Doing away with niceties
Dirco has demarched five ambassadors about their unacceptable diplomatic practice
THE TERM “demarche” has its origin in French, the literal meaning of which is “step” or “solicitation”. It has come to refer to a formal diplomatic representation or correspondence of the official position, views or wishes on a given subject from one government to another government or other governments or intergovernmental organisation, like the UN or the EU.
It is used to protest or object to action by a foreign government or governments.
On Monday, The Daily News reported that five Western countries – the US, UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland – had written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, warning him that foreign investment was at risk because of the country’s failure to prosecute persons involved in endemic government corruption.
The governments also expressed concern relating to the frequent changes in policies dealing with industries, including mining and the protection of intellectual property rights.
In response, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) issued a demarche, in which it noted with disappointment the dispatching of a memorandum to the Office of the Presidency by the embassies, pointing out that such dispatch constituted a breach of established diplomatic practice.
In the note, attention was drawn to the practice that all embassies, regional and international organisations formally accredited to South Africa were aware of the basic rule relating to protocol between states which it declared was a universal norm in interactions and communications between states.
It said South African diplomatic missions abroad observed the protocol by directing official communications to the foreign ministries in countries where they had accreditation.
The government said it was intensifying its endeavours to deepen and expand economic relations with states across the world. It was pleased with the enthusiastic response its efforts had produced. It said all the pertinent matters investors raised were being addressed by the respective clusters of government departments.
The note said all the branches of our state, inclusive of state agencies, were pursuing their mandates in order to address the challenges.
The Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Lindiwe Sisulu, instructed Dirco to demarche the relevant ambassadors, for the purpose of discussing the matters in their correspondence, and to accentuate what constitutes acceptable diplomatic protocol in addressing such matters.
Dirco reminded all accredited diplomatic missions in South Africa to address official correspondence through the appropriate channels.
There are two recent precedents for the demarche. The first related to the one sent to the chargé d’affaires (the second in charge) of the US Embassy in Pretoria on January 14 last year, following the insulting comments attributed to President Donald Trump.
Dirco intimated that it would provide an opportunity to the US chargé d’affaires to explain Trump’s statement that African countries, alongside Haiti, and El Salvador constituted “s***holes” from where migrants into the US were undesirable. Although Dirco noted Trump’s tweet on January 12 last year, in which he denied making the statement, it said his denial was not categorical, referring only to Haiti and not addressing the entirety of the offensive statement attributed to him.
Dirco said South Africa aligned itself with the statements issued by the AU and the Africa Group of Ambassadors to the UN in New York, that Africa was united in its affirmation of the dignity of all the people of Africa and the African Diaspora. It said relations between South Africa and the US, and between the rest of Africa, must be based on mutual respect.
The second, on March 15 last year, concerned a demarche dispatched by Sisulu demanding a retraction of the controversial comments made by the Home Affairs Minister of Australia, Peter Dutton, relating to the South African land distribution process and the negative influence it could have on white commercial farmers in our country. He said the Australian government was sympathetic to them and would be prepared to assist them as farmers in Australia.
The South African Government was offended by the statement and expected an immediate retraction. The High Commissioner, HE Adam, undertook to convey the message from the South African Government.
Most informed South Africans are horrified and disturbed by the recent testimony presented to the Zondo Commission of Inquiry relating to Bosasa which involves high-ranking public servants, ministers of state and former president Jacob Zuma presented by, inter alia, Angelo Agrizzi, involving the extent and depth of endemic corruption in the public service.
The five Western countries and investors are alarmed too. It is possible that there was a deliberate flouting of accepted niceties of protocol in order to bring home the seriousness of the state of corruption and induce the Ramaphosa administration to take immediate and appropriate action to prosecute those involved.
George Devenish is emeritus professor at UKZN and one of the scholars who assisted in drafting the Interim Constitution in 1993.