ATC130909: Report of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, on the Oversight visit to the Headquarters of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, dated 14 August 2013

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION, ON THE OVERSIGHT VISIT TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION, DATED 14 AUGUST 2013

Having undertaken an oversight visit to the headquarters of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (the Department) in Pretoria from 29-30 January 2013, the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation (the Committee) reports as follows:

1. The delegation

The Committee’s multiparty delegation comprised the following members:

• Mr HT Magama (ANC) Chairperson and leader of the delegation

• Ms L Jacobus (ANC)

• Mr E Sulliman (ANC)

• Mr M Booi (ANC)

• Ms C September (ANC)

• Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC)

• Mr I Davidson (DA)

• Mr B Eloff (DA)

• Mr S Ngonyama (COPE)

• Mr CP Mulder (FF+)

1.1 Support staff

The support staff that accompanied the delegation comprised Mr L Sigwela (Committee Secretary), Ms L Mosala (Content Adviser), Mr D Madlala (Researcher) and Ms N Mooi (Committee Assistant).

2. Background and introduction

The Committee had made recommendations in its 2012 Budget Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) which the Office of the Speaker had already communicated to the Department for necessary action. The Committee resolved to conduct oversight on the Department to assess how far the processes were in response to the Committee’s recommendations; especially those that emanated from the findings by the Auditor-General of South Africa, as reported in the Department’s Annual Report 2012.

The Committee also saw the need to receive updates on the work of different branches in the Department. This was aimed to afford the Committee an opportunity to identify areas which would need its attention.

The third issue was for the Committee to hold a stakeholders’ meeting with those organisations that it had worked with in 2012, and meet other players to establish new contacts for future partnership in enhancing the conduct of South Africa’s foreign policy. The stakeholders’ meeting comprised research institutions in the area of international affairs. The Committee’s objective was to establish these institutions’ research agenda and how they could collaborate with the Committee.

3. Outline of the process

The Committee held a meeting with the Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim for a political overview on current issues influential to South African foreign policy. That was followed by interaction with the Director-General Ambassador J Matjila and different branches in the Department on their different spheres of work. The stakeholders’ meeting was in a form of a round-table discussion.

4. Oversight process in detail

On arrival the delegation was met by the Director-General Ambassador J Matjila , who informed the Committee that: Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane was in Addis Ababa for the African Union summit; a directorate on women, children and people with disabilities would be established; and invited the Committee to allocate time to visit the in-house international school where diplomats were being trained. He further elaborated on the format the interactions with the Department would take.

During the meeting, the Chairperson of the Committee referred to some items in the programme. The plan to visit the site where the Pan African Parliament headquarters was to be built would be deferred as the Department of Public Works has to be informed well in advance. Questions were raised around the profile of research institutions invited to a round-table with the Committee. The Chairperson pointed out that the Committee had engaged with various organisations and think-tanks in the course of its work. The objective therefore, was to meet as many of them as was possible to thank them for their contributions to the work of the Committee; and to engage with them on issues they may feel require the Committee’s attention.

5. Meeting with Deputy Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim

The Deputy Minister highlighted the various changes that have taken place and noted that the programme prepared for the Committee was quite extensive. He noted that the Department has had to work within worsening budget constraints. He discussed the various organisations that South Africa was part of as well as the numerous forums that South Africa participated in, including the India, Brazil and South Africa group (IBSA), Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa forum (BRICS) and the G20.

5.1 Issues raised by the Committee

• Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s appointment as the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson could have an impact on South Africa’s image. South Africa should give her support in the form of competent personnel.

• South Africa should fill positions in international organisations in line with its allocated quota. There has been slow progress in that regard.

• Increasing the contributions of African countries to the AU might be a big challenge.

• Funding was a fundamental issue in the AU. Dr Dlamini -Zuma would be wise to take the issue on.

• The role of the AU, its mandate as well as its goals, was strongly linked to funding for anyone to ignore the important role played by funding. Dr Dlamini -Zuma should take a look at the existential aspect of the mandate of the AU while taking the funding issue into cognisance.

• The more independent the AU could be as a body, the more seriously it would be taken by the citizens of the continent. There had been challenges which the AU was regarded as slow in reacting to.

• In order to be taken seriously too, South Africa should define its role as a key player in Africa. Decisions around foreign policy should be communicated in a clear manner.

