FOREIGN AFFAIRS OP-ED
Naledi Pandor is treading the Pik Botha path to SA’s diplomatic oblivion
The ANC now faces the cold winds of disapproval which it is struggling to deal with, in part because it is now so full of its brand of sanctimonious ideological bunkum that it can’t see straight.
In a distorted mirror image of Pik Botha’s missions to sell the “good intentions” of South Africa during apartheid to the US, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor has been on a mission to sell her government’s somewhat bedraggled foreign policy.
While there are, of course, differences in time, ideology and posture, there are some striking resemblances.
During the apartheid years, the government regularly defended its importance to the West based on a similar argument to the one Pandor is making today — the strategic importance of South Africa’s location and economy.
And like her pre-1994 predecessor, she has penned well-placed op-eds. In a Financial Times article, she argues: “Seeking to bring South Africa to its knees almost amounts to self-sabotage for the US. We were a key driver in the formulation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and now of its implementation. Given that AfCFTA creates the largest single free trade area in the world, with 1.3bn people and a combined gross domestic product of $3.4tn, it would be advantageous for the US to capitalise on such opportunities, and work with us as a gateway to the continent.”
This is naïve in the extreme. First, the notion that South Africa is the “gateway to the continent” is simply wrong. Nigeria in the west, Kenya in the east and Egypt in the north might lay more credible claims as their economic growth rates outstrip that of the former southern giant. It presumes that the US requires the connivance of a self-appointed gatekeeper to a free trade area whose timescale to fruition is four decades away.
South Africa is making another rookie mistake. It believes that good relations with the White House give it licence to cock a snook in international relations against US sentiment, values and interests without disturbing its economic relations.
But this is Washington, not Kampala. Policy is not just up to Joe Biden, nor the US’s diplomatic representatives, conditioned as they are to calming troubled waters at any cost. The real cauldron is in the House and Senate, where foreign relations are regulated by legislation as is evidenced by a Bill currently before the House to curtail South Africa’s trade privileges because of its foreign relations misadventures. The Bill criticises South Africa for “engaging in activities that undermine US national security or foreign policy interests” and for its flirtation with “malign actors”.
Just as Botha and the National Party learnt with Reagan and the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1985, it is a waste of time cosying up to the executive when the real action is on Capitol Hill.
Botha had the advantage that he could tap into South Africa’s history as a US ally in both world wars, the Korean War and the Cold War, where the Soviets backed the ANC. Pandor has none of these advantages, as the ANC was viewed as a Soviet-backed enemy. By associating itself so closely with Russia and China, the ANC is confirming that stereotype.
Public opinion
Another lesson is that public opinion matters and the perception of the value and condition of SA has deteriorated to the point that many would question why they would now stick up for a country with anti-democratic foreign policy vectors.
The world has changed since the invasion of Ukraine and we picked the wrong side.
The challenge for SA is thus: the end of apartheid saw the country’s Western partners increasingly judging it by normal parameters. No longer did a single (ideological) issue dominate every decision. In the same way, that advantage for the ANC has, over a generation, dissipated.
After 1994, the ANC basked in the glory of global approval, the early success of the transition gaining SA a slice of the moral high ground, able to punch above its weight in international fora. But Nelson Mandela is long gone and it is apparent that the old anti-West agenda has been dusted off by a new class of politicians fond of rents and those who dispense them.
The ANC no longer has the wiggle room it once enjoyed. South Africa is now judged as any other country and is being found wanting.
South Africa’s claim to be the torch-holder for a wave of democratisation no longer holds. The anti-apartheid struggle was all about democracy promotion, and yet we have only engaged with human rights on a selective basis and where it suits our ideological interests.
South Africa’s friendship with authoritarians has been accompanied by limp enthusiasm for promoting democracy, whether in neighbouring Zimbabwe or further afield in Africa.
How did we get ourselves into this pickle?
Diplomatic shockers
Two weeks after the Hamas terror attack on Israel, Pandor visited Iran where she met with that country’s president, Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi.
According to the official statement on the visit, she made the visit “to convey a message from HE President M C Ramaphosa” and to engage “on issues of mutual bilateral interest”.
The statement said: “Countries like South Africa have been consistent in their support to Palestine and have never deviated from the belief President Mandela held, that until the people of Palestine are free, South Africa will not be fully free.”
In diplomacy, the symbolism of such a visit, accompanied as it was by the decision to end diplomatic relations with Israel, was clear.
As was the symbolism of her phone call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh a mere 10 days after the terror attack.
In a statement issued a day after the meeting with Hamas, that organisation gleefully reported that Pandor had expressed support for the attack, “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, responded that such a call was “a diplomatic impossibility” as South Africa had no relationship with Hamas.
He was wrong. The call had taken place and soon Pandor was putting out the fire, saying that no support had been given for the 7 October attack.
At one level, this is amateurish diplomatic bungling deserving of the Order of the Tangled Baobab. How is possible that the Presidency was unaware of Pandor’s call with Hamas or of the symbolic significance of a fawning visit to Iran?
This follows a series of other diplomatic shockers such as the conducting of military exercises with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and the numerous friendly meetings between Pandor and her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
After one such meeting, she said: “There are some who don’t wish us to have relations with an old, historical friend. We have made it clear that Russia is a friend and we have had cooperative partnerships for many, many years … We cannot become sudden enemies at the demand of others.”
As was the case with Hamas, Pandor has since tried to walk this back. It took until November 2023 with much pro-Russian water under the bridge before she finally hosted Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
Furious backpedalling
“I think our original decision to remain non-aligned was the right one,” she said, somewhat disingenuously.
There is a pattern here: South Africa takes an ill-considered position and then backpedals furiously when the diplomatic chickens come home to roost.
The trouble with this strategy is that it creates an impression that the country is not being honest about its true feelings which, on the evidence, suggests it desires a decisive pivot away from the world of democratic nations towards that dominated by authoritarians, but wants its Western partners to ignore this.
Regrettably for South Africa, there is a growing lobby in the US and elsewhere that takes a dim view of this pivot, that wants to stop this charade and remove privileges that the country enjoys under the Agoa trade deal, among others.
The ANC now faces the cold winds of disapproval which it is struggling to deal with, in part because it is now so full of its brand of sanctimonious ideological bunkum that it can’t see straight, because foreign policy was until now seen as a relatively cost-free domain in which to prove one’s liberation credentials in the absence of delivery at home, and partly because there may be inducements pulling it in other directions.
This is despite the fact there may be some in the ANC who realise that they have taken it a bit too far, that hostility to the Western industrial democracies comes at a cost which the ANC cannot afford, and the scrambling, spin-doctoring and schmoozing is not going to cut it.
South Africa needs to return to watering its democratic roots and becoming a champion for ordinary people across the continent who want freely and fairly elected governments that are transparent and accountable. DM
Greg Mills and Ray Hartley are with The Brenthurst Foundation
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Fortunately America is backtracking and decrying the huge number of civillians dying in Gaza, Biden is touting a policy change towards Israel- indirectly he affirms South Africa’s stance on the civillians deaths which was the bone of contention.
