Defend Truth

Opinionista

Ramaphosa demonstrates shrewd statesmanship as he performs a delicate G7 balancing act

mm

John Stremlau is Honorary Professor, International Relations, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Media coverage of the recent G7 summit highlighted Cyril Ramaphosa’s comments on Covid-19 and whether adequate vaccines will be available. Less noticed was his skilful advocacy of Africa’s potential role in helping re-balance the emerging geostrategic struggles between the wealthy democracies and the leading authoritarian powers of China and Russia.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa showed shrewd statesmanship in discussing his unique role representing South Africa and Africa at the recent G7 summit in the UK.

Media reports rightly highlighted his comments on the Covid-19 pandemic and whether adequate vaccines will be available. More about that below.

Less noticed was Ramaphosa’s skilful advocacy of Africa’s potential role in helping re-balance the emerging geostrategic struggles between the wealthy democracies, represented by the G7 and European Union, and the leading authoritarian powers of China and Russia.   

This was clearly the overarching goal of US president Joe Biden. On the basis of the 13 June Carbis G7 Summit Communiqué and the Nato Brussels Summit Communiqué a day later, he largely succeeded. Europe is more focused on Russia. The US sees China as the more complex overriding global challenge. And the Americans succeeded in negotiating references to challenges China poses in both communiqués.  

Ramaphosa was pointedly asked about China’s role in Africa, and in a positive way, which could resonate globally, a reminder that with diplomatic skill and leadership Africa could also contribute significantly to an emerging global order. 

Among the four “guest” heads of state at the G7, Ramaphosa was unique, representing a democracy from the South, but not aligned against China. The other three — India, Australia and South Korea — are, with the US, members of the “Quad” group seeking to counter China’s growing domination of Asia. 

Yet Biden and the other G7 nations repeatedly downplayed talk of a new global “Cold War” with either China or Russia. There are the dangers of armed conflict with Chinese ambitions in the South China Sea and Russia’s threats against Ukraine and other former Soviet republics. But Biden and G7/Nato allies say their goal is to manage geopolitical competition through peaceful means. That they want to cooperate with China and Russia whenever and wherever it advances mutual interests.

Africa represents just such an opportunity, although Ramaphosa could speak with authority only for South Africa. He deftly noted this early in his press conference by saying he had wished for greater African representation, suggesting he was unsuccessful in urging the inclusion of a representative from the African Union. After all, the G7 communiqué reiterates in its conclusion that “a central focus of our new strategic approach will be supporting sustainable growth in Africa”. 

Ramaphosa was asked whether he had concerns that announcements of major US investments in African infrastructure “is not a way to push back at China?” Anyone reading credible US media reports could conclude it is. But Ramaphosa has a different agenda, one that might actually support a broader strategy of “peaceful co-existence” among the major powers and their allies. 

“We are a continent of many countries with huge deficits regarding infrastructure” he replied, adding: “no single partner in the world can do it alone. So, we want partner-type investments. We are open for business and for investment. We welcome those who come, on good terms of course.” 

Not just the US, but the G7 and EU commitments to assisting infrastructure development, he said, “is not a threat of pushing China out”, elaborating that “we don’t see one pushing the other out. We see inclusion. That’s what we’d like to see accepted.”  

If the geostrategic rivalry, especially between China and America, is to be managed peacefully, they will need areas of demonstrable cooperation that serve the interests of all participants. 

Barack Obama and Xi Jinping recognised this in their 2010 agreement to support the “Green Climate Fund” dedicated to assisting the most seriously affected and least responsible for causing global climate change, primarily across Africa. Sino-American relations have soured since then, but pursuing complementary infrastructure investments on terms acceptable to African countries, then building in a “green” climate dimension could respond to the avowed concerns of all three presumptive partners — China, the G7 and African nations. Russia is less a player, but might be encouraged to engage in ways more than symbolic.

Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, the most urgent issue of the G7 summit and for South Africa and Africa, Ramaphosa effectively spoke of these different audiences in reply to the first question of the conference: vaccine inequality. The questioner noted the good news of a G7 commitment to provide a billion doses soon, but added, “is it enough, especially now that India cannot be a supplier for African countries?”

