SA being politically nimble on international stage does not equate to rands, cents - expert

The National Planning Commission (NPC) told Parliament that the country’s diplomacy is not benefitting the economy.

Jaco Marais/News24

The National Planning Commission (NPC) told Parliament that the country’s diplomacy is not benefitting the economy.Dr Siphamandla Zondi,one of the four commissioners at the NPC,believes South Africa is nimble on the global stage,but its good diplomatic messaging has earned it little monetary value.He was briefing Parliament on South Africa’s foreign policy.South Africa is politically nimble on the international stage,but its good diplomatic messaging has earned it little monetary value.

This is according to Dr Siphamandla Zondi,who is one of four National Planning Commission (NPC) commissioners.

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.

“We’ve been very good with political goals,very good with [being] politically nimble,very good at political messaging with the politics side of diplomacy,but we are not as good with economics,” he said.

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Zondi added there was nothing wrong with a values-based system.

“It’s very nice,but values don’t always put food on the table,and values do not always sustain your significance in the world. There’s a little bit of misalignment between political and economic gains.

“This reminds me of a visit to Cuba,where the Cuban deputy minister of foreign affairs,in 2012,said please tell your government that we can feel their warmth. They really,really love us. They really,really like us. But it doesn’t help to keep coming every year to tell us you love us. Can we move from loving to striking concrete deals? We don’t need charity,let’s move from merely political warmth to concrete cooperation,” he told MPs.

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Zondi said not having a single trade counsellor or economic representative abroad would further negatively impact South Africa.

“If we don’t have trade attachés in significant diplomatic missions where there’s huge trade like South Korea,for example,or Brazil or Argentina,and Mexico … if you don’t have trade representatives for those countries or regions,your economic diplomacy is really dependent on broad political messaging. Trade attachés are in dealmaking and attracting and connecting businesses to businesses,” he added.

Last month,News24 reported that international trade offices,most of which are housed in South African missions abroad,have been vacant since December 2023.

These include trade offices in China,the US,Germany,France and some African and Asian countries.

The trade office in Geneva,Switzerland,has four officials.

Officially known as foreign economic representatives,these officials are tasked with stimulating global demand for South African manufactured goods and services and attracting foreign direct investment.

MPs were outspoken about South Africa’s foreign policy.

DA MP Ryan Smith spoke of the misalignment between political and economic gains.

“South Africa has routinely been stubborn and clung to ideology instead of having a pragmatic approach. Many countries in the world with similar problems to SA have moved beyond a stubborn clinging to ideology and leveraged their role for their personal gain. We need to reflect our national interests,which has been pointed out to South Africa,” Smith said.

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He added diplomats should be leveraging the most from the country’s foreign policy.

“It does not help using words like colonial powers and the West when our economic policy is failing. We are too busy with the ICJ case against Israel while our people are suffering,and we are yet to send a new delegation to the USA to smooth things out with the Trump administration,” Smith said.

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Al Jama-ah MP Shameemah Salie added that the international community faced several global challenges.

“We start in India,we’ve got DRC,we’ve got America and quite a few more. Then we are also alert further to the political games played and the lack of unity that is going to further jeopardise the success of this G20,” she said.

Salie added trade agreements would be critical,as would accountability,transparency,and fairness.

“Right now,the sad reality is that we are still gatekeeping international relations to a certain sector. We are still silent on how there is going to be a benefit to the most marginalised. International relations policies are not inclusive; it excludes the marginalised and the poor,” she said.