarity among African countries, but protectionism has led to vaccine apartheid; and
• Africa is still the land of contrast growing conflict and poverty exist alongside growing economies and hope.

South Africa needs to have an understanding of the changing environment and improve its research capacity on international matters. DIRCO needs to develop the capability to advance foreign policy objectives coherently and there needs to be more implementation, oversight, and improvement of systems.

The Portfolio Committee needs to develop an overarching strategy that will guide DIRCO and other stakeholders in implementing the National Development Plan (NDP) as well as assist in promoting a structural dialogue among stakeholders on the country international relations and cooperation strategy.

The Committee needs to conduct research in the following areas:
• Cost-benefit analysis on the impact of South Africas international agreements and treaties as well as facilities like diplomatic missions
• Drawing lessons from the best practices in development and planning throughout the world.
• An analysis of South Africas strategic approach to and benefits from hosting and chairing international events and platforms in line with NDP goals.

There needs to be more institutionalisation of planning and there needs to be a separate international relations cluster in government.

Mr Mpanza thanked Prof Zondi.

All presenters present today are known to the Committee and have previously worked with the Committee. This should be seen as a continuation of work these people have done with the Committee.

He opened the first discussion on the two presentations. This is not a question-and-answer discussion but just Members and presenters thoughts. He said presenters are welcome to ask questions and engage on these presentations.

Discussion:
Ms Sanusha Naidu, Foreign Policy Analyst, Institute for Global Dialogue, moderated the discussion. She thanked the Committee and congratulated Mr Dangor as the new Director-General. Both presenters were very insightful and gave the Committee a good understanding of DIRCOs objectives and the current trajectory is of the current global arena.

There is a reconfiguration of power happening in the global arena and South Africa needs to be cognisant of it. The main question the Committee needs to ask itself is how South Africa is dealing with peace and stability on the African continent but also globally.

The milestones that were set in the NDP: are they being managed and how are they being monitored to see if implementation has been effective.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Naidu and Prof Zondi for the insightful presentations. Prof Zondi raised serious issues on how South Africa needs to deal with the global context. The issue of oversight is also important, and more oversight needs to be done on the NDP objectives. The Portfolio Committee needs to relook at how it plays its oversight role to be more effective.

The Chairperson proposed that all presenters send through a summary of their presentations with recommendations or key take away points for the Committee. How is South Africa perceived as a unitary treat and how it engages with other countries?

Mr D Bergman (DA) said that even in the presentation from the new Director-General, he could sense South Africa is trapped in a sense of loyalty and a fear for the future. DIRCOs actions always comes off as ambiguous.

The US Senate is looking at passing a bill on countries that have been working with Russia and this could potentially affect trade or engagements with these countries. When it comes to trade, South Africa wants as many partners as possible. DIRCO needs to be more strategic in partnering with other countries, or just being strategic on how to implement its objectives and how to achieve its foreign policy. SADC and AU are not on the same page and there is no agreement on how to go forward.

The AU is divided because of South Africas own internal politics. DIRCOs policy should guide South Africa on the Russia-Ukraine war. South Africa could have used their proximity to President Putin via BRICS to not get involved in this war and act as an intermediary, but DIRCO failed and took a side rather than de-escalate the situation and bring the different actors together. This behaviour does not inspire productiveness on South Africas part, and this comes through when South Africa is chairing the AU or is sitting on the UN Security Council.

Mr B Nkosi (ANC) said these inputs point to the dynamic way the Portfolio Committee interacts with DIRCO and the institutional mechanism at an executive level and how foreign policy is executed. This calls for a reconfiguration at the level of the executive to manage foreign policy objectives. This will not happen overnight. There were a number of structures that were to coordinate an inter-departmental forum on international relations, but this has not worked. The Presidency is unable to coordinate or take centre role within foreign policy and steering the objectives the way they should be steered. South Africa needs to focus on what is important to the nation rather than focusing on endless foreign policy debates.

Mr W Faber (DA) said the global factors raised by the presentation are important, South Africa needs to understand this changing environment. The focus needs to be on attracting investment to Africa and South Africa. There needs to be a study on why investors choose not to invest in South Africa.