We have trade agreements with America not living under the shadow of America agreement.
America has gone out of its way not to upset Russia in the Ukraine war when providing weapons to Ukraine, one of the reason why the war is faltering.
America improved it’s relationship with Iran and released billions in sanctioned funds in return for nuclear inspections.
Likewise the frosted relations with Russia can change tomorrow.
We are not helping ourselves by outsourcing our foreign policy to appear aligned with the west when UN representatives clearly state that those complicit in war crimes will be in the dock.
The ANC has corrupt and morally bankrupt individuals, but our constitution and policies guide those who work hard in their portfolios.
Our democracy is very clear that those chosen by the majority will lead, at the moment it is the ANC until proven otherwise.
The minority interest cannot represent the majority interest and that is the political landscape until after the elections.
What are you smoking?
You totally miss the point, which is NOT that the ANC has not been elected and authorised to lead SA; the authors point out that, at least in terms of foreign policy, the ANC government is leading the country in directions which will destroy its economic well-being. So, you as an obvious ANC supporter, are happy that the government policy aligns SA with Russia, Iran, Hamas, Cuba, Mnangagwa and Al Bashir, because it gives you a childish kick to cock a snook at the democratic (white) West> You have never thought about the truism that Countries do Not have Friends; they only have Interests.
Grow up, Mr Fakude.
She is an embarresment like the rest of the Anc
I am reading some very interesting articles when newspapers reported openly and honestly. Please check in your archives from The Western Daily Press, a British Newspaper which reads with articles headlines such as
1. Jewish Terrorists urge total war on Britain.
2. “We will beat the dog in his own kennel. IRGUN & STERN GANG STATEMENT
3. Hanged Britons: Pictures that will shock the world.
4. Hotel Blast kills 93 in Jerusalem…
….and much more. The innocent people who are the beasts of mankind today.
The ANC, irrespective of matters of corruption, stood proudly to denounce what is correct to denounce. Madam Naledi knows more about oppression than you do. I suspect your nature is still stuck in apartheid because it gave you so much comfort and wealth. Buckle up and start working hard…no more luxury at the expense of black people.
You are prepared to trade justice for comfort and wealth. Still a very sick society.
In your opinion, which you are of course entitled to.
It is so easy to find whatever one wants in order to justify a narrative. Just pick your preferred newspaper for example. It is equally easy to mislead all us gullible normal people with day jobs via fake news.
…just saying.
That being said, South Africa is our home. And here I know without any doubt that the ANC is corrupt, incompetent and is destroying our home for all our people.
So do the sensible thing and vote for change.
Vote for a multiracial party which actually cares about all of us and has the skills and political maturity to help if we just allow them to.
Vote DA.
Totally wrong spoke out against apartheid from 10 ,im now 63,no assumptions
Methinks the ANC actions were more a case of taking what they consider to be the high moral ground to deflect attention from their appalling mismanagement of our country. The facts speak for themselves. And if the apartheid card is all you’ve got then I suggest it is a very weak hand.
How short sighted can the ANC be not to know that they are shooting themselves in both feet! One by association and the other by burning bridges. Nothing good will come from this obnoxious attitude. They have sold out the last bit of pride and patriotism of a young nation who has had their future stolen by corruption and mismanagement.
This piece is clearly regutitating OLD TIRED NEWS not to mention the typically one-sided view, ignoring all ills from so called Western countries and dying to see America punish SA through withdrawal of AGOA amongst other ‘repercussion’ yet not once have either of these writers presented the exact benefits of AGOA to SA. Not once. Just fearful journalistic rethoric of ‘dont mess with USA’. Worse u want to compare Pandor to Pik!!! Ps APARTHEID deserved the global condemnation it received then – please research and write about future perspectives of developments,
retrieving OLD NEWS & putting them in paragraphs doesn’t add anything to the debate -dead boring! frankly if I were a DM editor this substandard historical drivel would not have earned a byline let alone a Monday, new week slot!! yawn 🥱
And now the ANC is an embarrasment whether you like it or not, and supposedly bored with the message of not. Attack is the best defence for you
And you will pay their salaries you like it or not welcome to the real world Denise.
Don’t bank on it, Kenneth. When the lazy, corrupt, thieving ANC gets its just deserts and loses its grip on the horn-of-once-plenty that is CoJ, the obviously-stupid political appointment who is Kenneth Fakude, , Head of Human Resources CoJ (can you readers believe it?) will be one of he first to be investigated, exposed, and thrown out to get a job fixing Bree Street. People do NOT like paying the inflated salaries of pretenders, and like it or not, your good fortune will not last forever.
I think what you fail to understand is that the SA constitution is based on a wide ranging Bill of Rights. This should be the guiding light to our foreign policy. Taking an anti West position can only be tolerated if the alternative is founded on these principles.
Being friends with russia, hamas, Iran, china, Zimbabwe and other non democratic rouges whose collective brand includes gross violation of human rights on their own people just shows the hypocrisy of the ANC. The so called quiet diplomacy while people are thrown in jail for simply expressing their right to free speech, or demanding even basic rights for women is simply another way of giving such behaviour moral support. And the so called expression of non alignment is really just a smoke screen to give these rogues support.
But every time I see an old person in a wheel chair dodging traffic at a traffic light in SA while begging for a few pennies, I realise the ANC has no interest in our Bill of Rights.
Exactly and well said. The axis of evil has blood on its hands.
Just some clarity, first I am a victim of all the wrongs of the ANC which I always point out, secondly I don’t comment on bias driven by association with the colour of my skin, I apply facts and reality.
If you are my friend for a financial business and you supply weapons that slaughter children and women you leave me with a conscience to answer to.
If you read the comment thoroughly you will realize you echo my sentiments about the ANC.
I like the fact that you view me as a stupid and my response is at least I am something which is much better than a bitter swearing first class citizen from the dustbin of history.
And my activities are with humatarian organisations who patch victims of the people who care only about their interests.
Well said Kenneth
Old news it may be but it is on going and may affect us more than you can imagine: If we lose the AGOA agreeement this will spell disaster for our motor industry as we export a huge number of cars and parts to the USA and Europe. Our agricultural industry is also heavily dependent on good relations with Europe and the USA. Maybe you have a job in government but for the rest of us in the private sector, this amateur diplomatic bungling is a real worry. We can only hope that after the elections we get a propper and capable foreign minister who is not dependent on handouts from Russia or Iran to fund her political party.
We have to keep regurgitating old news so that people never forget what the ANC have done to this country, and yes don’t mess with the USA, or you will see what they can do at your peril.
Hear Hear! The author of the above keeps regurgitating and blaming everything on apartheid and doesn’t find that boring?
I would not call this information old news, it is very relevant. It might be dead boring but that is politics for you. It will take a while but South Afric now that they will lose their western partners money now that they have some really nasty new friends. A new cold war started a couple of years ago but South Africa did not know it had started and is now suffering the consequences.
