Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Budget Speech

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 22 July 2014

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Honourable Speaker,
Honourable Members,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Representatives of International Organisations,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Our membership of BRICS is stronger than before!  We were there at the Summit in Sanya, China, when the vision document of BRICS was crafted and adopted.  We were in New Delhi, India, when the idea of a development bank was mooted. The decision to establish the Bank was taken in Durban. From Durban to the recent 6^th BRICS Summit in Brazil, this idea has now been given life. In Brazil, our leaders reaffirmed our core vision to bring about a more democratic, multipolar world order. This is the world we want. This is the world we yearn for.

South Africa, as the previous Chair, successfully brought to fruition all the key outcomes adopted at the 5^th BRICS Summit in Durban last year. As such, in Brazil, the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank and the Treaty for the creation of the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement were signed. These agreements signal a historic and seminal moment since the creation of the Bretton Woods international financial architecture.

The headquarters of the New Development Bank will be located in Shanghai, China and its Africa Regional Centre will be established in South Africa concurrently. Further significant initiatives in respect of strengthening intra-BRICS economic cooperation, included the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation among BRICS Export Credit and Guarantees Agencies that will improve the support environment for increasing trade opportunities among the BRICS countries. In BRICS, the member states are equal in access, shareholding, and representation in leadership positions.

Indeed, in his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma was unequivocal about what needs to be done to move South Africa forward in the next five years. In his own words, he said, and I quote: “As we enter the second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society, we have to embark on radical socio-economic transformation to push back the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment. Change will not come about without some far-reaching interventions.”

What needs to be done in the next five years must find resonance with this undertaking.

South Africa’s foreign policy is driven by the vision to achieve an African continent that is prosperous, peaceful, democratic, united and assertive in defense of its interests in world affairs. Today, as we enter the third decade of our freedom, it is therefore appropriate that we focus on the foreign policy task and challenges that lie ahead of us in the next five years.

Our foreign policy has a crucial role to play in the interventions required to realise the intended goals of the second transition. The task ahead may be daunting but our experience of the last two decades has schooled us in how to master the balance between our domestic and international priorities, and between the values we cherish and the pursuit of our national interests abroad. We move forward into the next five years conscious that we have a solid National Development Plan that seeks to guide our actions, and set priorities for our international relations mandate.

Honourable Speaker,

The continent is currently engaged in extensive consultations on its vision for the next fifty years, known as Agenda 2063, under the theme “The Africa We Want”. This vision, which is expected to be adopted by the January 2015 Summit of the African Union, spells out the aspirations of African people across all sectors and the pledges of our leaders which are translated into a “Call to Action” comprised of a ten-year action plan that will contain flagship projects.

Each AU Member State, including South Africa, is expected to contribute to this vision through inclusive national consultations by October this year. When the vision is adopted, Member States will have to align their national policies with it through a process of domestication which, in our case, will entail harmonising Agenda 2063 with our National Development Plan.

DIRCO has already begun our national consultations with different sectors. We will be approaching Parliament in due course with a proposal to consider holding a special debate on Agenda 2063. This vision has the potential to become a game-changer on the continent, and South Africa can help ensure that this happens.  

Agenda 2063 will impact SADC, especially the pace and direction of the integration of our region. Our approach to the SADC region in the next five years will aim at consolidating bilateral relations with our neighbours, and strengthening SADC as an institution. 

In particular, we will:

• Strengthen regional integration in our SADC neighbourhood by discharging our responsibilities towards the full implementation of our Free Trade Area and concluding the current review of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan. The SADC-EAC-COMESA tripartite trade negotiations must reach finality as they are an important step towards the realization of the African Free Trade Area by 2017.
• Peace and political stability in our region will remain a priority.  We are encouraged by the proactive and stabilizing effect that resulted from the deployment of the SADC Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the negative forces there are either on retreat or have been defeated. On behalf of the people and government of South Africa, let me take this opportunity to pay a special tribute to our soldiers who are involved in peace missions abroad. Their selfless sacrifice continues to inspire us. In this regard, we will operationalise the Tripartite Agreement between South Africa, Angola and the DRC in support of the Peace and Security Framework Agreement for the Great Lakes Region.
• We will galvanize political support for major infrastructure projects in our region, notably the Lesotho Highlands Water project Phase II, and the Grand INGA in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For the rest of Africa, in the context of Agenda 2063, in the next five years DIRCO will:

• Continue to strengthen bilateral relations with African countries through structured bilateral engagements to advance South Africa’s interests throughout the continent
• Intensify our work in supporting the African Union, including the AU institutions we host; namely, the NEPAD Secretariat, Pan-African Parliament and the African Peer Review Mechanism headquarters
• Strengthen Economic Diplomacy to increase trade and investment opportunities for South Africa
• Give dedicated attention to the North-South Corridor, and other NEPAD-driven Infrastructure Projects on the Continent  championed by President Zuma
• Ensure speedy provision of Humanitarian assistance where needed to alleviate human suffering on the continent
• Implement the African Diaspora programme adopted at the AU Summit we hosted in 2012
• Continue peace-building and conflict prevention efforts in conflict situations in support of multilateral institutions
• Re-invigorate our Post-Conflict and Reconstruction and Development strategy in African countries emerging from conflict.