There are many political differences on foreign policy on this Committee, but the focus needs to be clear. Africa has a big role to play in the changing balance of power. He understands South Africas past with Cuba and Russia, but the past is the past: South Africa needs to look out for itself and look at trading partners that will benefit South Africa.

Mr Mpanza said the issue of oversight is important, and this should be the focus of the Portfolio Committee. The Committee needs to engage officials from Parliament and DIRCO on the oversight model currently being used by the Sixth Parliament. This model is very limiting and does not give Committee enough scope to get involved in AU and SADC planning because this fall outside of the Committees mandate. There needs to be a clear view of what the mandate of the Portfolio Committee should be.

Prof Zondi said South Africa needs to interpret its role very broadly when it comes to the Pan African Parliament. South Africa cannot oversee the Pan African Parliament because it is an international body. DIRCO needs to engage and persuade the Pan African Parliament in a manner that not only benefits South Africa but the whole continent. South Africa benefits the most every time Africa rises. If Africas economy grows it will benefit South Africa because of not only where its situated but South African companies have a footprint across the continent.

Most of the AUs Continental bodies such as the Pan African Parliament, African Bank and many other international bodies are situated in South Africa and are paid for by South African taxpayers. The Committee can use this to start engaging with these bodies, not in a sense of doing oversight on them but creating a relationship for engagement and working together.

Mr Mpanza informed the virtual meeting the programme had to be amended because two presenters pulled out at the very last minute because of reasons beyond their control. Those two will be dropped from the programme and will continue with all presenters present in the meeting.

The next item will be presented by Dr Philani Mthembu.
 
Parliamentary Diplomacy Expectations
Dr Philani Mthembu, Executive Director, Institute for Global Dialogue, lead the presentation.

He thanked the Portfolio Committee for the invitation.

He said he would not present the full presentation but will make comment on a few areas that are deemed important for this Committee.

Parliamentary diplomacy is located along multiple tracks of diplomacy. There are different committees of Parliament that also engage in some form or sort of diplomacy based on projects or agreements their departments have with international stakeholders.

The international relations realm has gone through many changes recently; there have been a growing number of actors who are engaged with various aspects of international relations. There are a growing number of actors who engage in diplomacy now such as cities making agreements with other international cities. Provinces form bilateral agreements with provinces in other countries through twinning initiatives. The amount of state actors is growing and it is not only DIRCO or the Committee at the forefront.

Parliament plays a very important role in creating coherency for all these state actors and non-state actors. This landscape defines parliamentary diplomacy. Parliament needs to learn how to coordinate state and non-state actors. Parliament needs to start engaging these actors but also start engaging other legislative bodies on the continent and globally. The Portfolio Committee needs to actively try and engage with their counterparts in other countries not only with other parliaments but also engaging executives from other countries. This is an important part because parliamentary diplomacy needs to happen in a broader context than that in which it currently takes place. The Portfolio Committee needs to look at constraints and address these challenges that keep them from expanding their diplomacy role. Parliament has become a body that just rubber stamps what the state puts forward. Parliament cannot simply be a rubber stamp institution but has the power to engage on different levels. The Portfolio Committee needs to articulate its role better in oversight and engaging in international agreements. Parliament needs to be more intentional in broadening its role in diplomacy.

South Africa in the World
Ms Naidu led this discussion and said she would make comments on this topic.

She said she will try not to overlap with what was already said in her remarks.

The point of departure for her was the NDP and looking at the broad changing landscape in which South Africa now has to define its role in global affairs. The world today is so different compared to 1945 and is also different to the world in which the post-apartheid government found itself.

There are three points South Africa needs to look at. What is South Africa looking to get out of its engagements with the world and this needs to be clear and coherent, we also need to look at what South Africa wants to achieve especially when it comes to peace building and how South Africa looks at instability on the continent.

She emphasised South Africa needed to look at whether it is achieving peace and instability objectives set out in its foreign policy. South Africa needs to look at what type of role it wants to craft around these issues, will it be more political or more about how to integrate the country into the African continent. This needs to be looked at from the context of South Africas own development agenda. South Africa had previously played a strategic role on the continent but that has since faded.

