Department Strategic Plan: briefing

Meeting report

International Affairs Ad hoc Committee
26 May 2004
Department Strategic Plan: Briefing

Chairperson: Mr K Asmal (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Department: Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan March 2004 - 91
Department presentation to Committee on Department's Strategic Plan, 26 May 2004: Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Summary
A delegation from the Department of Foreign Affairs presented their plans for the next 12 moths in preparation for the budget vote.

MINUTES
The Chairperson Asmal apologised for the inefficiencies such as the small venue, confusion over the room number, the microphones not working, not everybody having the documents in advance, no overhead projector, no attendance list and no Secretary. He would write to the Chief Whips about these problems.

He asked the Committee to ask 'macro' questions instead of focusing on minor details. He then introduced Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, the Department Director-General, who introduced for the Chief Directors for Africa; the Americas and the Caribbean; Europe; Asia, Australasia and the Middle East.

Touching on other matters, the Chairperson then promised to consult with the Leader of the Opposition on the Committee's programme after June. He reminded the Committee of the need to plan visits to Russia, Vietnam and China. Generally, he queried whether the budget would cover all of the work in the strategic plan, or had some strategic regional groups been identified, specifically in Africa.

Discussion
Mr D Gibson (DA) said that trade and investment had been insufficiently emphasised. He asked for more details on how South-South co-operation would be improved - was there a co-operative forum? Commenting on the stated intention to buy property abroad, he advocated doing so soon as the Rand was strong.

Ms L Jacobus (ANC) asked if the Department had an assets register. Mr Asmal reminded the Committee to examine the Auditors' reports of the Department. The Department did have an assets register.

Dr Ntsaluba added that the Treasury required a detailed assessment of the 15 capital cities before properties could be purchased. The Department should use its global reach for economic leverage.

The Chief Director for Asia, Australasia and the Middle East said that delegations from India, South Africa and Brazil met officially once a year, but other representatives met periodically. For instance, Defence Ministers from these three nations met in South Africa at a conference in January and sometimes delegates met at the General Assembly of the United Nations. If only two of the partners met, it would not be considered a South-South partnership meeting.

The Chief Director for Africa agreed that the budget was a problem. R42 million of unpaid dues for membership of the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) had accumulated from countries that had not been able to pay. The African Union was dealing with the problem by increasing the dues to be paid by the ten wealthiest countries and decreasing those for the countries that could not afford them.

The PMG monitor unfortunately had to leave approximately 15 minutes before the end of the meeting. PMG is endeavouring to establish what occurred after this time.