One thing you really do need to remember at all times, is that without American support, our very sophisticated HIV/Aids programme would not exist, and millions of ordinary South Africans would not have access to their meds! a sobering thought – for you and Naledi Pandor.
Actually, US support for SA’s AIDS programme constitutes 15% of the cost. Our taxes pay for 85%.
Its still 15% ! China and Russia contribute zero…
I agree WITH MACRON
We can’t be Lily cowards and also want to Stand up for freedom and democracy
We must learn to stop being like the DA WHO sit on the fence
The DA is never going to be the answer as it has proven its not patriotic by running to America to WIELD the big stick against the Government and bring up the AGOA to scare South Africans
USA is the biggest bully and Terrorist and we must not be intimidated by the USA who has approved Armed and funded the genocide on GAZA
We South Africans are not lackeys of USA and we don’t need DA to
Go tell tales
The bizarre ” foreign policy” of the ANC represented by the gauche and unworldly Pandor is borne , at least in part by personal financial benefit to cadres and largesse pumped into the party coffers from some of the most malign actors on the globe.
Perhaps one day the truth will come out as to the source of the dollars stuffed into Cyril’ couch ( certainly not from the sale of buffalo)
The people who count in the US, no doubt have a lot more information which they do not choose to share.
There was the miraculous improvement in the ANC’s finances around the time of the visit to Iran that has not been properly explained.
Ja, Its one of those fire pool moments. It will eventually reveal itself.
Rumourmongering
No – just connecting the dots
While there is substance to your argument, comparing Naledi to the evil of Pik is a very low blow indeed.
You think? She and the ANC have so clearly aligned themselves with the evil axis of Iran, Russia and China, hell- bent on destroying western values. Apartheid was wrong, for sure as was colonialism but it is being replaced by something far, far worse and we should all be afraid , very afraid.
Once colonised by the CCP , we can have our form of democracy , with Chinese characteristics .
Their manifesto from 49 is basically the same , world domination , leaning heavily on Sun Tzu and his Art of war !
Many moans about Putin , the CCP put him in the shade .
Cultural genocide , re education centres , organ harvesting , etc etc !
Must be careful of what I say about the CCP , their guys could come over , pluck me from my house , drag me to China for a ‘ trial ‘ !!!
Our govt allows that !
I have never heard that the US wanted to ” bring SA to its knees”, but when she wrote the article that horrible thought must have been preying on her mind.
“bring it to its knees” … call it what you like … that the US wants a monopoly on ‘truth/policy’ and is still intent on ‘world hegemony’ … like its blind support of the Zionist state of Israel (with the longest ‘forever war’ since ’67) should be clear. They have learnt nothing from failures in Vietnam and most recently Afghanistan (with a string of others in between!) ! It is the stupid axis of ‘western’ support (totaling 10% of world population) coupled with its military might and economic ability to try to sabotage other economies that it sees as ‘malign’, that keeps it on the path of what Beinart accurately has described as ‘hubris’ ! They operate on the principle of what one of America’s favourite presidents said about “bombing the shit out of them” … like they are doing in Gaza presently .
Um have you ever worked for a Chinese or Russian company?
Are you proposing we align rather with China, Russia and Iran? Or North Korea?
Have you?
For some bizarre reason Naledi Pandor believes that SA will be given a pass for doing exactly what it wants, barging in to foreign affairs in countries so far away from us really who dont impact on our economy, and then proudly boast about calls made and travel to meet most feared organsations who funded and committed heinous acts. And if this wasnt enough, to take the matter to the highest level, the ICJ.
And when the USA is horrified that SA went that far and is now considering relooking life sustaining treaties with SA becau because SA now appears to be supporting their enemies, she is shocked because SA is valuable to them?
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Why shouldn’t the USA do exactly what they want, she and her president who has supported her all the way do what they want, forgetting that we the people, may be greatly harmed by their words and their actions.
How did they reckon this public display of personal agendas would be good for the poorest of the poor? How did they miss that this may not get the votes they so desperatly need for an election year, instead hundreds of thousands may lose jobs.
How terribly sad that these are the people who govern our country, they dont care about the people, they care about being important.
The truly amazing thing is how hard the ANC fought for democracy, and now they befriend every country who doesn’t have democracy, whilst slapping the faces of those that do. A strange and confused bunch indeed.
Where did the DA come into the article, that you take a swipe at them?
By the way, Winde DID NOT go ” running to America to WIELD the big stick against the Government”. it tried to save the WC’s economic interests from being sabotaged by the ANC’s choices of bedfellows. That is NOT unpatriotic.
Sorry, under wrong heading. this post was in response to Janoofb at 23:42, 8 Apr
Did the ANC really fight for DEMOCRACY, or for replacing white authoritarian rule with Black authoritarian rule? ( excluding, afap, Zulus)
Like Israel … the US has always ‘done what it wants’ in any case ! Vietnam from my early days and Afghanistan most recently (with several other horrors in between) has taught them nothing ! It is sheer hubris that drives them.
One has to wonder which Arab country is scratching the ANC’s back in return for our current Foreign Policy!
I ran to my next-door neighbour, but she didn’t know either…
LOL
How about looking at the richest/most powerful Arab countries, and you will find they are ‘friends’ with the US. The US’ hypocrisy about human rights etc. is glaring.
Could not have said it better if I tried for a million years. The US are huge hypocrites, when it suits them human rights suddenly mean something. The world is expected to forget that half the time they put the dictators they are trying to get rid of in power in the first place.
Qatar.
She promoted her own self-interest & those who back her to the detriment of all South Africans.
I’m surprised to read this point of view because I consume a lot of UK and US media and the outlets I read and watch have nothing but the greatest admiration for Naledi Pandor because of her current stance towards Israel. She is on the right side of history on this one and no comparison to Pik Botha by the authors of this hit piece is going to change that. Nice try.
Unfortunately, the US Congress doesn’t have great admiration for her, otherwise they wouldn’t have pushed through the bill to have us chucked from AGOA. And while SA is definitely on the right side of history with regard to the ICJ issue, those same history books will judge us poorly over our backing of the warmongering fascist, Vladimir Putin (funny how we (rightly) decried the US breaking international law in 2003 when it invaded Iraq, but turned a blind eye to Russia breaking that same international law by invading Ukraine) I don’t see a vast difference between Pandor and Pik, TBH.
The US Congress is drenched in AIPAC money so it is no surprise that they are passing bills to stifle South Africa economically at the moment. The US Congress however, cannot escape US citizens who are disgusted by the fact that their taxes are supporting the slaughter of Palestinians. Biden is literally afraid to go anywhere to speak these days because he gets drowned out by protesters. The US Congress will have to think carefully about this. Have you noticed how nobody is talking about Ukraine lately? Have you wondered why? I suggest you have a look into that. Pik Botha was representing a government that was oppressing black people, he was representing an apartheid government. One of the greatest crimes against humanity. I think it is major copium on your part to pretend that he can be compared to Naledi Pandor. She is not oppressing and brutalising people because of their race.