The last point she raised was that Parliament needed to look at what has happened to South Africas identity within the foreign arena. This raises the question that South Africa needs to shape its foreign policy in a better way or reshape its policy objectives. Is there a particular type of identity South Africa needs to conform to? This all plays into defining a clear strategic role for South Africas foreign policy objectives. South Africa will have to ask itself hard questions when setting that strategic role, she asked if the system should be transformed and how it would look.

South Africa needs to look into how it communicates to the world. DIRCO has followed a very reactive communication strategy which needs to change. There is no set policy on communication with the world. DIRCOs communication strategy needs to be proactive rather than reactive, it needs to focus on shaping South Africas identity globally and what messaging South Africa wants to convey to the world.

ACCORD: South Africa and Conflict Resolution
Adv Vasu Gounden, Executive Director, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), said diplomats need to have an on-the-go perspective from the ground. They need to be trained to think on their feet and be ready to deal with any situation that might require high level intervention. Diplomats must also be at the forefront of getting DIRCOs messages across. This is not necessarily easy, and the world is entering a very complex global context. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation and it is difficult for South Africans who sit on international bodies such as the UN, and AU. They have to respond and act in the moment, and this has proven to be difficult for diplomats.

The crucial question the Portfolio Committee needs to ask is how it reconciles the Mandela era of foreign policy to a world that is now dominated by interest. The fact that South Africas own interest and that of other countries does not necessarily align needs to be factored into DIRCOs foreign policy. A global approach in a fast-changing world is not necessarily a good strategy. The global political arena is becoming more and more divided, and this will make diplomacy extremely difficult.

The Chairperson said the situation in Ukraine is exposing economic opportunities and some European countries have looked to the African continent to fulfil some of the opportunities. However, it seems like Africa has not realised this or the AU has not had a discussion on how to take advantage of these opportunities. The AU needs to have a united common posture to the Russia-Ukraine war and economic opportunities that this war might present. the AU needs to discuss what threats or instability this might present to African countries.

Mr Mpanza said there was movement around the African Free Trade Agreement, but the question remains is there political will for this agreement on the continent. How can this agreement be achieved on a political front? The AU has struggled before to achieve a common understanding on political points; this needs to be strengthened to foster a united Africa where different African states take a united stand on some political issues.

South Africa’s being a member of different organisations unlike other African countries might cause some difficulties in arriving at a common understanding. This complexity also needs to be looked at because on some issues South Africa will have to take a position which is not necessarily shared by the rest of the African continent.

Adv Gounden said that ACCORD does high level mediation training through its training faculty for AU states and leads one of the best evidence-based research and data analytics units. ACCORD is currently working with the Sudan government to resolve some high-level issues between different groups involved in conflict in this country. Mr Gounden will just give a brief overview of the crises Africa will face in the next decade.

COVID-19 has exacerbated conflict on the continent and the Russia-Ukraine war might fuel it even further on the continent. He pointed members to figure 1 on slide 5 to demonstrate the different context Africa finds itself in. There is a rise in insurgency and the diagram demonstrates how it occurs.

There are significant parts of Africa reaching dangerous tipping points. Africa is in a race against time to address insurgencies. Transformation to address the root causes will take between 20 and 40 years. The diagram demonstrated that armed, complex and protracted conflict will characterise large parts of the African landscape in the coming decades. Prevention at local and national levels must assume the highest priority and this is why ACCORD has high-level training for mediators, and prefer that they be from local communities. Increasingly the AU will need to “peace enforcement” in addition to mediation.

Over the last two years, despite COVID-19 and the rise in insurgencies, Africa performed well in better managing its economies. Debt relief has been provided over the last years and the debt to GDP ratio has dropped. There is a telecom revolution happening on the continent and this would lead to more access on the continent. In some areas, also, conflict decreased. However, there is still the problem of job creation; African economies seem to struggle to create an adequate number of jobs. The quality of growth is also not sustainable, and inequality has increased. Covid-19 has also fuelled absolute poverty. African countries also lack the resources to invest in infrastructure. This has led to most economies to still having the same structure they had in the 1970s.