It is indeed within our ongoing strategy to continue supporting Africa's peace efforts through mediation, troop contribution for peace keeping, and by providing material and financial assistance. The sterling work of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in South Sudan, is one example.  

The African Union Peace and Security Council has just celebrated its tenth anniversary, and we look back with pride at what it has achieved. South Africa has recently assumed its two-year membership of this organ which will be used to focus on the restoration of constitutional order in the Central African Republic, and stability in the DRC, Libya, Somalia and South Sudan.

The operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture remains a critical element in providing the African Union with the necessary capacity to respond to our challenges of peace and security. The establishment of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), championed by South Africa, is an interim mechanism to enable the African Union to respond to emerging security situations while the African Stand-By Force is being operationalised. 

The increasing scourge of terrorism on our continent, especially in parts of East, West and North Africa, is a menace that must be fought and defeated.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

South-South Cooperation is important in South Africa’s foreign policy architecture. Our approach to South-South Cooperation in the next five years must be anchored on South-South fora like the BRICS, IBSA and FOCAC and multilateral bodies such as the NAM and the G77 plus China, as well as the network of bilateral relations we have established with countries of Asia and Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The key elements of this cooperation are the promotion of political and diplomatic relations, enhancing trade, investment and other economic relations, and collaboration on global issues for a better world.

Latin America and the Caribbean remain critically important in our quest to reconnect and reignite our relations with people of the regions. South Africa shares a long history of cordial relations with the Americas and the Caribbean.

South Africa will continue to utilise the strong political relationship with the countries of Asia and the Middle East, built on the long-standing relationships and solidarity, to further solidify relations and leverage economic, trade, investment and tourism opportunities in the region.

The restoration of lasting peace in the Middle East is in our interest. In this respect, President Zuma will be dispatching a team, led by our former Deputy Minister Mr Aziz Pahad, to Israel and Palestine to convey our growing concern with the escalation of violence there, including the endless wanton killing of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of homes in Gaza. Presidet Zuma will be inviting Palestinian President Mahomood Abbas for a Working Visit.

The Ocean Economy, or Blue Economy, is indeed the next frontier of global economic growth, especially in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) zone. 

Building on the comprehensive strategic nature of our relations, the Joint Working Group on South Africa-China Cooperation, established in March 2013, will be an instrument to help further improve trade relations between the two countries. We will be hosting the 6th FOCAC Ministerial in 2015, which is China’s partnership forum with Africa.

Honourable Members,                               

Our partnership with the countries of the North is another pillar of our foreign policy that we will continue to expand in the next five years, through our relations with Europe, North America, and Japan. We look forward to the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, and our Strategic Ministerial Dialogue with the United States of America. 

Over the next five years, we undertake to strengthen our existing political and economic relations with Europe, including with the strategic formations of the North such as the European Union. In this regard, we welcome the conclusion of the EPAS negotiations between our region and the EU.

Ladies and gentlemen,

International solidarity will continue to inspire our approach to world affairs.  As such, we support the struggle for the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine and the Western Sahara. The economic embargo on Cuba has to be lifted.

South Africa’s multilateral activities are inextricably linked to South Africa’s own domestic priorities and those of the African continent. In this regard, the following are the key priorities for the next five years:

• Reform of the structures of global governance, including the United Nations Security Council, will remain a key focus, including on how to ensure that the African Common Position, known as the Ezulwini Consensus, advances the reform of the UN. President Zuma has challenged the UN membership not to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the UN in 2015 without a reformed UN Security Council.
   
• Two critical negotiations will reach their conclusion in 2015; and these are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the basis of the Durban Plan for Enhanced Action; and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.  We will continue to call for the acceleration of efforts and resources to ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) up to 2015 and beyond.
   
• On sustainable development, a key process emanating from Rio+20 was to recommend to the General Assembly a set of possible Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The process to develop these goals has just concluded in New York with South Africa’s robust participation.
   
• On the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which emanates from the MDGs, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland facilitated a High-Level Event of the United Nations General Assembly which managed to anchor the negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda firmly within the United Nations intergovernmental process, where all nations will participate on an equal basis to craft the successor goals to the MDGs, and informed by Rio Principles, in particular the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities.
   