Agreed … there are serious problems with current ANC ‘foreign policy’ and inconsistencies and paradoxes abound (as in all countries) . BUT that should/does not detract from the ‘correct’ stance on ICJ issue.
But it does. Thats the point. We should worry less about other countries moral failures and more about our own. Coming from a strong moral base opinions and stances have a much more meaningful and powerful voice. Our opinions are just temporary noise until we get exposed for the useless fools we are. Its just a matter of time.
We don’t know if SA is on the right side of history, regarding the ICJ issue. There is still a long way to go, before we can assess who is right and wrong on this issue. Terror insurgency has been buffered by the war in GAZA – as can be seen on university campuses across the USA. The radicalization that has emerged as a result of the fodder of this war will not be good for a world where democratic values are fast disappearing.
I subscribe to the NYT adn I pick up exactly the opposite in the comments section. Most American readers comments are very anti-SA mainly due to its stance on Russia and Ukraine. But somewhat sympathetic to its stance on Israel. The main point is that powerful US politicians like the democratic Senator Chris Coons who chairs the ethics committee and also sits on the foreign affairs committees is fed up with SA and agitating for harsher action by the Senate. Our foreign affairs is an absolute mess – a mess. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing and the ANC does not think things through and DOES NOT APPLY AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK to its decisions.
Sorry ! Are you suggesting that the US is interested in ETHICS ? Like its continued support of ‘land grabs’ by the Israeli regime since ’67 (and continued imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians opposing it – and many summary killings) … and not a word (the overused and meaningless “concern” does not count) about it ? You must be joking ! But then the publications you refer to are part of what Beinart describes as American hubris .
Politician and ethics should never ever (not matter which country in the world) appear in the same sentence
Sadly true for most. Some try to embody this ideal, like Jacinda Arden, NZ
Any good argument has an ethical and legitimacy aspect to it. South Africa’s current government claims to act as the moral compass of planet earth by virtue of the ANC’s long struggle against apartheid, and uses this to bolster its arguments in international affairs – either implicitly or explicitly, when it suits it. So when Zimbabwe’s Bob Mugabe destroys his country, runs fake elections and kills and brutalises opposition supporters, the ANC stands up and argues supports for him, yet says nothing when Russia bombs 800 medical facilities in the Ukraine to dust, and then claims some sort of moral high ground when Israel attacks Hamas, then goes and begs for money from the Iran dictatorship that even its own population hates. There is no ethical consistency in the ANC foreign policy – that is what I am saying. It is a mess. A total mess. After I wrote this News24 came out with an article that SA has ignored requests for an EU summit for over a year. Over a 1000 EU companies, and 600 US companies have invested in South Africa directly employing 500,000 people here. The EU accounted for 1.4 TRILLION in foreign direct investment stock in 2021 in RSA. Yet we mess them around. How many Chinese or Russian companies invest in South Africa and how many South African citizens do the employ – very very few. The ANC foreign policy is a total mess and undermining our economy. It does not make sense ethically or economically or strategically. Vote for another party.
You don’t think the same happened with the national party in many media pieces during Apartheid? You in SA were just given one biased flavor, but that ignorance will be a big wake up call. Soon you will find out how it feels to be the pariah on the world stage. Hint. It’s not going to be pleasant, and it’s just starting
I dont believe the american senators car about what is written in UK newspapers. I am based in the UK and in the past the ANC could do what ever they wanted with UK media, those days are finished the UK media have taken a very negative point of view on South Africa.
But then the UK and the US are the parents of the incest between the two of them called Israel. Nothing new there !
Perhaps try expanding your consumption of UK and US media. Avoid the usual populist,leftist junk. Eventually Naledis true colours will be exposed. Don’t fool yourself that the ICJ case reflects her true intentions, ambitions and hidden agendas, nor that of her comrades.
Agree. Absolutely a comparison made in bad taste. For the US, the ends (as in trying to cozy up with the US) may be viewed similarly, but the means and contexts that led to conflict with the US (as in speaking up for human rights (Pandor) v abusing human rights (Botha) are quite different. Just talking about this particular context, not domestic issues and Russia etc.
If anything, the article in the FT showed how irrelevant on the international stage, certainly vis-a-vis the US, SA has become. The persistent kowtowing to an ineptocratic government, by corporates and – until recently – the electorate, is a mental health problem that‘ll require some serious therapeutic intervention to deal with… The weaning off the sweet-talking con-brigade may have started but whether it’ll be enough for SA to survive remains to be seen…
You have accurately described the what goes in American politics ! ‘stolen’ elections etc. Its called hubris … but I am not sure ‘therapeutic’ intervention will do anything to change that ! There is no remedy for hubris.
Kanu the article is not about the hubris of America – its about the hubris of a little country at the tip of Africa with a messed up foreign policy. That is what the article is about. And how this policy will come back to hurt the ordinary people of South Africa who lose jobs and opportunities.
One thing the opening of archives after the fall of the Berlin Wall showed us was that the so-called “non aligned” states in the Cold War were Soviet tools.
For South African diplomats to try to revive the term in 2024, shows they have not read much modern history.
Or they really do hate the “west” and democracy and are on the sides of tyrants.
This is a time for choosing sides. The ANC have without consultation chosen to align themselves with Iran China and Russia. Why would you align yourself with tyranny? There is no excuse for that.
China is SA’s largest trading partner by some distance and is the largest buyer of our resources, the basis of our economy. China accounts for over 30% of global GDP growth and, although trend growth is slowing, because of its sheer size it will remain the world’s preeminent growth engine for many years still. The value of Naspers/Prosus, for long the darling of the JSE, and still combined our 2nd largest counter on the JSE, is entirely attributable to its shareholding in Tencent Holdings, a Chinese company.
Given these facts is it sensible for SA to alienate China? Or should we be pursuing warm and friendly relationships – both bilaterally and through Brics?
And the US is our second largest trading partner – does it make sense to alienate them by supporting Russia’s invasion of a sovereign state? Or by cosying up to a nation that has been an implacable US enemy for 40+ years? – it’s not as if we undertake massive trade with Iran…
Our balance of trade with China is dire and they buy commodoties from us for the most part. It isn’t comparable to the benefit the economy derives from trade with the US. Much of that trade would become unviable in the absence of AGOA benefits as we aren’t price competitive without it. We should by all means kiss Chinese booty but kicking the American one at the same time is at the very thick end of imprudent.
I agree. Although trade growth with China (Asia, more broadly) will be higher than trade growth with the West, Western nations remain important trading partners. Hence, we should also seek to cultivate good relations with Western countries also.
More broadly, our foreign policy should be guided by our economic interests, most certainly not by our (or anyone else’s) values. We should aim to be non-aligned and stay friends with both China (Brics) and the West.
