Dr Siphamandla Zondi,one of the four commissioners of the National Planning Commission,recommended re-establishing the South African Council on International Relations.
Antonio Muchave/Gallo Images/Sowetan
Experts believe South Africa’s foreign policy needs an urgent overhaul.Dr Siphamandla Zondi,has also recommended re-establishing the South African Council on International Relations.On Wednesday,he briefed Parliament about South Africa’s foreign policy.To help South Africa navigate an increasingly volatile international community,the decommissioned South African Council on International Relations should be re-established to strategically attract diplomatic value.
This is according to Dr Siphamandla Zondi,one of the four commissioners of the National Planning Commission (NPC).
On Wednesday,the NPC briefed the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation on how South Africa can optimise its chairing of global forums and institutions.
In a year that South Africa holds the presidency of the G20,the presentation by the NPC becomes critical to guide processes on how the country can fully take advantage of its position.
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“We need to update our foreign policy framework continuously. We always have to do so,so that we can do this game a little better. We need to strengthen parliamentary oversight of international engagements,not a general policy or foreign policy perspectives,but these big things that cost a lot that can benefit us a lot,” Zondi said.
According to Zondi,Parliament needs to assist the government to become more strategic about its international engagements and policies.
“We may need a foreign policy forum of some sort,such as the Kigali Dialogue. India has it (a dialogue),Brazil has it and they use them very strategically to attract some value. We may need to re-establish the de-established South African Council on International Relations. It was very useful as it brought former diplomats together with experts in international relations and some parliamentarians and members of government to discuss what is the significance for us.
“This is what has been helping the European Foreign Policy Council,the US Foreign Policy Council. They help them think through all of these things,” he said.
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Furthermore,Zondi said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s research unit needed to be strengthened.
“You need to strengthen this because they really do help us manage long-term benefits. We need a clear communications and branding strategy beyond just events and we need more sector-specific studies. We need more studies to be done in this area to look at very specific things like this G20 this year. It will require a study to look at how much did it cost us,both financially and non-financially,and how much does it benefit us,” Zondi said.
MK Party MP Wesley Douglas said the government needed to turn the focus of the country’s foreign policy towards the economy.
“We need to ensure that every cent we spend helps us to create more job opportunities. Rwanda and several other African countries are leading the pack on the economic front. We are part of BRICS,and there is so little trade with these countries.
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“China is awaiting on SA businesses to come and to be a part of trade shows and invest in the country. This is political suicide. Most of our trade is with the West,Europe and the US. We need to focus on the Global South again,and we need to read the political room. Our government seems more interested in cutting ribbons and holding events,” Douglas said.
EFF MP Nqobile Matilda Mhlongo spoke of the trade deals the government signs with other countries.
Mhlongo added:
We don’t know the benefits of these deals,but we are signing them everywhere. It seems that when we host these big events,they’re hosted in either Cape Town or Johannesburg,but we are leaving behind the rural areas. There are beautiful towns with conference facilities,and a high standard of services
Mhlongo said South Africa’s investment in diplomacy should have tangible benefits.
“We have seen how the FIFA World Cup in 2010,more than 15 years later,benefits us,because we have stadiums and infrastructure which we are still using and enjoying. The stadiums are full for soccer games. It (infrastructure) is being used to create revenue for the country,there are vendors selling goods and foods outside the stadiums,there are other events creating money. That is what we need for our diplomacy,” she said.
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