• South Africa should be cautious as to when and how it intervenes in a given situation, especially with regard to conflicts in Africa. It should ensure that it conducts a continuous evaluation of whether certain choices were within its national interest.

5.2 Responses by the Deputy Minister

The Deputy responded as follows:

• Dr Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma was appointed to the position after being nominated by SADC and had the support of the region. She was also supported by other regions in Africa.

• The response to the first meeting she held in her position was positive. Personnel from South Africa have been sent to assist her.

• The AU relied heavily on donor funding which often has certain conditions tied to it. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma wished to ensure that African countries contribute more to the AU and reduce the reliance on foreign donors.

• Funding has been a very important issue to Dr Dlamini -Zuma. She was committed to making progress during her tenure, and exerting pressure where necessary.

• The filling of employment quota allocated was an issue because South Africans were unwilling to work in such conditions for lower pay. However, the possibility of topping-up salaries has been mooted.

• In order to position itself strategically, South Africa fielded Dr Dlamini -Zuma as a SADC candidate, who subsequently was appointed to the highest position in the AU. As a country, South Africa was also in the African Union Peace and Security Council. Additionally, the Deputy Minister felt that South Africa could provide leadership through strategic engagement. Provision of financial assistance was regarded as a potential avenue for South Africa to exert influence.

The Deputy Minister referred to other issues of foreign policy nature. He pointed out that the current president of France had demonstrated a shift from the traditional way Europe, and in particular, France had dealt with Africa. The President consulted the AU and some African leaders, such as President Zuma, before responding to Mali’s request for military assistance to curb the rebel attacks in northern Mali. France’s intervention was timely and welcomed by the Economic Organisation of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the AU. Mali was a very interesting case and many analysts felt that the conflict was as a result of spill over effects from the Libyan conflict.

South Africa’s strong stand has been that the AU needed the African Standby Force to be established, which was something that Dr Dlamini -Zuma would also give some attention to. The conflict in Mali was seen as an issue of terrorism which had international significance. It has been considered a threat to all nations. The Deputy Minister concluded by once again welcoming the members to the Department and highlighting the important role played by Parliament.

6. Progress made on issues emanating from the Committee’s 2012 Budget Review and Recommendation Report

In his report the Director General highlighted the following:

6.1 The African Renaissance Fund (ARF)

In pursuit of the African Renaissance Fund activities in Africa and elsewhere, and in the context of Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD), the Committee had recommended that the Department should conduct a review of its involvement on the continent to draw lessons and identify areas of focus for future engagements under the ARF or South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA) when it takes over.

The Department reported it has developed an action plan in response to the recommendation. It would subsequently produce a report which would cover: lessons learned on South Africa’s involvement on the Continent; identify areas of focus for ARF/SADPA; and ensure that identified focus areas are in line with the Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development objectives

In the last quarter, the Department conducted a review of the Public Service Census Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the Guinea Conakry Rice Production project. The two projects were examples of ARF funded projects.

6.2 The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

The Committee had recommended that in its multilateral engagements, the Department should seek funding for the operationalisation of the NEPAD presidential infrastructure project to create jobs and improve the lives of the poor in South Africa.

In response to this recommendation, the Department established a Project Management Unit which was expected to become operational on 1 April 2013. The government departments and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) involved were expected to assist in funding it until more sustainable funding was obtained. The relevant personnel would be seconded from government departments.

6.3 Asset management

The Committee recommended that there should be regular physical verification of all assets globally, as well as continuous update to ensure its accuracy and completeness.

In response to the recommendation the Department undertook to:

• ensure that all scanners in the missions were functional;

• enhance the monitoring role of the Management/Housing Committee at the missions and Decentralised Units at Headquarters;

• complete a comprehensive asset audit by the end of February 2013; and

• conduct quarterly physical verification of assets and the results thereof would be utilised to update the asset register.

The physical verification for the 1 ^st and 2 ^nd quarters was conducted. Missions were busy with the third quarter verification.

6.4 Capacity building

The Committee recommended that there should be a refresher workshop for middle and senior management on creation of “SMART” objectives and targets. A course on supply chain management, asset management and property management would be of benefit for future compliance with audit requirements.