Life is not just about money David. The most important quality to have in order to succeed at anything is integrity. This is why the ANC has failed, and why Russia, Iran and China will as well.
13 000 dead children, about as many dead women, all universities destroyed, places of worship, about 2/3rds of residential homes flattened, hospitals, aid workers, press… in 6 months. With US bombs. Why would we align ourselves with tyranny? There is no excuse for that.
Spot on comparison! The ill-advised, the hypocritical and the beyond-stupid trying to defend the indefensible! This is the rubbish that runs our country and foreign policy which is clearly reflective of the state of the country. They break, steal and destroy everything their rapacious hands touch. SA professes to be non-aligned, which is ok if our actions weren’t directly the opposite. Instead we kowtow to, embrace and worship the most vile, evil and murderous regimes and human rights abusers/murderers like Russia, Iran, Venezuela etc. At the same time, we extend our begging bowl with one hand to the US & the West whilst giving a middle finger with the other. Why rush off to the US and make a complete and utter idiot of yourself and SA like the odious Pandor has done. It is a case of wanting the whole cake and eating it whole as well, as they do in our country and to hell with the rest. Integrity, morals, decency etc. are so foreign to these disgusting morons and they are nothing but the most hideous hypocrites and traitors to our values, our fight for human rights/freedom and our Constitution. We need to flush this rotten cabal into the sewer and begone forever!
Excellent post. Thank you.
Yes , yes, yes!
I concur. We need to flush etc but informed opinion is that after the coalition gerrymandering has become a reality, it is not going to happen – at least in this election.
The ANC is nothing but a burden and an embarrassment. It once had a role as the movement appointed by the (Western, London-based) Anti-Apartheid Movement to lead SA into full democracy. That is more than three decades ago. But the ANC has never actually had a pragmatic grasp of anything beyond that window of goodwill. Please, please, vote them out of power. Then we can embark on damage control. We we received back into the Commonwealth in 1994 and let us not forget the long-standing quiet global reality of that. Russia and the Middle East are not our historic or geographical allies. Pure fantasy.
I wonder where has that (Western , London based) movement been all these years. Probably selling boerewors rolls, Bud light and banana leaf biltong at Rhodes must fall campaigns and alphabet mafia protests etc, etc.
When the authors talk about the “world of democratic nations”, I wonder if they mean that to include the uni-party plutocracies of the UK and USA?
Voters in the UK and USA haven’t had much of real consequence to worry about for a long time so who one voted for didn’t really make a big difference. As their concerns move down Maslow’s hierarchy I expect that their voting choices will expand quite quickly.
Au contraire – I do not expect that as the economic bottom falls out of these countries, as is now happening especially in the UK, the plutocratic elite will generously take their foot off the throat of the political and media space so as to allow the public to effect real change and turf them out of power, rather we can expect a continuation of the current slide towards authoritarianism…but thank you for a thoughtful and considered response, which is rare in these threads.
They’re far from perfect, but they don’t steal a nation’s children for ‘re-education’, they don’t drive tanks over protesting students, and they don’t murder sixteen year old girls for refusing to wear a head covering – so yes, they are freer, more democratic and far better places to live than Russia, China or Iran…
Perhaps the UK and USA are more ‘open societies’ than some authoritarian countries, but with every day that passes that openness decreases, and certainly it is a stretch to characterize them as the “democratic world”, which is the point I was trying to make. They are fake ‘stage-managed’ democracies compared to real and vibrant democracies like Brazil, India, RSA, etc. But thank you for a thoughtful and considered response.
RSA is a ” vibrant democracy” ?
It has been a one party state for 30 years. It has been ruled by a national liberation movement with a captive majority, not subject to accountability for proper governance and corruption, as are governing political parties in “vibrant” functioning democracies. It has been ruled for 30 years by one governing party, consumed by arrogant entitlement, with no fear of being voted out of power no matter what their sins. Is this a “vibrant” democracy ? Elections do not make a democracy. Zimbwabwe and Russia and Iran also have elections. It has been a Constitutional Democracy in name only. Parliament has been able to be dominated, controlled and manipulated as to make it virtually toothless to hold government to account.
There are historical reasons for this state of affairs but it does not make it less valid.
My thoughtful and considered response is – I beg to differ.
South Africa needs to return to watering its democratic roots and becoming a champion for ordinary people across the continent who want freely and fairly elected governments that are transparent and accountable.
Indeed!
Those articles by Ramaphosa in the Washington Post and Pandor in the FT were jaw-dropping only in that they showed the extent of their self delusion. Sanctimonious ideological bunkum indeed. Well said.
Is that why Beinart has penned something called ‘A history of American Hubris’ ?
Pandor and her crew in the glorious liberation movement have been getting high on their own supply for 30 years so I suspect they don’t appreciate how utterly incompetent they appear to both the ‘friends’ and imaginary enemies.
Greg/Ray you are such hypocrites. Remember you defend Israel’s foreign policy…. you really think Naledi Pandor has done anything in comparison to what Israel’s foreign affairs have. And remember that South Africa’s position in the UN GA is fully supported by the whole world albiet Israel, US and Fiji. Perhaps try be a little more transparent – you are right to say that South Africa has risked the ire of the Israel lobby but that is all you are saying.
And, while trumpeting our country’s ‘democratic principles’, her government re-branded and re-named apartheid as BEE, EE, AA and quotas, racist and discriminatory laws that reduce minority groups, in particular whites and Jews, to second class citizens, denying them of the most basic rights – as enshrined in our (so-called) ‘world class Constitution’, an impediment to their hatred of ‘others’.
Let us be unequivocal: The ANC’s track record is a massive disappointment. However, as we dissect its shortcomings, we must resist the allure of romanticizing the past. The “good old pre-1994 days” serve as a nostalgic touchstone, but such comparisons oversimplify our intricate history. Those who invoke this parallel either lack historical context or inadvertently reveal their stance on apartheid’s morality. The truth resides in the nuances. South Africa’s journey is multifaceted, marked by both strides and setbacks. The ANC’s legacy defies neat summation against sepia-toned memories. Instead, let us engage in a nuanced dialogue—one that acknowledges achievements alongside disappointments.
As we forge ahead, let our assessments remain grounded in reality, devoid of idealization or condemnation. The ANC’s failures warrant scrutiny, but so do our own expectations. Perhaps therein lies the path toward a more just and equitable future—one that transcends nostalgia and grapples with the complexities of our shared history.
Institutional echoes persist, bridging seismic shifts. The legacy of apartheid casts shadows, while post-1994 corruption eerily mirrors old patterns. Within secret “government” accounts, vast sums flowed—$54 billion in 2005 ZAR—enriching a privileged few. The ghosts of yesteryears haunt our present, urging us to navigate the present with wisdom and resolve.”
“However, as we dissect its shortcomings, we must resist the allure of romanticizing the past.”
There isn’t a hint of that in this article. The ANC is a curse on our country as the Nats were but for different reasons.
