South Africa: Attempts at Continental Diplomacy

South Africa: Attempts at Continental Diplomacy

Under President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa is seeking to regain the respect and authority it held in its early years of democracy. Its diplomacy is undertaking creative avenues to recapture influence and steer public persuasion, especially regarding Africa. Its embrace of challenges as opportunities suggests strategic urgency.

In early September a wave of violence spilt over the streets of South Africa’s Gauteng province. In many reported cases the targets of the mob were small businesses owned by foreign, mainly African, nationals. The incidents quickly became labelled as xenophobia and followed similar intermittent events over the last decade, which have tarnished South Africa’s image and influence, especially in Africa. 

This episode has been the first of its kind under the Presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa. Government’s response to the situation presents several insights that guide the understanding of South Africa’s renewed approach to international diplomacy, notably regarding Africa.

A tarnished image

The reasons for the recent violence are complex and diverse. As in previous episodes, legitimate disquiet surrounding national concerns became hijacked by vigilantes; combustible national conditions sparked. These events played out in the days leading up to the World Economic Forum Africa. The Cape Town-based event attracts influential African and international guests. It is a carefully constructed South African exhibition to attract and persuade investor confidence. Instead of curating an appealing image, South Africa was smeared in the press and by African dignitaries.

Furthermore, Nigeria publicly rebuked South Africa and boycotted the event. In supposed retaliation, several South African franchises in Nigeria were looted. While there was no proof that Nigerians were specifically targetted, Abuja retorted with unprecedented threats, dramatically escalating tensions between Africa’s two largest economies. Early signs of a continental challenge for supremacy are surfacing. Nigeria’s Foreign Minister warned that it “will take definitive measures to ensure the safety and protection of her citizens…we are hoping to see the possibility of sending some security agents”. Hundreds of Nigerian citizens were repatriated from South Africa through the efforts of the local airline, Air Peace.

Regaining control

Pretoria’s response to domestic and continental animosity has been instructive. After the events in Gauteng, Pretoria has set out to appropriate attention through a charm offensive aimed at regaining control of the national narrative. Its international diplomacy has taken on the straightforward, proactive approach that is proving to be symptomatic of the new government. It has spoken out against criminality and violence. Ramaphosa has insisted that

“South Africans are not xenophobic, not against nationals from other countries, we welcome people from other countries”.

Instead, Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, has said that the media has misrepresented the disorder as xenophobic and “is very keen to keep this impression alive”. Pandor’s indictment against the media moves to close the forensic argument by instructively detailing the programmes that the government is implementing to address lawlessness and illegal migration. Significantly, the transformation here is from reacting to leading; through specifics, the government takes authoritative control over the shaping of the story.

Pandor used her recent address to the United Nations General Assembly to atypically atone for domestic actions. Pandor made South Africa’s repudiation of intolerance the focus of her speech. She berated 

“the incidents of violence and looting… (as) regrettable and shameful for a nation with such a proud history of struggle and international solidarity support. The government of South Africa strongly condemned these actions and is working harder to ensuring we address the security lapses. South Africa has an unwavering commitment to our continent, Africa”. 

This confession of guilt suggests Pretoria’s urgency to win over Africa. The rejection of intolerance forms part of a positive message that attracts continental endorsement.

Steering the story

Both Ramaphosa and Pandor recognise the breakdown in law and order as an opportunity to lead. This is a fundamental approach that the new government has adopted. Instead of averting tensions, it has sought to shape perceptions. A day after water cannons and stun grenades dispersed crowds protesting against criminality and Gender-Based Violence outside the World Economic Forum Africa, Ramaphosa called off his address to the Forum to speak to the protesters as they gathered outside Parliament. His symbolic performance did not merely reject the Forum. It proved his authority and sense of urgency. He allayed the protesters, declaring ‘enough is enough’, a key slogan of the crowd. That evening, on national television, he proposed several interventions and called for a rare special sitting of both houses of Parliament to debate the issues in their seriousness.

