BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI: Can South Africa dump the scumbags and sit at the high table?
'South Africa - besides being a relatively small economy - does not have too many levers, either hard or soft, to pull in its conduct of foreign relations'
A quarter of a century after the dawn of democracy, and South Africa is still struggling to craft a coherent foreign policy. It has neither succeeded in asserting itself in any meaningful way in world affairs nor has it been able to master the forces that shape the international agenda. Its policy is neither fish nor fowl. While it can be argued that foreign relations is always a moving target, requiring constant reviews and adjustments, a country has to develop its own persona - informed by its values and principles - which should not easily be swayed by prevailing winds.A campaign by South Africa a few years ago for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council provoked excitement in foreign policy circles. Then the country was handed the rotating chairmanship of the council and proceeded to make a hash of it, supporting repressive regimes in Myanmar (Burma) and the Middle East. It abandoned its own values, what it stood for. South Africa is now keen to rekindle its campaign, but no...
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