POLS102
COMPULSORY ESSAY
Kirstin Pillay (219006273)
A. South African foreign policy is overzealous, and the country cannot achieve such policies.
Therefore, a significant challenge faced by South African foreign affairs is its lack of
“solvency” regarding its balance of diplomacy, economic and social issues, and political and
military abilities.
The challenge emerged with the post-apartheid international relations reforms. The African
National Congress (ANC) implemented policies intended to remedy the domestic and
international effects of Apartheid. These foreign policies were aimed at peace and
development to promote human rights at the centre of international relations. They aspired to
develop the continent and implement reforms that would lead to the African Union’s revival.
This emphasis was on Africa’s development in conjunction with strengthening the global
South and forming alliances with other developing countries such as Brazil and India.
Unfortunately, South Africa was not able to assert such influence globally or internationally.
It failed to implement such optimistic foreign policies efficiently and address its domestic,
social, and economic issues that the policies were intended to improve.
South Africa’s foreign policy’s current focus was illustrated in The White Paper on foreign
policy in 2014 ((ANC), 2014). It was aimed at establishing a “diplomacy of ubuntu.” It
stressed the need for South African foreign policy to be founded in domestic primacies and
policy. It reiterated previous post-apartheid foreign policies regarding developing Africa and
giving the continent a greater voice and increased participation in policy-making processes in
the global sphere. Also included an appeal for the restructuring of global governance systems
such as the United Nations and Bretton Woods Institutions to make them more conducive to
developing countries and the awareness that the continent is at risk of being exploited of its
resources by external powers. In addition to the this, the 2018 Foreign Policy for South
Africa: Discussion Document (Anon., 2018)by the South African Department of Foreign
Affairs further outlined the importance of strengthening relations with the Southern African
Development Community(SADC).
1
COMPULSORY ESSAY
Kirstin Pillay (219006273)
A. South African foreign policy is overzealous, and the country cannot achieve such policies.
Therefore, a significant challenge faced by South African foreign affairs is its lack of
“solvency” regarding its balance of diplomacy, economic and social issues, and political and
military abilities.
The challenge emerged with the post-apartheid international relations reforms. The African
National Congress (ANC) implemented policies intended to remedy the domestic and
international effects of Apartheid. These foreign policies were aimed at peace and
development to promote human rights at the centre of international relations. They aspired to
develop the continent and implement reforms that would lead to the African Union’s revival.
This emphasis was on Africa’s development in conjunction with strengthening the global
South and forming alliances with other developing countries such as Brazil and India.
Unfortunately, South Africa was not able to assert such influence globally or internationally.
It failed to implement such optimistic foreign policies efficiently and address its domestic,
social, and economic issues that the policies were intended to improve.
South Africa’s foreign policy’s current focus was illustrated in The White Paper on foreign
policy in 2014 ((ANC), 2014). It was aimed at establishing a “diplomacy of ubuntu.” It
stressed the need for South African foreign policy to be founded in domestic primacies and
policy. It reiterated previous post-apartheid foreign policies regarding developing Africa and
giving the continent a greater voice and increased participation in policy-making processes in
the global sphere. Also included an appeal for the restructuring of global governance systems
such as the United Nations and Bretton Woods Institutions to make them more conducive to
developing countries and the awareness that the continent is at risk of being exploited of its
resources by external powers. In addition to the this, the 2018 Foreign Policy for South
Africa: Discussion Document (Anon., 2018)by the South African Department of Foreign
Affairs further outlined the importance of strengthening relations with the Southern African
Development Community(SADC).
1
