South Africa Foreign Policy Flashcards
Describe President Ramaphosa’s foreign policy.
It is similar to Mbeki’s and Zuma’s;
- Boost African Solidarity and Unity
- Strengthen ties between countries in the Southern-Hemisphere
- Keep good relationships with other global superpowers
- Reform UN institutions to give poor nations a stronger voice
- Promote democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
What is South Africa’s ambition in Africa?
South Africa’s ambition is to gain a greater voice means making common cause net with just its african neighbours but also the rest of the poor world, be they democratic or not.
How influential is South Africa in the world?
South Africa is active in the UN, the African Union (AU), and the Commonwealth. Durban will also even host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and has hosted the World Cup in 2010.
Has South Africa been invited to the G8?
Yes, it is now one of the five emerging countries regularly invited to the G8 meetings.
What influence does South Africa have in the UN?
SA was a temporary member of the UN Security Council, and there have even been talks on making it a permanent member as part of the reform of the instituion.
What organisation did SA join in 2011?
In 2011, South Africa joined BRICS, a club of regional power brokers, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China.
What is the African Union (AU)?
The AU is a union consisting of 54 African states. One of its aims is the promotion of “democratic principles and institutions”, popular participations and good governence.
What does the African Union offer besides from democratic principles?
It also offers an economic dimension and seeks African integration into the world economy.
What has the AU been critisized for?
The AU has been critisized as a “talking-shop”. While it promotes democarcy, many AU nations are run by autocrats. It has also been critisized for not doing enough to support human rights in countries like Nigeria, Uganda, and in helping to stop attrocities in war zones such as in the Central African Republic.
Does the AU have an army?
The African Union, unlike the European Union, has an army - a “peace keeping army”.
What is South Africa’s relationship with Zimbabwe?
It has been slightly controversial. Zuma was slightly more critical of Robert Mugabe, a dictator who ruled South Africa for over 30 years through violence and intimidation. Despite this, South Africa has continued to provide “developement assistance” to Zimbabwe, something that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has been very critical of.
How influential is BRICS?
Very. The BRICS nations are able to use their combined size and economic might (together they account for 40% of the world’s population) to counter the West’s global domination.
What are the goals of BRICS?
To counter the West’s economic global domination, they also want to reform international institutions such as the UN Security Council and the World Bank.
What did Nelson Mandela say about Human Rights in Africa and the greater world, and what action has been taken?
Mandela said pledged that human rights would be “the light that guides our foreign affairs”, yet his sucessors Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma have been criticised for not living up to his ideals.
Did South Africa support the International Criminal Court in prosecuting Omar al-Bashir?
No, South Africa did not support the International Criminal Court in prosecuting Omar al-Bashir (Sudan’s President), for alleged genocide in Darfur.