Electoral violence is still the main driver of conflict on the continent and the struggle over political hegemony (intra-party and inter-party), but scarce resources such as water, land, food, education and employment, among others, also drive conflict.

In dealing with conflict, multi-lateral agencies such as the AU and SADC, among others, have limitations such as lack of sovereignty, capacity issues and constraints on the role and objectives of these agencies.

The South African model of mediation has been under pressure domestically because of South Africas own internal problems. The ARF annual budget is totally inadequate to meet the continent’s needs. The South African Defence Force (SANDF) also has serious personnel problems and budget cuts have limited the number of peace operations in which SANDF can engage.

Discussion:
Mr Faber said that there needs to be an understanding that there are different views on conflict resolution. Members come from different parties so it is naturally that their views would differ on conflict resolution. There are also the views of think tanks and civil society organisations.

The Portfolio Committee needs to understand the changing environment in which South Africa exists. The Russia-Ukraine situation should not be referred to as a conflict but rather it is a war because many people have died.

South Africa can hardly afford to lose any business and needs to look at what stance would work for them in this war. South Africa has upwards of R1 trillion worth of trade with NATO countries. When NATO countries decide to stop trading with countries that support Russia this might have a devastating effect on South Africas economy. South Africa needs to look at this matter very clearly.

Mr Nkosi raised the issue of illicit and illegal transactions on the continent both financially and in the trade of illegal minerals; the direct involvement of western powers has fuelled this on the continent, on which they have used proxies to fight their wars. The security mechanisms on the continent seem to be very weak and ineffective in dealing with major security concerns. South Africa needs to look at how not to only deal with security issues internally, but on the rest of the continent, too. The AU needs to start building a better security mechanism with attacks.

Mr Mpanza said because of time constraints, some items might be moved to next week Wednesdays meeting and that there would not be a lunch break. There will be one more discussion.

He agreed with Mr Nkosi that the AU needs to build better security mechanisms.

Mr Gounden said South Africa needs to have a deep discussion on how it should position itself on the current Russia-Ukraine war. There might be disagreements, but this is a discussion that needs to happen not in a month’s time but as soon as possible.

The Chairperson said that as part of making sure there was a South African consensus on this situation, it is important for everyone to understand the context. South Africa does not have the military, economic and political capacity to venture into making itself vulnerable in any context, no matter how we feel about the situation or war. South Africa needs to take into account its own interest first and understand its own position.

Presentation: Key Considerations for Economic Diplomacy
Prof Mzukisi Qobo, Wits, led the discussion on considerations for economic diplomacy. He said he would only outline key points for Members to comment on as some of the points have already been discussed.

• Export diversification builds resilience; South Africa must broaden its diplomatic and trade relations beyond traditional partners;
• Deepening trade relations on the African continent needs to be the focus point;
• Non-alignment should be the basis of South Africas economic diplomacy;
• Key priority is to strongly align national interest with foreign policy articulation;
• South Africas key challenge is to increase growth and competitiveness of the economy (industrial policy), creating decent jobs and achieving diversified industrial structure.

Mr Mpanza said the last session will be an internal discussion led by the Chairperson.

The Chairperson thanked Mr Mpanza for facilitating the session and told the presenters that they were welcome to stay for the next session if they wished.

The Committee Content Advisor said the first part of this session was covered by the first presentation. She would only present the strategic plan and mandates of the Committee and this was supposed to be done in the morning before the agenda changed. She asked if this could be moved to next weeks engagement. She said the strategic plan still needed to be adopted by the Committee so the document could become official. Inputs given today by presenters will find expression in the strategic plan. She said she would compile a draft and submit it to the Committee for consideration.

For this reason, the Chairperson said that the discussion need not happen in the present session. He asked if the draft considerations could be done in next weeks meeting.

The Committee Content Advisor said the draft would be discussed in another meeting since Wednesday’s meeting needed to deal with other important matters. There would be two meetings a week going forward, and this can be covered in the next meeting.

The Chairperson agreed; the draft considerations needed to be circulated to Members first, and that they need to give their inputs by that Wednesday.

The Chairperson said that if there were no other views on this then the meeting could be adjourned.

The meeting was adjourned.
 

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