In response to the recommendation, the Department would conduct seven workshops for middle and senior management on performance information. A number of workshops had already been held on the particular training for senior management.

6.5 Performance contracts

The Committee recommended that there should be signed as required. Assessments should be completed for all senior management staff to be able to fairly distribute performance duties and also to gauge the performance of this level of officers that they were able to deliver on the mandate as required.

In response to the recommendation, the Department resolved to send a reminder communiqué to missions in February/March annually for the submission of performance agreements due 31 March. Employees would be reminded to submit midterm and final appraisals in April and October each year. During continuous PMDS training sessions, employees would be reminded to submit agreements appraisals.

6.6 Registration of South Africans abroad (ROSA)

In the light of recent natural and man-made disasters, the Committee recommended that there was a need for a continuous and vigorous popularization campaign for ‘ROSA’. That would keep embassies informed of the presence of South African citizens in areas of accreditation.

In response to the recommendation, the Department would embark on a public awareness project to re-launch ROSA. The marketing of ROSA was a short to long term project and would initially involve utilising available low costing platforms.

6.7 Language

The Committee recommended that the training of personnel locally could reduce spending on secured external consultants for translation of documents and communication with foreign missions. Security of information should also be considered. A deliberate programme for learning languages of the countries of the South, especially Mandarin, should be adopted, as China was becoming South Africa’s biggest trading partner.

In response to the recommendation, the Department disclosed it has internal languages personnel for five languages, namely Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. In addition the respective languages of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa forum (BRICS), which include Mandarin, have been prioritised for capacity development. Since personnel for these languages were scarce skill in South Africa, the DTRD was currently still obliged to use the services of external language consultants.

6.8 African Agenda

The Committee recommended that, the predisposition towards Africa and the countries in the South should find expression in the strategic activities of the Department, with targets and outcome indicators.

In response to the recommendation, the Department mentioned that those were already incorporated into the Departmental Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan (APP) as informed by Outcome 11 of government priorities.

6.9 Public Diplomacy

The Committee recommended that the Public Diplomacy branch should keep the world and the country abreast of what constitutes South African Foreign Policy, through proactive information packages of decisions to be taken, or immediately after they have been communicated.

In response to the recommendation, the Department has developed a communications strategy and plan to communicate positions and decisions taken by South Africa in multilateral forums. Opinion pieces have been drafted and published on a range of important foreign policy issues. The first on-line radio station has been established and a Public Participation Programme was being finalised.

6.10 Missions’ performance

The Committee recommended that the Department should give regular assessments regarding performances of missions abroad for Committee to monitor alignment of the mandate to domestic priorities.

In response to the recommendation, the Department has instructed the missions to align their activities in the APPs with domestic priorities. Missions report specifically on these activities in their quarterly reports. Regular consultation between head office and Missions would take place, including during the annual Heads of Mission conference on implementation of domestic priorities.

6.11 Youth Directorate

The Committee recommended that a regular update on the activities of the Youth Directorate should be made to the Committee.

In response to this recommendation, the Department has made a proposal for the establishment of a Gender and Youth Chief Directorate. The proposal was awaiting approval of the Minister of Public Service. Current vacant post of Chief Director would be advertised. The director’s post for youth would be filled from a vacant and funded post.

6.12 Research

The Committee recommended that, research and development should be strengthened in order for South Africa to be able to assess emerging trends and develop appropriate responses, such as a policy for the changing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, BRICS Strategy, development cooperation and the role of the South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR).

In response to this recommendation, the Department mentioned that the Policy Research and Analysis Unit was strengthening its capacity to assess emerging trends and to analyse the impact on South Africa. In support of that, regular workshops, seminars and conferences are held in order to bring experts and officials together on topical issues like the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and BRICS.

6.13 The United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

The Committee recommended that regular consultations, engagements and lobbying of the permanent five countries in the UNSC were of great importance. Seeking a common ground with the African Group in the UNSC was paramount for the Department’s prevalence in the Council.

In response to this recommendation, the Department reported that it closely monitored the activities of the permanent members of the UNSC The Department has engaged with the Africa group on issues such as Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Guinea Bissau and Mali. South Africa was satisfied with its performance in the UNSC during the 2011 to 2012.

6.14 Candidatures for International Organisations

The Committee recommended that a coordination mechanism should be created between departments for identifying which strategic organisations should be targeted to field South Africans for available positions.