• Continue to fight for the Durban Legacy that came out of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism that we hosted in Durban. 
   
• In the G20, South Africa - also a Co-chair of the G20 Development Working Group (DWG) – will continue to address development bottlenecks and help developing countries achieve growth.
   
• South Africa will continue to insist that as much as work is being done on non-proliferation, the issue of disarmament also requires progress and movement in the context of the alienable right of states to the peaceful uses of the atom.

Mrs Navi Pillay will soon complete her tenure (after six years) as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We pay her our solemn tribute and express our pride in the fact that after our transformation 20 years ago, our nationals are able to serve the international community with such distinction.

Honourable Members,

In the context of the second transition that President Zuma spoke about in his State of the Nation Address, our foreign policy work in the next five years must have four perspectives in mind.

Firstly, we must leverage the potential that foreign policy has to enable and support second transition interventions on the domestic front by creating a clearly defined relationship between our foreign policy, domestic priorities and, broadly, our national interests. Our bilateral relations with other countries, multilateral cooperation, and economic diplomacy are tools to be utilized in this regard.

Secondly, our country’s foreign policy cannot be static. It must constantly change and adapt with time so that it remains relevant to the ever changing global socio-economic and political environment. As reflected in the National Development Plan, we must therefore take a medium to long term view of where our foreign policy must be in the future if our country is to remain relevant in global affairs. 

It cannot be business as usual if our foreign policy is to undergo its own second transition. This change must happen at three levels – in policy development, policy implementation, and cadreship development. 

Our draft White Paper calls for a foreign policy based on the philosophy of Ubuntu. It was submitted to the 4^th Parliament and we trust it will be finalised by Honourable Members.

The launch of the South African Council on International Relations (SACOIR), which will be our civil society sounding board on foreign policy, will be expedited. The National Development Plan enjoins us to strengthen our policy research capacity. This will be done, building on our existing policy research unit (PRAU).

We must continue to reposition our Foreign Service for its alignment with the future we envisage for our foreign policy through capacity development and constant renewal of personnel. The Department’s Branch: Diplomatic Training, Research and Development (DTRD), that is responsible for training our diplomats, will be turned into a fully-fledged diplomatic academy in the next five years.

Our existing internship and cadet programme will be consolidated into a Johnny Mkhathini Ubuntu Diplomatic Corps to improve its outcomes and impact.

We will be tabling a Foreign Service Bill to create a single foreign service for the country in order to end the current fragmented Foreign Service system, leading to improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness and enhanced service delivery.

DIRCO has obtained the required legal authority for the establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA). We will be tabling to this house a Bill to repeal the African Renaissance Fund (ARF). The creation of SADPA will ensure more efficiency in the deployment and disbursement of South Africa’s development and humanitarian assistance.

Thirdly, as South Africa undergoes its second transition, Africa must also continue to rise. Africa’s renaissance will in years ahead be defined by Africa Agenda 2063. Africa must truly rise and consummate its 50-year transition from the days of colonialism.

Fourthly, on the global front, ahead of us lies a great challenge of making sure that South Africa cements its voice and actions among the progressive forces working for an equitable, democratic world order. The transformation of the international system is long overdue. The world needs its own second transition, both politically and economically.

Honourable Speaker,

Our comprehensive public diplomacy strategy has, over the years, ensured that our foreign policy is known across all sectors of our society. The establishment of government’s first online internet based radio station, Ubuntu Radio, by DIRCO has taken our public diplomacy to a higher level. In the next five years, we will work harder and utilise this platform as a source of Afro-centric foreign policy briefs. The public outreach that took us across many corners of our country during the previous administration will continue.  It is important that our foreign policy is rooted among our people, enjoying the bipartisan support of all of us in Parliament.

In conclusion, Honourable Members, we hope that this 2014 budget proposal, which is aligned with the 5^th Administration’s Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTEF), will receive your support and approval. Due to currency fluctuations, the department will require an additional R1.6 billion over the MTEF period in order to maintain the current level of operation.

South Africa is at the crossroad en route to the second phase of our transition to a national democratic society. Africa’s Agenda 2063 is also a call to action for a continent on the rise. Our foreign policy must therefore move South Africa forward and make our vision of a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world, a reality. 

I thank you!

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Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, H.E. Ms N.C. Mfeketo, National Assembly, Cape Town

22 Jul 2014

Honourable Chairperson;
Honourable Members;
Your Excellencies Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Representatives of International Organisations;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Fellow South Africans;
Comrades and Friends,

I am honoured to address this house on this a very important occasion of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

It is important to remember that the 20 years of democracy we celebrate today is a result of a negotiated solution taken through the collective wisdom of the visionary leadership of the time. There were other options that could have been pursued if we were driven by short-sighted, vengeful ambitions of settling scores with perpetrators of injustice. The celebration of the 20 years of democracy is a reaffirmation of the correct decisions taken then by the wisdom of the collective leadership, with the long gaze into the future for later generations to continue building on a firm non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.