Unfortunately the authors of this piece are highly disingenuous in their quest to paint Minister Pandor with the same brush as Pik Botha. I mean this seems like a shot in the dark, with no other way to sell the headline unless it punches hard. Shame on these authors, the bias is deafening. Yes the ANC has some introspection to do, but to compare its foreign policy with that of an apartheid regime is woefully off the mark. The undertone assumes that the west is the epitome of moral and ethical leadership. This however is far from the truth. The west has lost its ethical stance (if it ever had one to begin with) and if we so wish to be lead by capitalism, greed and a complete disregard for human rights, then go ahead and bow down to the current western governments. But assuming that we have a different path to choose, one which would allow SA (the country, not a political party) to groom itself into a better version, 2.0 if you like, then the stance on foreign policy needs to shift. We must show the world that we are able to speak when others stay silent, nay, are forced to stay silent. This is not scrambling and spin doctoring in my view, this is a country trying to speak out, find its way and defend SA from becoming a mouthpiece for the west and their so called moral high ground.
“Yes the ANC has some introspection to do”
There we can agree. The rest, not so much.
You are not wrong. It’s an unfair comparison in this case. In general, I do think that the ANC has done itself and the country a massive disservice by allowing any comparisons as in likening of its self and its mission with that of the apartheid regime. Specifically, when it comes to 30 years of failing to turn things around for a lot of people who trusted them, thereby making life in real terms feel the same or worse that during apartheid. But that’s a separate issue. I guess this may be what you mean by need for ANC introspection.
Nonetheless, although some of us are disappointed in the ANC, some are tickling themselves to heavens at the failure of the hated ANC ‘terror group’ which dethroned their beloved NP
Dear Dr. Mills:
This little rant clearly shows your age, your social standing, and a view of reality that is ring-fenced by privilege.
One good rant deserves another.
Let me be clear: I am no friend of the ANC, and I hold the utmost disdain for all in the political class. It is a class that displays total incompetence in all but their ability to lie, cheat, and steal. They are defined by their slippery sense of morals, which brings me to your rant.
You may recall that after the release of Nelson Mandela, he made many public appearances on Western TV, and in his interviews, he clearly stated who the friends of the ANC were. He particularly mentioned Palestine.
It seems to me that Ms. Pandor is the kind of friend you want to have in your corner when all hope seems lost in the sanctimonious, hypocritical morass of western political morals. By taking the Gaza issue to the ICJ, she has held a mirror to the world, in which the likes of you do not appear to like their own reflection, hence your outrage.
Concerning Ukraine; before Russia invaded, the West did not like the Ukraine much, their mafia had such a global reputation that they became the Hollywood movie standard. Were Ukraine not on the border of the EU, no one would give a damn. See the situation in Sudan—who cares? The situation in Pakistan—who cares? How about Haiti? All these places are just great markets for the weapons that the Military Industrial Complex (spearheaded by the USA; it does make them great after all) makes their killing off of.
It is a terrible thing that we find ourselves having to score points on which situation is worse, but it is only the blind who cannot see that the people of Gaza have the dubious distinction of living the worst of times in the worst of times.
While you feel that Ms. Pandor is a bungling fool, this view is not shared by the entire Muslim world, China, Russia, and increasingly the Western nations that are slowly coming to their senses. They also do not share your view that the US must be bowed to.
There is a global revolt against the high-handed attitude of Washington, especially now, as the PR curtain has been ripped away and it is clear to all but those who suffer from your aforementioned myopia that the USA is not the global holder of moral superiority, but is in fact a root cause of the perpetual wars we find ourselves in globally.
It does not require much effort to discover that it is these wars, the stranglehold the US Fed has on the global reserve currency, and the inability of the Americans to economise even as their debt threatens to trash the entire global economy that are the root cause of our malaise. Hence the move to de-dollarization and the global move to align with BRICS.
In your closing statement that South Africa must water its democratic roots, I assume you mean by taking lessons from the West. Have you been paying attention to the USA primaries? Have you looked at the decrepit, morally bereft old men who are running for the position of President of the United States of America? Are you blind?
Or how about the decades-long meddling of the USA in the democratic process of just about every country in South America, resulting in the current border crisis that the clever Americans want to fix by building a wall? If this is the level of brilliance that impresses those in the Brenthurst Think Tank and is the standard to which you feel we South Africans should hold ourselves, you set the bar far too low for my taste. It is a sign of the intellectual laziness of the privileged classes. I believe we can do better.
“By taking the Gaza issue to the ICJ, she has held a mirror to the world”
Yes, that and a collection plate to the Iranians and probably the Russians. Pretending that the Pandor and the ANC act on principle rather than venality is utterly laughable. Did you catch any of the Zondo commission?
How do you explain SA stance on Russia and Ukraine – and cosying up to Iran?
Russian trade with SA is less than 1% of US trade with SA. Our foreign policy is a total mess. Yes we have taken the correct ethical stance on Israel / Palestine but we have botched just about every other foreign policy stance – Zimbabwe, Russia, Iran, etc – the list goes on and on, and irritated our main trade partners. It’s so stupid.
Annette . Thanks for laudable and fulsome (foolsome – fool some people some of the time …?) response to the Laurel and Hardy show of Mills and Hartley … and several of their hangers on !
Zimbabwe, yes we have massively let Zimbabwe down. After that, how can we claim any moral high ground?
South Africa which is desperate for jobs has just told their western partners who provide all the jobs in South Africa to bugger off. She has picked new friends that dont provide any jobs. This is going to hurt South Africa going forward.
You say South Africa must do better, pretty hard without any jobs. South Africans have a inflated view of themselves on the world stage. Going forward South Africa is going to disapear from the world stage.
Well said Ms. Jahnel, thank you.
This piece of writing is such a superficially thought out bunch of rubbish that tries to equate the evils of apartheid with doing the absolute right thing with regards to the current middle east hell (which he insultingly calls “sanctimonious ideological bunkum”, while THOUSANDS of children are dying, essentially by the US’ hands), yet is clearly written from the viewpoint of an old white man who grew up in apartheid and hasn’t yet accepted the way the world should work, and seems to be wishing for the “good old days” where America is just “Great” does nothing but good, and if they say “Israel is always right, no matter what. Some countries with horrible human rights records are our friends, others our enemies, depending on how powerful they are, and how willing they are to look the other way in exchange for political and financial deals. Agree with us, don’t question it.”, then we must just smile and wave, toe their line, take the deals we’re offered, and completely ignore the THOUSANDS of dead children and women and civilians, their destroyed homes, infrastructure, their starvation… which is really what started this rift between us and the US. We didn’t take their side, but humanity’s side.
Well there’s a bunch of racist drivel.
Well said.
Many good points well made, thank you, Annette. SA’s referral of Israel to the ICJ on charges of genocide may have emerged from a government all too threadbare on ethics and principle, yet it was profoundly important, albeit compromised by our lack of similar principle on the war in Ukraine. One of the most utterly disheartening moments of last year was Ukraine’s own complete lack of principle on Gaza, instead backing Israel completely.