In response to the recommendation, the Department mentioned that a policy on candidatures and secondments was adopted by Cabinet. An interdepartmental consultative meeting would be convened to identify intergovernmental forums on which South Africans would be fielded. A further two meetings in May and November would be convened to identify candidates for endorsements by the African Union (AU), and to consider the endorsement of the African candidates to intergovernmental forums. According to Outcome 11, representation in the Secretariats of institutions of global, continental and regional governance was directed through the national secondment strategy and targets set per department/agency in the approved strategy.

6.15 Discourses with the Portfolio Committee

The Committee recommended that the Department should cooperate with the Committee in shaping the route of international discourse where issues of national interest feature.

In response to the recommendation, the Department informed that regular briefings would be held with the Committee. Deputy Minister Fransman had just been specifically designated to work closely with the Committee. Furthermore, the Cape Town office would be upgraded.

6.16 The findings of the Auditor-General

The Committee recommended that there should be feedback on the Departments’ response to the Auditor-General’s report with findings.

The Department reported that an action plan has been developed to address the internal control deficiencies for both internal and external audit processes. An audit task team was established to oversee the implementation plan. A progress report of the action plan would be presented on a quarterly basis to the Department’s Audit and Fraud Steering Committee, the Audit Committee, and to the Auditor-General.

6.17 Issues raised by the Committee

At the conclusion of the presentation by the Director-General, the Members raised a number of issues, including the following:

• The Department would be encouraged to have a feedback mechanism on issues of asset management. Such a process would keep head office informed on assets.

• Regarding the African Renaissance Fund, it was not clear how funds were prioritised. An explanation in that regard would be welcome.

• The upgrading of the Cape Town office was a welcome step.

• It would be useful to know how the Department dealt with people who were not performing.

• The Department should advise the Committee on its ability to adhere to the PMFA and the relevant criteria.

• There was a sense that the Deputy Minister was unwilling to deal with some political issues with the Committee. It was a concern to be addressed.

• Interaction with the Committee at the level of the Minister and her deputies was recommended to be made frequently.

• The South African public should be regularly made aware of important issues and decisions taken at the international level.

• It was encouraging to learn that the Department was pursuing the secondment policy aimed at facilitating fielding of personnel in international organisations.

It regarded as a smart move to prioritise languages of the BRICS formation to enable strategic communication amongst the countries concerned.

6.18 Responses by the Department

The Director General responded to some of the issues as follows:

• In terms of assets, the Department has a system in place which is coordinated by the head office which allowed for keeping track of assets.

• The Department chose to be proactive in upgrading the office.

• The ARF process began with a request of assistance from a certain country.

• With regards to performance contracts, the Department followed-up closely on non-disclosure issues and compliance.

• In terms of how funds were distributed to projects, the Department prioritised the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

• The Department had pressing issues which require key collaboration with other departments.

• Compliance was an issue, but the Department was focused on ensuring that processes were followed.

• The Department also focussed on performance targets.

• It was agreed that there was a need to communicate more with the Committee.

• The Department has collaborated with organisations like the Durban based Conflict management agency, the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), to assist with building capacity in African countries dealing with key problems.

• Cabinet had pronounced that the Department would coordinate when deployment of troops takes place. However in the case of the Central African Republic, the decision was not immediately communicated to the Department.

7. Foreign Service Bill

The presentation was structured around three contents, the process, contents of the proposed Bill and current status of the Bill. The Bill was intended to regulate Foreign Service processes, in terms of how the Department intends to run the Missions, and also oversee the factors influential to the conduct of foreign policy abroad. The Bill would further create the necessary flexibility to address the challenges posted by the global environment in which the Foreign Service operates. The Department intended to submit the Bill to Cabinet by April 2013.

7.1 Issues raised by the Committee

The members of the Committee then raised the following:

• It was regarded important to know whether the Bill would remedy the problem of silos and improve coordination among relevant departments regarding the work of Missions abroad.

• With regard to issues of deployment, the Committee expressed hope that coordination for issues of deployment of troops could in the future involve the Department.

7.2 Responses by the Department

• The bill would improve coordination between the Department, National Intelligence Agency, Home Affairs and Defence.