With this as the spine of our freedom, we stand upright with reassurance to build upon our work with great zest in the next five for the execution of solid plans, which in turn contribute to the long-term goals of the National Development Plan (NDP).

During the release of the 20 Year Review of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma appraised the nation as follows, (I quote):

“This is an occasion to reflect on what has been achieved in our country over the past twenty years, by South Africans working together…The Twenty Year Review is packed with facts and figures to support its analysis and it is honest and frank in its approach. Where the facts indicate that we have made progress, we say so, and where the facts indicate that we have challenges and have made mistakes, we also say so“.
(Close quote)

We also move forward into the future with great optimism to realise a prosperous Africa which is at peace with itself as well as a better world as the great Madiba once envisioned.  Although Madiba may be with us no more in physical form, especially with the reminder of his first birthday last week, we continue to treasure his memory and the 67 minutes of service marks the invention of a new tradition in the history of our country henceforth. It most fitting to therefore to pause for a moment and salute this, a great son of Africa in Madiba as well as all departed leaders and dedicated cadres that served and sacrificed their lives for this great nation of ours. 

Honourable Chairperson and Honourable Members,

As we gather in this House for this important speech and celebrating our 20 years of democracy and freedom, a human tragedy is unfolding in the Middle East. An injustice and gross loss of human life which cannot go unabated in Gaza and other regions of that sacred region of the world is continuing as I stand here. This tragedy could also serve as a vindication of our collective wisdom in South Africa as the same fate could just be on our shores had we gone the route of military combat. As we celebrate our freedom, let us remember that for other oppressed peoples in the world, this is but a distant dream but we have much to share as we are.

Last week, in the wake of the Israeli offensive into Palestine, we called in the Ambassador of Israel to express our grave concern over the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinian territories, which has resulted in the loss of civilian life and the destruction of property in Gaza.

We called on both parties to immediately observe a ceasefire and for the State of Israel to allow safe and free passage of civilians and the operation of humanitarian organisations to alleviate the suffering.

Furthermore, we called on both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to immediately resume negotiations leading to a two-state solution with a contiguous and economically viable Palestinian State existing side by side in peace with Israel, within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders based on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital;

We demanded the immediate halt to the construction and expansion of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by the Israeli Government, which not only violates international law, but also gravely undermines peace efforts, and threatens the viability of the two-State solution.

We re-iterate all the above positions and continue to oppose any threat of ground invasion and urge the State of Israel to refrain from making utterances that may worsen the situation;

We object to any attempt to use the current situation to undermine the Unity Government in Palestine whose advent was warmly welcomed by peace-loving people the world over;
In addition, the South African Government demands that the Israeli authorities lift all restrictions to the importation of building material and equipment into the Gaza Strip to enable destitute families and the Gaza Administration to re-build homes and infrastructure.

That is because as South Africa, we have a sense of duty to the people both the peoples of Palestine and Israel to support them in their quest for freedom, democracy and self-determination under respected sovereignty.  We have to urgently apply our minds to respond effectively to halting the catastrophe by all the peaceful means we can master.

Going back to Madiba as far as this tragedy unfolds and rightly so (I quote):

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances freedoms of others.”

Close quote

It is also fact our government has achieved substantially in the last 20 years. Despite all that, however, our country is still grappling with challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty which are the direct result of the 300 years of brute colonialism and the legacy of apartheid.

We have developed and are moving forward in the course of our international engagements. South Africa’s relations with nations of the world have deepened and strengthened over the last two decades. Today we are active members of the international community, with membership in various global fora. We will continue making use of our key strategic membership in these fora to strengthen our support for the African Agenda, especially the AU Agenda 2063, which the Minister has already addressed in her statement.

Just like Africa, Americas and Europe-Asia and the Middle East continue to occupy a very special place in our foreign policy. Today our country boasts strategic diplomatic relations with countries of these regions.

South Africa’s relations with Asia

Asia has emerged to change the face of international power dynamics and the strong ties South Africa has historically forged with Asia places us in a great opportunity to take a greater role in the making of a new era in international relations.

In the last decade, Asia has emerged to be South Africa’s number one trading partner with trade having grown from approximately R40 billion in 1994 to almost twenty times more at approximately R760 billion in 2013. Multilaterally, South Africa co-operates with some of the key partners in Asia and other regions in organizations such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil, and South Africa) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

This is a good story and a highlight of the success of our foreign policy engagements for this bears directly on our economic diplomacy objectives which in return add to core domestic tenet of our governance, namely job creation.

