SA’s foreign policy balancing act
SOUTH Africa’s decision to abstain from a United Nations vote condemning Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine has received much criticism. President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended South Africa’s neutral stance on the grounds a peaceful resolution should always be sought in such cases. The approach adopted by South Africa in relation to the UN Resolution has been viewed with hostility and with dismay among diplomats from the west and NATO-aligned countries. The country’s stance has been interpreted as appeasement of President Vladimir Putin’s Russia. A number of reasons have been placed under the microscope in efforts to understand South Africa’s stance. Mainly foreign direct investment and ideology. In light of these two factors, Russia and South Africa’s FDI is unbalanced with South Africa having approximately R77 billion worth of investments in Russia. On the other hand, Russian investments in South Africa amount to approximately R23bn. It would seem that Russia’s trade is more focused on Asia and Europe than on the African continent. The economic relationship with Ukraine paints an even bleaker picture as SA’s volume of trade with Ukraine accounts for around 0.2% of exports and 0.05% of imports. Some analysts have attributed SA’s failure to condemn Russia on ideological grounds. I have established above that economic reasoning is irrational. While there are historical ties with the support of the former Soviet Union for liberation movements in Africa and in SA, it would seem when it comes to multi-party democracy, freedom of expression and LGBTQ rights, South Africa and Russia are ideologically opposed. We must note the double standards and hypocrisy of developed countries of the West and NATO in applying International law. What Russia is doing in Ukraine is not a new phenomenon in the international arena. We have witnessed Israel’s occupation of Palestine and many other similar cases where the victims were not white Europeans. Yet, no sanctions have been imposed on the Israeli state. The sanctions on Russia have been rather tough, of particular focus is the shutting down of Russian media. This poses an important question of who is winning the information war between the two countries. The information war is clearly being won by Ukraine backed by the West. Sadly, Russia has not been afforded the opportunity to tell its side in Western media which seems to set the tone in almost all forms of media. Can we then be on “the right side of History”? In this particular conflict is there a right side? Russia as a country is known for its racism against black people. A 2020 BBC feature reported on racist incidents towards African students at a Moscow University. We cannot run away from the fact that Russia is no friend to Human Rights, sovereignty, and opposition parties. In addition, we cannot ignore the role Russia has played in Libya and Syria. During the conflict we have witnessed the racist treatment of African nationals stranded in Ukraine. Ukraine must be condemned for disallowing Black Africans from leaving while their white counterparts were allowed to exit the country. The only water tight argument for the SA and Russia friendship seems to be their stance on anti-imperialism. But this has been contradicted by Russia’s neo-imperialist land grabs. It would seem the BRICS members are treading carefully due to the reconfiguration of global power. My view here is that the forum should be treated as a forum for economic cooperation, India and Brazil have taken this stance, and not as a geopolitical club to which we are obligated. The formation can be influential in facilitating the platform for negotiations and peaceful dialogue. SA is often accepted as a regional power but it is also a diverse state with a complex set of interests and considerations. Are we not perhaps overestimating SA’s power of influence and persuasion in the international arena? My view is it would be imprudent to jump into the “us versus them” cold war. Instead, as an important player regionally and a middle power in international affairs, we should be guided by our long-stated commitment to developing and maintaining a stable rules-based international order based on rule of law, democracy, peace and dialogue, not dragged into Cold Warera arrangements. South Africa’s stance always calls for non-aligned multilateral dialogue negotiation, meaningful engagement and diplomacy. SA has maintained it is not for the country to condemn but to create environments that are conducive for mediation, diplomacy and peaceful negotiation. Ideally, democratic states which are founded on democratic principles should not support power blocs. Numerous shortcomings can also be noted on SA’s side in relation to its mediation role in the conflict. There is no clear support for South Africa in its mediation role particularly since some African countries voted against the SA resolution in the UN. Then there is the issue of SA’s questionable mediation track record closer to home e.g. Mozambique (Cabo del Gado conflict) and eSwatini. Moreover, it would seem our own Dirco does not have a negotiation and mediation unit to support the process. As a country, we should be against imperialism, irrespective of which power is practising it. South Africa’s foreign policy is based on the constitution which upholds democracy and promotes human rights. Non-alignment should not mean that we do not call out human rights abuses regardless of who the victims are or which continent they are in. South Africa’s foreign policy response has attempted to strike the balance in the Ukraine conflict, but this is proving difficult in a global world which maintains “you are either with us, or against us”. In light of the “us versus them” pressure in the global order, South Africa needs to clearly define its interests both in the short and long term in line with its foreign policy objectives. Moreover, the global economic uncertainty calls for SA to reiterate its position on multilateralism, dialogue and peaceful negotiation.
As a country, we cannot allow countries to dictate the rules of the International System. We must be able to withstand pressure from the “Us” forces. SA must act in its national interest, in partnership with BRICS, African, Western, and other nations in line with its foreign policy objectives.