• At the time of the presentation, the bill was not yet approved by the Director-General.

• There were concerns raised by the security cluster regarding the hands-on-role the Department was to play in its activities in the missions, hence the delay in processing the Bill.

8. The South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA)

In 2009, Cabinet gave the Department the mandate to establish SADPA. It was to be an entity to be established in line with the Public Service Act and overseen by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. The main thrust of SADPA was to focus on outgoing development cooperation.

The underlying principles were that the focus should be on the integration rather than initiating a new process given the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund already existed. The idea was to build on the experience and expertise gained by South African government in operating a development assistance fund. The Bill for the establishment of the Agency has been completed. Some departments, like Treasury, had raised concerns regarding the Bill. The target date for tabling was aimed at 15 March 2013.

8.1 Issues raised by Members

• There was need to elaborate on the nature of concerns raised by Treasury. The Committee would like to apply its mind on the contentious issues in order to give an appropriate response.

• There should be a further explanation on the auditing processes to be followed regarding SADPA.

• The Committee should have a comprehensive briefing by the Department on the contentious issues. Thereafter, the Committee should have a joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Finance to discuss the contentious issues between Treasury and the Department. Such a move was regarded important in order to avoid further delays on the establishment of SADPA.

8.2 Responses by the Department

• SADPA emerged as a result of a change which saw the Department transform itself from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

• There was a need to develop an agency which would push the agenda of international cooperation development.

• The emphasis would be on outgoing development cooperation.

• The agency would be under the authority of the Minister and be managed by the Department.

• Treasury wanted the requirement for the concurrence of the Minister of Finance before funds are disbursed under the ARF to remain in the operations of SADPA.

• The Department agreed to all the suggestion and made the necessary amendments but Treasury had still not yet granted its concurrence and delays continued.

9. Meeting with the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee mentioned challenges regarding compliance with supply chain management and related matters by the Missions abroad. Issues relating to International Telecommunications Technology (ICT) were still a big challenge both at the headquarters and missions. There was a need to hold workshops for senior management in order to capacitate the Department in those issues. Some of the attaches in the missions, especially those who have been seconded from other departments, were not necessarily conforming to the practice as applied by those from the Department.

9.1 Issues raised by the members

• The South African ambassador in Algeria had raised some of the same concerns raised by the Audit Committee regarding officers from other departments.

• In some missions there were complaints about the lack of cohesion even within the same mission.

• A major problem was the lack of operational framework which would guide personnel on what practice to follow.

• It was not clear whether missions made use of performance contracts.

• There was a need for a clear vision on administrative harmonisation of policies and ICT issues.

• There was a clear need for yet another meeting with the Audit Committee in the near future.

9.2 Responses by the Department

• PFMA responsibilities should be delegated by the Director-General to the Deputy Director-Generals and regional ambassadors.

• There was need to find good leadership for the ICT sector.

• The web-based system was done in an inefficient manner.

• An infrastructure plan has been completed to facilitate ICT processes.

• There were still challenges with audit matters in the Department.

• The Audit Committee had set itself a year to implement its plan to turn around the challenges relating to auditing.

10. Multilateral issues

10.1 South Africa’s second term in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 2011-2012

South Africa’s return to the UNSC, as an AU-endorsed candidate with 182 votes, was informed by South Africa’s values and national interest. South Africa’s membership coincided with the resurgence of conflict on the African continent, exposing structural and political divisions within the AU.

The Arab Uprising brought about escalating unrest in North Africa (Tunisia, Egypt and Libya), and the subsequent spill-over into the Middle East (Yemen, Bahrain and Syria). The configuration of the UNSC in 2011 for the first time included all the BRICS countries.

The immediate aftermath of the international financial meltdown, was that it revealed underlying shifts in the global balance of economic power heightening tensions between the Permanent 5 (P5) in the UN Security Council. South Africa’s participation in the UNSC was informed by South Africa’s national interests and a belief that South Africa’s prosperity was intrinsically linked to peace and stability on the continent, and was committed to the international rule of law and peaceful world.

10.2 Issues raised by members

• South Africa ought to assess its national interest before taking decisions in international obligations.

• It was difficult to imagine there could be coherence in the UNSC without common values among the permanent members and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

• South African foreign policy has a persistent conflict between interests, human rights and the desires that country has for democracy. That conflict needed more attention.