Throughout his communications, Ramaphosa employs ethos and pathos appeals, seizing opportunities for persuasion. At the funeral of controversial former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Ramaphosa seemingly changed his speech after being booed by the audience. Referring to the violence directed at foreign nationals, some of whom were Zimbabwean, he offered “a national apology…on behalf of the people of South Africa for what has happened over the last few weeks”. After expressing his remorse, the crowd’s jeers turned to cheers.

Strategic positioning

Ramaphosa’s government is positioning itself favourably to advance its public diplomacy, especially on the continent. Following the attacks on African nationals, Ramaphosa announced his despatch of high ranking envoys to many African countries. Pretoria’s unprecedented charge to promote social cohesion and perform Pan-Africanism is proving fortuitous. The Presidency has reported that leaders of the states visited by the envoys have relayed their “expressed appreciation” and their “concern” of the “irresponsible use of social media by certain individuals to create confusion and tension in the public mind”.

Additionally, Ramaphosa announced his invitation of former Presidents, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique to lead a fact-finding mission into the episode and to make recommendations to prevent future incidents. This approach extends to South Africa’s foreign policy a tested tactic of Ramaphosa, leading after bringing a diverse group of stakeholders around the same table. These consensus-driven approach masters a situation affords legitimacy to practice and instructs future action.

In Conclusion

South Africa’s shuttle diplomacy to dispel negative African perceptions forms a foundational part of the new government’s strategy. According to Minister Pandor, South Africa’s foreign policy “will reiterate the centrality of the African continent…(and) focus increasingly on economic diplomacy”. In his special sitting of Parliament, Ramaphosa affirmed solidarity with the continent. He claimed:

“Our fortunes are linked to those of our fellow African nations…rather than retreating into a laager, we must embrace African integration and the benefits it will bring”.

This charge not simply rejects animosity; it effectively drives engagement and concomitant benefits. This is confirmed by the president’s very next comment addressing the recently signed African Continental Free Trade Agreement. The Agreement, says Ramaphosa: “will fundamentally reshape the economies of our continent, and we need to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that will be created”. Pandor’s address to the General Assembly further stressed the significance of the Agreement: “it will unleash Africa’s economic potential and consolidate its position as a new frontier of new economic growth and development”.

South Africa’s public diplomacy charge takes place at a time of strategic opportunity. It currently serves its first of two years as a non-permanent member to the United Nations Security Council. Here it insists that it represents the entire continent and the African Union. In 2020, for the first time since 2003, South Africa will also assume the chair the African Union. Its displays in 2019 are strategically laying the foundation for its advance, in 2020 and beyond.

Categories: Africa, Under The Radar

About Author

Klaus Kotze

Klaus Kotzé is a recent Doctoral graduate at the Centre for Rhetoric Studies, University of Cape Town. In his Doctoral dissertation, Klaus employs rhetorical analysis to explore the official strategic communications of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) intergovernmental regime. The study informs on BRICS’ strategies of persuasion; showing that BRICS pursues legitimation and recognition for networked state-centrism by rhetorically incarnating the reformed multilateral international order. Klaus’ research interests include global power relations; national and international strategy (strategies of persuasion); new/extra-Western forms of multilateralism and emerging forms of multipolarity. Klaus holds a BA (Social Dynamics) from Stellenbosch University and a BSocSci Honours (Political Communication) from the University of Cape Town. In 2014 Klaus completed his MA (Global Studies), cum laude, at the Global and European Studies Institute, Leipzig University. For his MA, which discussed China’s charm offensive into the African mediasphere, he was awarded a European Commission (Erasmus Mundus) scholarship; he is also a recipient of the A W Mellon Foundation Doctoral scholarship. Before commencing his Doctorate Klaus was the Operations Officer at the FW de Klerk Foundation, a public advocacy advancing South Africa’s Constitutional democracy and national accord.