GERRIT OLIVIER: How SA can succeed in its efforts to re-embrace the world
A truly nonaligned foreign posture would mean the country has no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests
In desperation about SA’s economic free fall, President Cyril Ramaphosa turned to the outside world for help in 2020. It was no doubt a wise, if belated, step. SA had a golden opportunity to become something along the lines of Africa’s Singapore after dumping apartheid, but soon wasted it in an orgy of myopic ideological arrogance and economic incompetence.
With wayward domestic and foreign policies dominating after Nelson Mandela stepped down as president, goodwill on the part of potential foreign investors made way for disappointment and scepticism. Foreigners were particularly discouraged by the ANC’s struggle-fundamentalist, Western-sceptical foreign policy, which favoured authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia for special relations while ignoring moral rectitude. No wonder that after being cold-shouldered, would-be benefactors and investors, particularly from the West, simply lost interest. They stayed away while SA’s international and regional Africa status and p...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.