• South Africa often seemed unclear of its decisions in international forums. The trend has affected its ability to be consistent.

• There was a need to discuss further the intended strategy for participation in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

11. Youth development in international relations

The Department would be establishing a Youth Unit as a response to a request by the Youth Commission to include youth issues in activities around the conduct of foreign policy. The Unit would be housed in the office of the Director-General.

11.1 Issues raised by Members

The Committee advised that youth with disabilities should feature more prominently. The Department should measure its success against the targets determined by President Zuma regarding representation of people with disabilities. It would be of some value to speak with various organisations that give a forum to youth with disability. The Department of Education was regarded important in the equation for planning youth development programmes. The Department should work with the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities to avoid duplication. The importance of providing information to the public on youth programmes was emphasised.

11.2 Responses by the Department

The Department conducted road shows on youth development on a regular basis. During the road shows of the Minister, issues of women and youth were often highlighted for general information. The Department tried at all times to avoid duplication. The Department believed it had a clear strategy with specific targets. The Cadet programme which trains young people in diplomacy was designed to bring more youth into the institution and provide training.

12. The Diplomatic Academy, the Research and Analysis Unit and the South African Council for International Relations

12.1 Diplomatic Academy

The Diplomatic Academy was accredited and ISO certified. It trains all relevant government diplomatic practice, protocol, languages and foreign policies.

One of the noted successes of the academy was that its Diplomatic International School took off successfully with programmes for SADC and civil society. Five publications and manuals of practise on monitoring national elections have been created.

However, the Academy’s biggest challenge was to improve quality as the education base was low. The academy was exploring partnership with FET colleges to deliver a National Diploma equivalent to a degree. The duration of training would however expand and would impact on time for posting of trained diplomats to designated Missions.

12.2 The Policy Research and Analysis Unit (PRAU)

The Policy Research and Analysis Unit (PRAU) was reportedly conducting research and analysis of foreign policy and geopolitical trends and strategies. It also facilitated foreign policy review and formulation. It facilitated engagement with stakeholders on foreign policy and support popularisation of the foreign policy.

By way of achievements, the Unit was involved in the initial research on the MENA region, including seminars by professors and activists from the America University of Egypt. It had facilitated the dialogues by Deputy Minister Fransman with the Somalis living in South Africa to consider investing locally and in their own country.

12.3 South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR)

SACOIR was designated by Cabinet in November 2011 as an advisory council. It reportedly provides platform for non-state actors to debate and advise the Minister. It is expected to allow frank and non-partisan assessment of the foreign policy.

SACOIR would operate under the Department, on three years cycle. Twenty five members were appointed by the Minister after consultation. Its membership is made up of civil society, academia, business, labour and national departments.

Advertisements were published in January 2012 but only a few relevant applicants applied and there was no business interest. Minister decided on re-advertisement but it was delayed because of the AU Chairpersonship campaign.

SACOIR is expected to be launched in 2013/14 financial year. An amount of R1, 8m is needed for its operations, the budget was not yet approved by Treasury.

12.4 Issues raised by Members

The Committee Was to deal with the White paper on South Africa’s Foreign Policy, a debate as to what contributed national interest would be touched upon. The Academy should focus more on economic diplomacy training to capacitate officials on the new and important foreign policy tool. There was a need to move beyond the political side of diplomacy and focus more on pursuing economic diplomacy.

12.5 Central African Republic (CAR)

The Committee requested more information on the involvement of the South African troops in the CAR. The Department explained that the crisis in the CAR had been recurring over the years. In 2005, the AU requested for financial assistance on behalf of the CAR, for socio-economic recovery as well as capacity building in the security and defence sectors.

Towards the end of 2012, rebels were rapidly approaching the capital, and the crisis was worsening. In 2007, South Africa and the CAR signed a Bilateral Military Cooperation agreement, under which South Africa provided technical training to the army personnel in the CAR. When the rebel attacks began in 2012, the agreement was also due for renewal. What it meant was that if the South African army trainers remained in the CAR beyond December 2012, they would have been without any legal cover.