Our relations with countries of this region such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, among others, remain excellent and continue to receive attention. These countries are important to our socio-economic and political agenda. Our government continues to engage these countries through various structured bilateral meetings, some of which took place in 2013. The objectives of these bilateral interactions are to, among others, follow up on commitments made earlier and identify further areas of potential cooperation in fields such as trade, investment and tourism, and in sectors such as health, education and infrastructure development.

It is also humbling when we as a country are often requested to share our experience and implementation of collective wisdom in conflict resolution, national reconciliation and nation building.

South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation as well as nation-building experiences are of great interest to a number of countries in South Asia such as Sri Lanka and Nepal. In fact, of the more recent interactions between Sri Lanka and South Africa, was the visit to that beautiful country by the Deputy President of South Africa, in his capacity as President Jacob Zuma’s Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, Honourable Mr Cyril Ramaphosa on 7-8 July 2014.

As President Jacob Zuma’s Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, the Deputy President met President Mahindra Rajapaksa and other political leaders in discussions on how best to possibly share South Africa’s own experiences of the past 20 years of our journey towards transformation with a focus on truth, reconciliation and nation building.

Honourable members;

Not so long ago President Zuma, accompanied by a delegation of Ministers and business people, visited Malaysia in August 2013, with a view to further strengthen socio-economic bilateral relations.

Within the context of our country’s foreign policy priority which seeks to strategically enhance our partnership with the developed North, South Africa’s bilateral relationship with Japan reached the pinnacle of bilateral co-existence when theses relations were elevated in 2010 to “Strategic Cooperation Partnership.” Japan is South Africa’s second largest trade partner in Asia after China. The ties between South Africa and Japan are multifaceted and span many technical areas of cooperation. Approximately 112 Japanese companies with investments in South Africa provide skills development training to their South African employees who are our own nationals. This initiative contributes immensely to the transfer of technology which is supportive of our industrial strategies.

Our bilateral relations with Japan span a broad spectrum of human endeavour. We are particularly pleased that this country continues to provide valuable scientific and technical cooperation and skills d evelopment to our country. In 2013, bilateral trade with Japan was in the amount of R 93 billion and growing rapidly. The 13th Partnership Forum meeting will soon be hosted by Japan and is scheduled to take place in Tokyo during this second half of 2014.

As far as South Africa’s bilateral ties with the Republic of Korea (ROK) are concerned, we continue to engage with a view to further maximising economic and technical cooperation opportunities. South Korea is South Africa's 4th largest trade partner in Asia. In 2013 bilateral trade was in the region of R30.2 billion. The 8th Policy Consultative Forum South Korea is scheduled to take place in Seoul later this year.

We continue to deepen co-operation with Central Asia which is gaining strategic prominence on the world stage. We also want to honour in this House the presence of a new Asian Mission with the resident Embassy of Kazakhstan established in Pretoria.

China and Mongolia are two countries that remain our good friends, and therefore critical not only to our own development but also that of the African continent as a whole. The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa a privileged relations as we share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Trade between our two countries has grown to such an extent that China has since become our biggest trading partner in 2009.  This achievement has been sustained since and is being intensified at all fronts every day.  Bilateral and Trade co-existence trade with China has grown from R118,5 billion in 2009 to R142,9 billion in 2010, R193,8 billion in 2011, R204,7 in 2012 and R270.1 billion in 2013. 

Given the nature of our trade relations, currently dominated by the export of raw materials, it is inevitable that there will be a trade deficit on the South African side. However, both sides are working extremely hard to manage these relations in a more sophisticated manner, particularly concerning concerted efforts to increase beneficiation of our exports products within South Africa before they leave our shores. We have targeted various industries, such as jewellery design and polishing, the automotive industry, agro-processing, manufacturing, and so on.

The Joint Working Group on South Africa-China Co-operation, established in March 2013, with its main focus on trade, investment, infrastructure and market access, will be an instrument to balance trade relations between the two countries. The Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is a multilateral instrument through which China provides development assistance and support to African countries. As co-chairs, we will be working closely with China over the next five years to ensure the implementation of the 5th FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2013/15). In this regard, we will be hosting the 6th FOCAC Ministerial in 2015.

Even more interesting, as we celebrate 20 years of our Freedom, we are simultaneously celebrating the Year of South Africa in China. These celebrations comprise of cultural events, trade seminars and exhibitions, participation in film festivals where the movie adaptation of the story of our beloved Madiba is shown. The visits by key delegations and solidifying thereto are already growing the critical people-to-people relations.