It’s clear from its actions the ANC never learns from the past, the only thing it does learn from is the success of its efforts at embezzlement. They replaced racist anti-black laws with racist anti-white laws, they saw how socialism has destroyed Africa but the comrats impose insane socialist policies, they saw how black nationalism decimated nations but double down on it, they saw how Bantu education disadvantaged students but they duplicated it, they saw how BEE laws drove investors away so they created more, they saw how their self delusion, lies and immorality decimated the country but they refuse to admit it, they saw what EWC did to Zimbabwe but they did the same. Is it any wonder then, that the only accurate way to describe the ANC is that it is arrogant, stupid and insane. Pizza-the-Hutt Pandor cares about little except her daily 7 KFC buckets and her Islamic hatred of Jews.
Unfortunately Nadeli Pandor is a stone around South Africa’s neck. It would be fair to say she is ignorant of how most South Africa feels about her policies, or she is just plain stupid about what foreign relationships are about. Either way she should not be in the office she holds
Pandor and the ANC are not as out of touch as people who can afford newspaper subscriptions may think. Leaders of countries that represent over 50% of the world’s population are at best disinterested in what is happening in the Ukraine. A popular vote based just on allegiances in the Middle East might produce results that would surprise a lot of people, but not the ANC.
It’s quite possible that you could persuade South Africa that increased restrictions on alcohol sales are a good idea, that the country should be a bit drier. After all, it emerged during the lockdown that 2/3 of us either don’t drink or don’t mind if they can’t get one.
Who is really out of touch?
“After all, it emerged during the lockdown that 2/3 of us either don’t drink or don’t mind if they can’t get one.”
Suspect you don’t live anywhere near me. Booze was getting delivered by all manner of enterprising individuals non stop. Mine was ferried in regular as clockwork in the back of a JHB Water truck.
Where I live as well. But I’m not going to tell you that a middle-class Randburg suburb is representative of attitudes across the entire country.
We are world class drinkers right near the top of the pack. Your idea that two thirds of us don’t drink or are happy to stop at the whim of some delusional old ANC has been is miles off the mark.
Speak for yourself. The caricature of the South African gooiing klippies and coke around the braai is, like many generalisations, inaccurate. This was clearly revealed when there was a clamp down on liquour sales. A lot of SAns were untroubled because they don’t drink, and a lot more drink occasionally but didn’t mind too much that they couldn’t get a beer at the end of the day.
It may be the case that those of who DO drink tend to overdo it, but that’s a debate for another day.
Nothing to do with “some delusional old ANC” either. I’m saying that ANY government that restricts alcohol sales will not meet great resistance across the whole country, the body of voters who put governments in place.
I like a beer at the end of the day, and the occasional whisky when I’m feeling introspective. The difference between our positions seems to be that you think everybody drinks like you do, whereas I’m willing to accept that I don’t represent the norm.
Where did you get the evidence to support any of that Bob? Those sound like hopes, beliefs, projections and prejudices to me.
Ms Pandor’s foreign policy can be dismissed as incoherent posturing with much use of the word “colonialism/st” to denote the evils of the Western liberal order.
Pandor does not have a foreign policy but South Africa has one, she might not be a beautiful young model but she is doing her job, all ports are very busy, all international flights in the sky.
Oh by the way we still have AGOA.
So we should only play nice with the authoritarian regimes the US likes?
Yep. Absolutely nothing wrong with playing nice with Saudi Arabia. The nice folks that chop up journalist and stuff them in bags.
An article attacking the ANC for not supporting the terrorist, racist state of Israel.
First and foremost, this article starts with the premise that the US is still the Hedgemon it was in during the times of Pik Botha which it no longer is. In fact, SA does more trade that China but over 4 billion dollars more. The US treads different in Africa than it did ck then. They are worried by the in-roads China has in the continent and regardless of its problems, they still want its resources. Finally, Nigeria’s inflation rate is 29% (SA companies in Negeria can explain the pain), Egypt 33.3% with only has a respectable rate of 7.5%. Even with that, Kenya has a GDP of a mere 114 billion dollars, 3 times smaller than SA. Hate it or love it, it still remains the only prospect as a gateway to Africa.
Actually a better indicator is not trade (China takes our raw goods and sends us plastic junk among some other useful items) but foreign direct investment – where a country actually invests in another country. In 2022 Egypt received 11 billion USD in FDI and SA 9 billion. The majority of FDI into Africa comes from Europe, and NO – South Africa is not the gateway – European countries are quite capable of investing in a large project in another African country WITHOUT going through SA. And this is the trend. We have to market and position ourselves into the future through actions and not through ridiculous propositions that we will forever be so important “because we are the gateway into Africa”. Time to vote out the ANC…
TP Madua – while the body of this may sound fact-driven; the opening sentence is not. The USA remains, and continues to grow as, the world’s dominant economic powerhouse (call it Hedgemon, or any other fancy word you want to use). Give me any statistic to prove otherwise and I will bring you a myriad of others.
First and foremost, this article starts with the premise that the US is still the Hedgemon it was in during the times of Pik Botha which it no longer is. In fact, SA does more trade with China by over 4 billion dollars. The US treads different in Africa than it did back then. They are worried by the in-roads China has made on the continent and regardless of its problems, they still want its resources and cannot afford to completely alienate it. Finally, Nigeria’s inflation rate is 29% (SA companies in Nigeria can explain the pain), Egypt 33.3% with only Kenya with a respectable rate of 7.5%. Even with that, Kenya has a GDP of a mere 114 billion dollars, 3 times smaller than that of SA. Hate it or love it, SA still remains the only realistic prospect as a gateway to Africa
The Daily Telegraph published ,a couple of days ago, a map of Israel’s enemies (note: not its critics or those who disagree vehemently with Israel’s handling of the Gaza/Hamas war). All these countries, but one, are in the Middle East and horn of Africa. The “one” stands out like a sore thumb on a World Map; South Africa.
And how did the Daily Telegraph make the distinction between “enemies” and those who are “critics” and “disagree vehemently”?
You must have taken cartography lessons at the Netanyahu School ! He who turned up at every UN meeting with ‘charts’ and most recently at the start of the war on Gaza, pronounced that he was going to “redraw the map of the middle east” … and we are 6 months into it … while he (like his pal Trump) tries to stay out of local jail for corruption. When the ICC will intervene as they did with Putin … remains a mystery ?
“After 1994, the ANC basked in the glory of global approval”. Many here in South Africa in 1994 could have told the rest of the globe that the ANC would have failed this country going forward, and not because the rest of Africa was predominantly a failure. The ANC was given the most functional and prosperous African country on a plate. I’m one of those people who desperately hoped the ANC would lead us to greater things, but instead, tossed it all away. We are once again at a Rubicon moment. Lets pray that the ANC get booted in the upcoming elections and the likes of the EFF don’t gain any momentum.