President Zuma sent the Minister of Defence to the CAR to assess the situation and advise on the extension of the agreement and the safety of South African personnel in the CAR. The result was that the agreement was extended in December 2012, coinciding with the advancing rebel attacks. The situation of the South African trainers on the ground was desperate as they had no capacity to defend themselves and South African assets they use for training. A decision was taken therefore to send reinforcement troops to protect the trainers on the ground. The Department was not involved in the initial processes, thus resulting in mixed messages in the press on what was seen as a deployment of troops by South Africa to the CAR.

Some parties in Parliament challenged the decision by the presidency to have ‘deployed’ without consulting with Parliament. It turned out that since it was not a ‘deployment’, the presidency acted within its mandate to subsequently advise Parliament of the move. However, the Committee’s concern was that the Department was not engaged to ‘coordinate’ the sending of reinforcement army personnel, despite a mandate given by Cabinet that the Department should play a coordinating role.

The other factor was the apparent lack of proactive public diplomacy which would inform the public of what was actually happening, thus allowing for greater speculation on the process. It was clearly emphasised that South Africa had no business interest in the CAR, though the country had oil potential which was not being exploited.

13. State of readiness to host the BRICS Summit

The BRICS summit was to be held in Durban from the 26-27 March 2013. Its significance was that it would complete the first circle of summits and it was to be held in Africa. The Department presented a detailed description of the logistical arrangements for the BRICS summit. The Department was part of a Task Team responsible for the arrangements for the holding of the summit.

A number of preparatory meetings had taken place between the relevant stakeholders and the indications were that South Africa was ready to welcome its BRICS partners for the summit. The African Union and some countries in Africa were invited to initiate interaction with the BRICS formation.

A number of outcomes were expected to result from the summit, such as the agreement on the launch of a BRICS bank. The bank was aimed to compliment the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through extending development finance to its member countries and poor countries who express the need. The Committee mentioned its desire to undertake an oversight on the state of readiness of the Department for South Africa to hold the summit. The Committee also recalled that it had previously discussed the issue of it attending the summit if allowed to do so by Parliament.

14. The Financial Quarterly report

The Department informed the Committee of its expenditure trends for the past last quarter. The trends were such that by the end of the financial year, it would have spent 99 per cent of its budget. The Committee noted that the money was being spent in accordance with the Department’s strategic plan and annual performance targets. The Committee observed the difficulties often experienced by Missions due to foreign currency fluctuations, which affected liquidity.

15. Public Diplomacy

The Department had just created a Public diplomacy branch. Before the initiative, the unit which dealt with the issue had no clear strategy to communicate South Africa’s foreign policy. There were no regular briefings, there was very little writing and minimal engagements with think tanks and public discourse. The situation created a gap that led to a lot of speculative analysis without context or substantive content. Commentators and analysts were critical of what they called ‘an unclear foreign policy that comes across as inconsistent, incoherent and schizophrenic’.

Although foreign policy remains a contested terrain, not much effort was made to utilise available platforms domestically and internationally to highlight key achievements. The branch was still not adequately resourced financially to capacitate it to fully discharge its global mandate. The Committee appreciated the strides taken to improve the situation. It cautioned against the understanding of public diplomacy within the limited concept of ‘government communications’. It was considered much broader in terms of scope and mandate and accordingly its budget and strategy should reflect that responsibility.

The Committee raised the issue of rebranding the Minister in that she should regularly be visible and appear to be the face of South African foreign policy. The expectation was for her to be visible and communicating regularly with the Committee and the general public on foreign policy issues.

16. Conclusions

After having received briefings from the Department, the Committee came to the following conclusions:

• The South African public should be made aware of important issues and decisions taken by South Africa and that briefings to the Committee should be more frequent.

• The Policy Research and Analysis Unit was vitally important.

• South Africa’s contribution to various organisations and on certain key issues would be crucial in changing the profile of the country in the African continent.

• The Foreign Service Bill would improve coordination between the Department, NIA and Defence.

• A joint meeting with the Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Finance may be necessary to discuss contentious issues being raised with Treasury.

• South Africa should assess country’s interests before ratifying treaties.

• Parliament should consider a Parliamentary dimension to ECOSOC like there the one with the WTO and other forums.

• The Committee should pursue the notion of a parliamentary forum on oversight with BRICS partners.

