Aziz Pahad, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, =20 rejects the claim that his is the least effective=20 government department, reports Rehana Rossouw=20
South Africans are still extremely parochial and the=20 Department of Foreign Affairs cannot be expected to act=20 aggressively to protect human rights internationally if=20 its citizens are complacent, says Deputy Minister of=20 Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Pahad.
Turning the tables on the department’s critics, he=20 asked what the rest of South Africa was doing to stop=20 human rights abuses in East Timor, Sudan and anywhere=20 else they may be happening.
Pahad was responding to criticisms of his department=20 from parliamentarians and and academics published in=20 the Mail & Guardian, who slated it for being the least=20 effective and least transparent in government.
He said the speed at which South Africa entered the=20 arena of international affairs had been breathtaking.=20 Within six months after April 1994, South Africa was=20 readmitted to the United Nations and its organs, the=20 Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Commonwealth,=20 the South African Development Community and the Non=20 Aligned Movement.
From=20May to December 1994, South Africa established=20 relations with 35 countries and more than 160 foreign=20 trade delegations visited the country in 1994.
“We don’t need to get too philosophical about foreign=20 policy. Our mission is clear — we need to reflect the=20 nation’s position internationally, protect the=20 interests of South Africa and South Africans=20 internationally and ensure that the new South Africa is=20 able to participate in the New World Order.
“Our responsibility is to protect human rights,=20 democracy and good governance internationally and=20 transform the world situation from its present position=20 in which rich countries get richer and the poorer get=20
He rejected the criticism that the Department of=20 Foreign Affairs was Eurocentric in its approach because=20 more money had been budgeted for its missions in the=20 first world than in Africa.
“From the time we came into government we have been=20 saying consistently that South Africa is not a European=20 outpost, it is an African country. But we have to be=20 practical, we have to establish links with countries=20 that can help us achieve our economic objects and=20 further the RDP project.”
Pahad said now that South Africa had established a=20 presence in many African countries, it will begin to=20 play a more proactive role on the continent,=20 particularly in assisting in the resolution of=20
“We must not be too romantic about the problems in=20 Africa. We have to look at the continent pragmatically,=20 learn where our interests lie, before pouring money=20 into embassies.”
He said it would also be foolish to ignore the fact=20 that South Africa’s major economic links were with the=20 European Union, the country’s largest investment=20 partner. At the same time, the department was mindful=20 of the economic opportunities opening in Africa, Asia=20 and South America.
President Nelson Mandela’s visits targeting Africa and=20 the Middle East were not “accidental”, they were aimed=20 at exploiting the potential in those areas.
“Whether we like it or not, foreign policy is driven by=20 economics. Diplomatic relations with a country does not=20 mean an acceptance of its internal politics — they are=20 state to state links, not state to government.
“This means that while we can oppose the human rights=20 policies of a country, we often cannot afford not to=20 have a relationship with it.”
The controversy over South Africa’s links with=20 Indonesia and Sudan could be seen in this light. Pahad=20 said the South African government had taken up the=20 issue of the occupation of East Timor with the=20 Indonesian government. This was done publicly and=20 privately during Mandela’s visit and by calling in the=20 ambassador of Indonesia for a note verbal.
He questioned what other political parties and=20 political organisations were doing to rally South=20 Africans to condemn Indonesia’s actions, saying the=20 department could not take up political platforms on=20 such issues — that responsibility lay with civil=20 society which could be far more aggressive than=20
Pahad said South Africans were still very parochial and=20 could reflect the greatness of their nation by showing=20 a far greater concern for other countries. The mindset=20 that South Africa was too beset by its owns problems to=20 assist others had to be broken.
Foreign affairs were also not the preserve of diplomats=20 and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, a=20 misapprehension which developed under the previous=20 government. Every cabinet minister was at liberty to=20 act on the foreign stage to pursue the objectives of=20 their line function, provided they were briefed by the=20 department first.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs’ role is to=20 coordinate and assist them. The presidency, especially,=20 is expected to play a leading role in international=20 affairs. It would be foolhardy for us not to take=20 advantage of the president — South Africa’s main=20 marketer — and his deputies.”
Pahad promised that the Department of Foreign Affairs=20 would publish a green paper “soon” and would draft it=20 in consultation with academics, trade unions, political=20 parties and the private sector. The document would give=20 a vision of South Africa’s policy well into the next=20
Responding to the criticism that the department was=20 still dominated by a white, male staff, Pahad said the=20 new government inherited six components of Foreign=20 Affairs — the existing Department of Foreign Affairs,=20 the ANC’s Department of International Affairs (DIA) and=20 the TBVC departments of Foreign Affairs which had to be=20 merged into one new department.
The ANC’s foreign operatives had worked in more=20 countries than those of the former South African=20 government, although their activities were limited to=20 mobilising support for anti-apartheid activities.=20
“The DIA personnel were probably the most experienced=20 foreign affairs operatives. The ANC had more offices=20 internationally than the old South African government=20 and its staff interacted on various levels,” Pahad=20
“But we couldn’t ignore the fact that there was an=20 existing Department of Foreign Affairs, we were not=20 prepared to make political appointments and we were=20 committed to integrating the TBVC foreign affairs=20