Foreign affairs’ plans for the allocation of its budget took a bashing from MPs in Parliament, writes Gaye Davis
MPs grilled Foreign Affairs Director General Rusty Evans this week, asking why his department’s R1,13-billion budget did not reflect South Africa’s new foreign policy goals.
Figures presented by Evans to Parliament’s portfolio committee on foreign affairs showed most money would be spent on existing missions based largely in the United States and Europe.
Evans himself told the committee new priorities for his department included greater focus on building relations in Southern Africa and among African countries, through organisations like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Organisation of African Unity
He said new goals included more emphasis on Asia and the Far East, multi-lateral diplomacy through the United Nations and the Non-aligned Movement and securing a new relationship with the European Union (EU).
But MPs learned there were “insufficient funds” to set up new missions in Lagos, Dar-es-Salaam and Addis Ababa — home of the OAU’s headquarters — or to upgrade the mission in Gaberone, headquarters of the SADC.
Evans said the wording was “wrong” and appealed to the committee for help in pressing government to provide additional funds.
A bulky document answering written questions submitted earlier by committee members noted that R50-million budgeted for opening new missions (at an average cost of about R6,5-million each) was suspended by Cabinet in February “pending an investigation into the rationalisation of all foreign services”.
Without new funds, no planning for new resident missions abroad could go ahead.
Downscaling larger missions to fund new, smaller missions merited consideration but it was “highly doubtful” this would release funds because of “transfer costs” and the expense of “unutilised existing office accommodation”.
Around R518-million has been allocated to missions in the US (South Africa’s consulate general in Beverly Hills will get R7,3-million), Europe, South America, Canada and India. About R106-million will be spent on missions in African and Middle Eastern countries.
Evans maintained that African and Middle Eastern countries were “area(s) of first priority”. Foreign Affairs would have to shift spending from the “established” to the “developing” world, he said.
But MPs observed little progress had been made in doing so. Commented an MP afterwards: “What emerges from today’s discussion is that the department hasn’t even started re- prioritising its budget.”
New rules of Parliament mean portfolio committees can now monitor, inquire into and make recommendations on government departments’ budgets.
The foreign affairs budget will be tabled in Parliament on May 18. Alongside it will be the committee’s report assessing the extent to which spending has been re-
Evans, whose department has yet to produce a white paper outlining policy, used the briefing to give a broad overview of foreign policy.
Even the graphic cover-sheet on copies of the budget drew criticism: “We start with Latin America and end in Canberra,” said ANC MP Fatima Haij. “We are spending money to create a new image and this is what the department is
ANC MP Dr Rob Davies said to date the department had been operating on an incremental budgeting process – increasing allocations that already existed, and adding on funds to set up new missions. He asked how the department would balance the demands of old missions against the new.
He also asked whether allocations for a number of missions in former Eastern Bloc countries were necessary.
Other areas probed by MPs included R35,5-million earmarked for Channel Africa, South Africa’s external radio service which replaced Radio RSA — used to combat the “total onslaught” of the 1980s — but is still funded by Foreign
Evans said Channel Africa — which covered the entire continent reaching areas, especially in Southern Africa, other external services did not, was used to market South Africa. Funding it through the epartment was “effective and