17. Stakeholders’ roundtable

The Committee held a roundtable for research institutions it had engaged with previously. It intended to meet other players to establish new contacts for future partnership in enhancing the conduct of South African foreign policy. The stakeholders comprised research institutions in the area of international affairs.

The primary aim was to establish the research agenda of these organisations, and how they saw future collaboration with the Committee, in terms of its mandate of overseeing the conduct of foreign policy in South Africa. Points of convergence were identified including the need identified to seek information on how South Africa intended to relate with the new MENA region and the Middle East after the spate of uprisings.

The need to beef up diplomacy towards economic diplomacy was mentioned. Other institutions were dealing with the positioning of South Africa in Africa, since South Africa was doing a lot of both humanitarian and developmental work in the continent. Future interaction with the Committee was encouraged.

18. Recommendations

After deliberations on the draft report, the Committee recommends that the Minister ensures that the Department implements the following and report to the Committee within one month of the publication of this report:

18.1 During the oversight visit in January 2013, the Department undertook to conduct a review of its involvement in the continent under the auspices of the African Renaissance Fund (ARF). The process would be to ensure that identified focus areas were in line with the Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development objectives. Such a report should highlight how funds are prioritised and be shared with the Committee before the finalisation of processes for the establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).

18.2 A Project Management Unit was expected to be established in April 2013. The Unit was aimed to source funding from relevant departments and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for the operationalisation of the NEPAD presidential infrastructure programme. A progress report should be availed the Committee as to whether such funding is being realised.

18.3 A progress report regarding the completeness of an Asset register and asset audit of all assets under the responsibility of the Department locally and abroad should be shared with the Committee. The Department had undertaken to complete these processes by February 2013.

18.4 Amongst the concerns raised by the Auditor-General of South Africa was the need for the Department to ensure that the Department’s objectives and targets were ‘SMART’ and had recommended training of senior management on ‘smart’ targets and supply chain management. The Audit Committee also pointed out to audit challenges in the Department. A progress report should be submitted to the Committee on steps taken and improvements noted.

18.5 The Department should continue employing new low cost initiatives of popularising the Register of South Africans Abroad (ROSA). The programmes should be disseminated in the missions abroad and also locally to make citizens aware before they travel.

18.6 Africa and regional integration agenda within the Southern African Development Community as a region should be featured deliberately and prominently in the Department’s strategic plan and programmes. The two should feature as strategic focus areas in the conduct of South African foreign policy.

18.7 The public diplomacy drive aimed at informing the public and the world on foreign policy positions, should also target public opinion and input on proposed policy initiatives before such policies are adopted and implemented. Public diplomacy should not be understood within the limited concept of ‘government communications only, it is much broader than that. Accordingly, its budget and strategy should reflect that responsibility.

18.8 The Department should share with the Committee an update on the establishment of the Gender and Youth directorate. The report should highlight the directorate’s strategic focus.

18.9 The Department should prioritise strengthening capacity of its Policy Research and Analysis Unit (PRAU). The Unit should proactively analyse and advise on South Africa’s response to the fast emerging global trends influential to South Africa’s foreign policy.

18.10 The Department should submit a progress report regarding the action plan to address internal control deficiencies as cautioned by the Auditor-General’s report 2012/13.

18.11 Interaction with the Committee at the level of the Minister and her deputies should happen frequently to keep both structures at par regarding the conduct of South Africa’s foreign policy.

18.12 The Foreign Service Bill is still not tabled. An elaboration should be made on the challenges raised by the security cluster regarding the hands-on-role the Department was proposing to play in the Missions abroad.

18.13 The Department should give an update report on the nature of concerns raised by Treasury with regard to the Bill for the establishment of SADPA.

18.14 The establishment of a gender and youth directorate is welcomed. The Department should measure its success against the targets determined by President Zuma regarding representation of people with disabilities.

18.15 The Department should assume its responsibility and coordinate matters of a domestic nature impacting on foreign policy. It should play a proactive public diplomacy to curb speculation on issues of national interest and importance.

18.16 The Department should give an update on its activities highlighting achievements and challenges during its presidency of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa forum, (BRICS).

18.17 Economic diplomacy should be prioritised. This would render South Africa relevant and in pace with the emerging trends of partnerships and cooperation which in turn address domestic priorities more efficiently. South Africa’s diplomats should be adequately and deliberately skilled in the field.

Report to be considered.