Surely the core issue is whether Pandor’s actions are consistent with non-alignment, not choosing sides, and whether the ANC government can, on the basis of its action in the ICJ, be a beacon of moral rectitude in the international community.
Clearly the ANC has chosen sides, their claim to non-alignment false, their double standards obvious.
As for being a beacon of morality, I remember the late Denis Worrall being asked by a BBC interviewer on prime time television what it felt like to be the fig leaf of the apartheid state – a question he dealt with deftly. A similar question can be posed to Pandor: what it feels like posing as a champion of the Palestinian cause, while she ignores the plight of the Sudanese and Ukrainians and the millions of unemployed citizens and crime of South Africa due to her government’s kleptocratic regime.
Your opening remark belies the fact that a large panel of ICJ judges … almost unanimously (against the prevalent sentiment of ‘without standing’ ‘meritless’ ‘groundless’ etc) found that a plausible case had been presented. Against that background … it is obvious that your attempt to give new ‘meaning’ to non-alignment is part of a deliberate ‘campaign’ to undermine that judgement. BUT … quite consistent with the US regime’s attitude of wanting to have the ‘last say’ in anything/everything. Like drawing ‘red lines’ with ‘escape clauses’ added in .. to cover their behinds. Talk about hypocrisy !
Pandor is clueless, foreign policy 101 dictates that national interest (the well being of its citizens) should always be the key driver of foreign policies and actions. Instead Pandor and her Islamist department are driven by some sort of juvenile and incomprehensible view of history and religion with the inevitable outcome of harming our national interest
Very well written article. Pity it will fly above the heads of anyone with an ANC liking.
I will say it again. Every terrible symptom we face today has the ANC as it’s direct or indirect root cause.
To those who still think change is possible for the ANC: you are wrong; and even if you aren’t in the long term, you certainly are in the time frames we have available before our economy implodes.
There is only one sensible approach at this point:
Vote DA.
And do your absolute best to convince everyone else you are able to to do likewise.
2024 elections is our last chance.
I call on all South Africans of allour lovely shades to help make our collective future bright by voting DA.
Though reasonable points are made, it’s difficult to take very seriously an article on foreign policy that leans so heavily on insult while offering no substantive analysis of the prospects for passage of the US bill that threatens our trade or its likely costs.
As a child, I had wonderful parents, who tried their very best to teach me the difference between right and wrong. They only succeeded partially, even though the effort nearly killed them.
I have a somewhat simplistic view of what is right or wrong, no fault of my parents.
I find the ANC’s condemnation of Israel’s actions highly commendable.
I think their equivocation over Ukraine is absurd.
Their ignorance, or indifference, to all the other enormous issues that surround us, is staggering.
It is wrong. Their support for the Palestinian cause, for which I agree with them, does not allow them to ignore multiple, less convenient realities.
Sadly, it smacks of diversionary opportunism, and thus loses all sincerity.
Which is extremely sad for those shattered people in Gaza.
It is wrong to protest one injustice, and ignore multiple others that are inconvenient to you, for probable political gain.
It is the use of the suffering of other people to your advantage.
It is wrong.
My deepest sympathy to all those who suffer in Gaza. And elsewhere.
May it end soon.
It is wrong.
Brenthurst Foundation. This article should have never been published without disclosing their major financial funders.
Mr. “Kanu Suckha”, why not post comments under your own name, instead of hiding behind a nom de plume?
Non-alignment is a well defined concept in international relations, it means not taking sides, similar to neutrality (although not exactly the same), nothing new about this definition.
Pandor and the ANC government are not hypocritical? Surely people living in glass houses should not be casting stones?
I’m pretty sure that SA economy gets very little from Russia, Iran and Palestine compared to what we get economically from the West. Maybe we enjoy a fair shake from China but China is becoming increasingly pragmatic, moderate and fair in its dealings with foreign interests, compared to Iran, Russia and Palestine. So it seems to me to be that it is individuals in our government who are making these “friend” choices based on some personal benefits, such as a shot at raping the Western Cape or some “gifts” from despotic dictators, rather than good choices in the best interests off all South Africans. I’m not saying that Western powers are above reproach, but we should surely focus on doing what is best for South Africa and all South Africans rather than trying to prop up some outdated and failed 1960’s era Soviet liberal ideologies that even Russia itself abandoned decades ago.
At the same time the ANC has accused Israel at the ICJ for killing 27,000 Gazans, which includes 12,000 Hamas terrorists, SAPS reported 27,368 murders between January and December 2023 – an average of 75 murders per day in South Africa!
(not a word from the ANC about the Oct 7 butchery of Isrealis!)
https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/752495/84-people-murdered-every-day-in-south-africa-these-are-the-most-dangerous-areas/
Instead of meddling in foreign affairs, the ANC should rather attend to these matters in their own back yard! Empower the police to rid us of the horrific criminality in South Africa.
And close our foreign affairs office I guess, all countries has a foreign office regulated by the Vienna convention.
It’s the first time in decades that embassies are being attacked, Israel attacked the Iran embassy in Syria, Europe was mum on the incident, now there was an incident in a Mexican embassy, since this is an important trading partner of USA the hypocrisy will surface again.
Then it will be hey hey AGOA this AGOA that, call a spade a spade.
Is this another fake name, as in FAKE DUDE?
excellent article- she does not speak for the average south african. we do not like authoritarian leaders. The true test is Who goes shopping in Iran or Russia? She and her chums hate the western world. There is no rationaility in her desire to suck up to iran and russia.
Careful, boys! Following her suggestion that Peter Bruce doesn’t deserve an op-ed column because he dared to criticise her wall-eyed approach to foreign diplomacy, Big Mama Pandor will surely come after Greg & Ray as well. She’s very touchy these days.
Having spent some time reviewing the polarised comments to this article I am left with the gloomy view that our country has scant hope of moving forward positively.
Agreed!
I just want to point out that when the article touted Egypt as a strong and growing economy it simply pointed to the naivety of the authors, calling into question the rest of their argument, even if I think the ANC are muppets.
Sounds rich from genocide apologists.
Haha pagan little pagan very funny
Oh shame! these writers are so CIA, and the CIA has found another proxy in the DA.
Thanks for this article. South Africa has reached rock bottom, both in intelligence and in lack of moral clarity. Its alliance with Iran, a murderous regime that conducts massacres hiding behind its proxies and aims to destabilize the world, which surely Iran pays for, condemns South Africa. Its grievous accusation against Israel brought to the ICC shows how a failed nation resorts to projection of its ills on a successful nation, to cover up so much it should be ashamed of. Pandor herself is a disgrace. Her psychotic persecution of Israel and anything related to it will be remembered as infamy. Her crass mistakes are not rookie mistakes. One can forgive a rookie for its obvious lack of experience. Pandor’s mistakes are vile and narcissistic in their self-conceit and ludicrous sense of superiority over a much better nation.