Honourable Chairperson;

Oceania is a key region for South Africa. It is a region that presents many opportunities for our country, especially in terms of trade. This area of engagement has not yet developed to its full potential, as is evident from trade figures. In terms of trade with Australia, for example, which is our largest trading partner in the region, total trade figures for 2013 amounted to around R20 billion. More could and should be done in this important area. A Bilateral Plan of Action between South Africa and Australia, which was adopted in 2013, provides the framework for conducting our bilateral relations. Areas of cooperation include trade and investment, energy, people-to-people links, as well as development cooperation and education.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project which was jointly awarded to South Africa and Australia in 2012 is another issue that enjoys a prominent position in the bilateral relationship between the two countries. This project has led to significant achievements in radio telescope development, radio astronomy and the development of a dynamic, vibrant, growing and world-class base of scientists and engineers in the SKA South Africa and Australia teams, in universities in South Africa, and increasingly in other African countries.

South Africa’s relations with the Middle East

The Middle East region remains critical for us especially in view of the fact that we are intent on fully intensifying our robust socio-economic transformation strategy in the next five years. For us to realise the fruits of this strategy, we need a stable region. On the contrary and most challenging, however, the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is entering its fourth year with costs to human lives at more than 140 000 people and counting.  The displacement of more than 4 million as a result of this war had elevated the Syria crisis or conflict to become one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history.

It is an indictment on the current system of global governance’s ability to bring a speedy end to international conflicts and the suffering of the people of Syria especially the most vulnerable groups, women and children. The increasing instability within Syria’s immediate neighbours and the Middle East region as a whole, caused by the conflict, is detrimental to the interests of our country. We believe that no military solution to the crisis exists and that the opposing factions will, inevitably, solve their differences around the negotiation table. We will also continue to raise this issue as part of our agenda in our bilateral and multilateral engagements.

In a similar vein, we will continue our efforts with regard to the Middle East Peace Process by pursuing a nuanced and focused diplomatic approach as far as the peace process is concerned.  We have been officially requested by the Palestinian National Authority to remain engaged in the Middle East Peace Process until such time that lasting peace can be realised.

As a country, we have continued to demonstrate our commitment to Palestine through a range of activities in support for the UN declaration of 2014 as the ‘International Year of Solidarity with Palestine’. We have successfully hosted a Heads of Mission Conference for Palestinian Ambassadors accredited to Africa on 29 – 30 April 2014, including a Palestinian Solidarity Seminar in Cape Town on 2 May 2014. This initiative brought together academia and civil society.

Honourable Members;

The year 2014 also commemorates South Africa’s twentieth anniversary of diplomatic relations with most of the countries of the Gulf States. South Africa has cordial relations with the Gulf States manifested in the strong economic as evidenced by last year’s exports reaching over R18 billion.

In this region, South Africa also receives an important source for South Africa’s energy fuels especially oil. Just last year, half of South Africa’s crude oil imports came from Saudi Arabia.

Some important investments, amounting to hundreds of millions of Rands, have been made by the Gulf States in South Africa. Most of these investments have been made in South Africa’s real estate sector and its hospitality industry.

With regards to the current situation in Iran, our government has consistently emphasised the importance of a peaceful resolution to the outstanding questions regarding the nature of the Iranian nuclear programme. We have welcomed the successful conclusion of the negotiations between the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which culminated in the adoption of the Joint Plan of Action on 24 November 2013. South Africa supports continued negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran to reach a final comprehensive agreement. We remain committed to the maintenance of good bilateral relations with Iran and seek to position these relations for a post-sanctions era.

Public Participation Programmes (Imbizo) and Public Diplomacy

It is vital that our people should be aware of our international relations policies, as this is the thrust of public accountability. Public participation and public diplomacy remain critical strategies to achieve this aim. We will achieve this through ongoing campaigns and programmes.

Honourable members, let me draw from the wells of wisdom of the inspiring message President Zuma shared on the occasion of the State of the Nation Address of the 5th Administration when he said: (I quote):

“As part of our 20 years of freedom and democracy celebrations, all archive material or records turning 20 years this year, such as those of the late former President Nelson Mandela's first days in Office, will be transferred to the National Archives. This year will also see the listing of the CODESA Multi-Party Negotiating Forum Records in the International Memory of the World Register”.

Close quote

All this archiving of information is a direct invitation for us to utilise this rich history in order to strengthen our various programmes in the next five years and beyond. This milestone also emphasises the importance of our heritage and its significance, especially the advancement of the legacy of those who laid down their lives for our freedom and struggle. We shall never forget them.

Honourable Chairperson;
Honourable Members,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen

Our government is of the opinion that a united Palestine will be better placed to represent their people in the effort to obtain independence.