Ramaphosa adroitly linked vaccines to the broader needs of economic recovery and growth. First, he welcomed the G-7 commitment, but added it would not be enough without their support of the SA and Indian request for a World Trade Organisation exemption to enable local producers in Africa and elsewhere to override patent rights and gin up their own vaccine production. Then he appealed for G7 support for African access to their $650-billion International Monetary Fund’s “Special Drawing Rights” thereby gaining immediate substantial low-cost financing for their battered economies. 

When President Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the night of Tuesday 15 June 2021, he did not mention his statesmanship at the G7, though he did offer reassurance that the vaccine roll-out was on track. But as our democratically elected leader, he rightly focused our responsibilities for each other. With empathy and reminders of family and friends, he reiterated the basic rules of Covid safety.

But the most important of these is universal and the foundation of sustainable democracy at home or abroad: treat others as you would like others to treat you. DM

Gallery

"Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c) it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address COVID-19. We are therefore disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information that you think we should know, please email [email protected]"

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Bron Eckstein says:

    Yes. I appreciate acknowledgement of Pres Ramaphosa’s quiet and thoughtful strategies. His sanity and humanitarianism is under-valued.

  • Charles Thatcher says:

    CR showed impressive statesmanship at the G7, where he is not restrained by the influence of the rotten eggs in the top 6. If and when he takes full control of his position as CEO of SA, as he did recently with the issue of self-generation of power, we could see some positive change in SA.

  • Gerrie Pretorius Pretorius says:

    “But the most important of these is universal and the foundation of sustainable democracy at home or abroad: treat others as you would like others to treat you.” On the surface this may seem likely, but deep down cr is all about the anc and what he can ‘score’ for that pathetic organisation so that their reign won’t be disturbed. How disgusting that the only representative from Africa/South Africa had to go ‘hat-in-hand’ and again ask for alms.

    • Coen Gous says:

      Gerrie, I don’t agree, neither do I disagree. But it appears on the surface he was reasonable successful, so to call it disgusting is perhaps a bit over the top. Just wonder a Zuma creature would have said or done.

    • Jeremy Doveton-Helps says:

      Perhaps overly emotive Gerrie? And more than a little harsh. CR has immense respect outside of SA, ever since the TRC and its subsequence reprise in Northern Ireland, where he garnered major plaudits.
      Having studied him carefully for many years, I can assure that his is the ‘long game’ – quiet, measured, patient but no less effective for it. Recall how swiftly (when the opportunity eventually presented itself) he ousted Zuma without ever having uttered a bad word against him in public. And how he quietly allowed Ace to wrap coil after coil around his own neck… mark my words, there are more to fall under Cyril’s silken glove!

      As regards the G7, he did NOT go ‘hat-in-hand’, but I would submit he used the ‘stick’ to remind the global power-players that they ignore Africa at their peril, and the ‘carrot’ to underline the massive potential of one of the last significant untapped markets on the global stage. He subtly, and with considerable dignity, positioned Africa (and himself, as one of it’s most articulate leaders) as kingmaker/Switzerland in this rapidly evolving new face-off between West and East.

      • Coen Gous says:

        I agree with you 100%. I am certainly not a ANC supporter/believer, but to me, CR is a very sharp president, as he was sharp when he was a important contributor in our constitution. Or as a trade union leader. He is incredible humble, met him in 1995 when he attended a function at a school for children with disabilities, all White children. And he was the sponsor of the school. He and his wife are deeply involve in programmes for the disadvantaged, especially children. This G7 summit…has South Africa, or even Africa, got anyone better? Malema, Steenhuisen, Groenewald, Mantashe, Anton Rubert, Oppenheimer, Koos Bekker, Zille, and the list goes on, and on. CR is a natural people’s person. If the ANC did not have him, they would have been in dire straits. There is no-one credible enough in that party to replace him. Which is exactly my fear. What happens if CR falls via anything…assassination? I know DA/EFF supporters such as (lets rather leave it there) will possibly be overjoyed, but the country as a whole will be in deep, very deep crisis. I am appauled by some of the comments here

  • Alan Hirsch says:

    I thought that his response to questions on the vaccine divide was very deft too. He was able both to commend the G7 on the commitment it made to 1 billion vaccines, but at the same time to say, politely but quite clearly, that it was not nearly enough. His comments were widely used on UK networks because of his statesmanlike criticism of vaccine nationalism, which echoed the NGO responses, but in more reasonable tones.

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.