LETTER: South African foreign policy raises red flags
Our government would be well advised to consider a more delicate, transparent and balanced approach to its foreign policy
Last month, the rand experienced its first reprimand from the dollar following US ambassador Reuben Brigety’s announcement that he would bet his life on the fact that the Lady R (a Russian ship which docked in Simon’s Town last year) was loaded with South African weapons, and headed to Russia.
Whether the Lady R was loaded with weapons or Wonder Bars is not half as relevant as the dynamics at play in our global political and economic arenas.
No-one can deny that South Africa’s foreign policy towards Russia has involved a number of love letters this year. From Operation Mosi to the summit of the Brics nations scheduled for August, the US has had good reason to keep its eye on international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor. Especially given her deputy Alvin Botes and department director-general Zane Dangor’s trip to the US last month to ensure South Africa remains a beneficiary of the African Growth & Opportunity Act.
There is little comic relief in the fact that Brigety’s announcement was made as Dangor and Botes landed back in Cape Town.
Any opportunity to do business with Russia and the US remains important to a number of South African businesses, exporters and funds. Our government would be well advised to consider a more delicate, transparent and balanced approach to its foreign policy. This will be critical if we don’t want our economy to suffer from electrical — and political — blackouts.
Simryn Andhee
Quantitative investment analyst, Ion Capital
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