Ilizwe lethu nemanyano yehlabathi zimele ukuthabatha olunye unyawo ekupheliseni imo egqubayo phakathi kwelizwe lakwaSirayeli nelamaPalestina. Ukubukela kutshatyalaliswa imiphefumlo yabantwana, abantu abadala, namakhosikazi ngokungenalusini ePalestina kulento yenzekayo yoluhlaselo akusoze kunyamezeleke na nini na.

We are of a firm view that the tangible benefits of our relations with countries in Asia and the Middle East must be felt by the ordinary masses of our people. If we can be able to achieve this milestone, we will have set our relations with the region on the right path.

Knowing how to use international relations policy to achieve domestic priorities is a strategy we have to continue to strengthen and deepen in the next five years. After all, it is in the interest of our citizens that we educate them about our foreign policy, and how it can respond to our domestic priorities.

It is imperative that a good story of our international relations be told in our successes or achievements, challenges or otherwise to the level of each and every South African as all our endeavours are on the behalf.  We invite you therefore to all come with us on this, a remarkable journey towards Africa’s Renaissance and our country and continent’s assumption of its rightful place among the international community.

Let us look back and reflect on where we come from. It is only through this noble act that we will find courage and inspiration to build a people-centred foreign policy, supported by our own history and inspired by the vision we have for this country and the renaissance of the African continent as a whole, for our past, present and the future.

I thank you.

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Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Luwellyn Landers MP, National Assembly, Cape Town

Honourable Speaker/House Chairperson
Honourable Chair and Members of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation;
Honourable Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane;
Your Excellencies Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Representatives of International Organisations;
Distinguished guests;

It is an honour and privilege to stand before this esteemed house to present my first budget vote speech as Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Let me begin by paying tribute to my predecessors, former Deputy Ministers Hon. Ebrahim Ebrahim and Hon. Marius Fransman, for the formidable legacy that they have left behind. I am humbled to follow in their footsteps.

Honourable Speaker

Our international relations continue to be guided by the same foundations that we laid twenty years ago, led by Nelson Mandela. These are a firm commitment to a humane, just, democratic, free and equitable world. We have played a leading role in championing human rights, pan-Africanism, equality, peace, reconciliation and development, founding values that draw on the Freedom Charter and are deeply rooted in the long years of struggle for liberation.

Our activism has been inspired by our experience of international solidarity, the ideals and principles for which so many of our heroes made the ultimate sacrifice, and the visionary leadership that emerged from South Africans, led by Nelson Mandela, who were determined, against all odds, to build a nation that would be free from oppression, discrimination, inequality and poverty. We remain determined to contribute to building a better world through the diplomacy of Ubuntu, recognising that in an interdependent and interconnected world, it is in our national interest to assist others to also have what we want for ourselves.

In her eloquent speech today, Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane noted that our foreign policy has a crucial role to play in the interventions required to realise the goals of the second transition. As much as our domestic priorities have always been a central objective of our foreign policy, over the next five years the department will dramatically intensify its efforts to create new opportunities to achieve the goals of the National Development Plan. 

In his State of the Nation Address, President Zuma made it clear that the economy takes centre stage in a radical programme to move South Africa forward to prosperity and success, because the creation of decent work is the most effective weapon in the campaign against poverty.

Economic diplomacy, concentrating on export and tourism promotion, skills development and attracting foreign direct investment to priority sectors of the economy to create sustainable jobs and place the country on a more competitive global path is now the main focus of our bilateral missions.  During the coming year, we plan to aggressively expand our economic activities, which will include more than tripling the number of trade and investment seminars and engagements with Chambers of Commerce and high-level investors that we hold abroad. We also intend to significantly increase the number of tourism promotion events and other prosperity-related initiatives that we undertake.

Honourable Members

Economic diplomacy lies at the heart of what we do in Europe and the Americas, which remain our primary investment partners and the principal buyers of our value-added exports.

During 2014, we will strengthen relations with Europe, including working towards restoring bilateral trade levels to the pre-economic crisis period. Although still facing challenges, Europe is showing clear signs of economic recovery. Amongst other things, we plan to hold 97 trade and investment seminars and 82 tourism events in 2014/15 to achieve this.

We celebrate the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which was initialled last week and look forward to much greater access to the European market at a practical level. We hope to finalise all issues relating to our relations with the European Union (EU), including resolution of the issues around the Citrus Black Spot, Purees, and other such matters. We also want to pursue and finalise a binding agreement with all EU members for a favourable ‘visa free’ regime for all our citizens to enable a balanced and free movement, a privilege that  currently only favours EU citizens visiting South Africa.

Europe is a leading centre of excellence in Technology and Research. We intend to pursue exchanges, sharing and transfer of both technology and research to enhance our human resources and skills development in our quest for the industrialisation of our country and creating a knowledge based economy. We shall tap into both Western Europe and, more particularly, the East of Europe which up to now has been unexplored.

People to people contacts enhance and create long lasting impressions and relations. We will intensify our work around culture, tourism and student exchanges, so as to solidify the excellent relations that already exist. Tourist arrivals from Europe grew 7 % to 1 494 978 in 2013 and our target for the next five years is to expand this three-fold, especially from new markets like Central and Eastern Europe.

The United Kingdom, Russia and France are three of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) who exert influence on how the United Nations Organization (UNO) and its agencies function and are reformed. We want to intensify our engagement with these countries in order to accelerate the reform of the UNO in general and the United Nations Security Council in particular. It is unacceptable that we still have an undemocratic, unrepresentative body managing the affairs of the globe especially in the area of Peace and Security. The situation in Gaza where innocent civilians have been massacred is indicative of this.

Honourable Speaker

There is further potential for substantial growth in trade and investment with the Americas and the Caribbean. Our commercial diplomacy with this important region will be reinforced in the year ahead by high-level meetings with key strategic partners, including Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina and the USA.  As the Minister has indicated, in the case of the USA, a key project is ensuring that AGOA is extended beyond 2015.

In the next five years it is proposed to further extend South Africa’s engagements and footprint in the region.

The Americas are showing increasing interest in Africa and are important partners for the realisation of the AU’s Vision 2063. The development of ties with the African Diaspora is key in this regard, especially the further strengthening of AU-CARICOM relations.

Latin America and Africa share similar development trajectories, providing economic and political opportunities to pursue complementarities within the context of South-South cooperation, multilateralism, and closer bilateral strategic relations. South Africa’s geo-strategic location between Latin America and Asia provides the opportunity to position itself as a trade and transport hub between these two regions.

The special relationship between South Africa and Cuba continues to provide the benchmark for mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as health and education. The number of medical students studying in Cuba, currently 1 800 will increase.

Honourable Speaker

The President has pointed out that there is a strong need to improve the performance of the state if we are to achieve the key objectives of the NDP. In her speech today, the Minister emphasised that ‘it cannot be business as usual if our foreign policy is to undergo its own second transition.’ Over the next five years, we will implement far reaching interventions to ensure that our department becomes more effective and efficient.

During the 2013/14 financial year, DIRCO worked closely with the DPSA to conduct an Organisational Functionality Assessment (OFA). The aim of the assessment was to examine the appropriate fit between our strategy and structure so as to make the Department more streamlined, cost-effective and responsive to our changing needs. After a thorough process of review, a proposed new organisational structure is in the advanced stages of being finalised for submission to the Minister for Public Service and Administration.

The establishment of a Planning, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in the Office of the Director-General (DGO) is beginning to bear positive results, with significant reduction in negative audit findings on pre-determined objectives. Significant strides have been made in the roll-out of a comprehensive planning and monitoring and evaluation system, also covering our 126 Missions abroad. During this year, the department will be facilitating interventions, both task and people oriented, to further strengthen the culture of performance and service delivery.

Ladies and gentlemen

In order for South Africa to achieve a second transition in its foreign policy, it is vital that we have a coordinated and coherent approach amongst the growing number of stakeholders across all spheres of government, public enterprises, the private sector, civil society and other non-state actors that conduct international relations. The department will continue to lead in this area, including international visits by all spheres of government. It is only by working closely together that we will be able to deliver tangible outcomes that will make a real difference in the lives of our people.

Honourable Members, as the Minister and Deputy Minister have outlined, we have managed to excel in delivering on our foreign policy imperatives, despite having very limited resources at our disposal. Against the odds, we have succeeded to do more with less. But, as I am sure you will appreciate, this approach remains unsustainable going forward, especially given the scale of the department’s foreign currency commitments and recent developments in the rand exchange rate.

Honourable Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Nkoana-Mashabane for her valued leadership and encouragement, Deputy Minister Mfeketo for her leadership and collegial support, as well as all my colleagues in Cabinet and in Parliament, in particular the Portfolio Committee. I am proud to be part of our South African diplomatic service and I would like to sincerely thank all my colleagues in the department for their warm welcome, hard work and selfless dedication to South Africa’s cause. During his inauguration address in May, as he accepted the mandate given to the ANC by the electorate, President Zuma said:

"We do not take this confidence bestowed upon us lightly. We will do all in our power to build a South Africa in which citizens have a sense of belonging and hope for a brighter future.”

As custodians of our international relations, working on the frontlines of South Africa’s engagement with the global political economy, we have our own important part to play in the fulfilment of this hope for a brighter future, and in moving South Africa forward to prosperity and success.

I thank you.