Enough has been said about SA’s torrid foreign policy. But what should we be doing instead? Rather than continuing a pseudo-Cold War backed by bankrupt, undead Marxist logic, the ANC and SA’s government should be pursuing an intelligent foreign policy that maximises economic growth, human rights and growing our global relevance.
Economic growth
While China is our largest trade partner, it isn’t our most profitable. We run a huge trade imbalance, mostly being a market for Chinese goods and possibly even a semi-colony in its neocolonial strategy in Africa.
Membership of the Brics bloc has also proven to be unprofitable and useless to us. We should leave it and seek free trade and preferential trade agreements with Western partners and beneficial neutral partners in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Most of all, we should be seeking to grow trade relations with the US and Europe, as well as building a local trade bloc in Southern Africa. Developed economies need our raw materials to prosper, and as their populations age our youthful population can pick up the slack by exporting our manufactured goods.
Human rights
SA has made a dreadful mistake in condemning Israel on trumped up and foolish genocide charges. It needs to backtrack from this decision and unequivocally condemn the rapists and murderers that committed the October 7 attacks, while respecting the right to self-defence and the destruction of global terror.
No more inviting representatives of terrorist organisations for cordial meetings. No more cosying up to Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. They do not benefit us practically, and they are definitely not the good guys.
We must cut ties with Vladimir Putin and Russia until such time as they end their unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. We should offer any support we can to the Ukrainian war effort. Allowing SA volunteers to fight for Ukraine would help to battle-harden our troops.
We must also improve our UN voting track record. No more voting in favour of North Korea, or regimes conducting genocides. If our diplomats can’t make sound, moral decisions they must be fired, or must consult truly rational and ethical human rights experts.
Becoming relevant
The more SA sides with rogue states, dictatorships and terrorists, the less relevant we become. We risk being kicked out of the US’s African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) programme (losing jobs and revenue), we will continue to see our passport weaken and our place in the world will slip ever more.
To be a respected nation comes with not only the practical benefit of increased trade, a stronger currency, more useful passports and more influence, but also the growing dignity of one’s people.
SA wasted its chance at becoming a prosperous country within years of overthrowing apartheid. The country has little to be proud of beyond our geography and the resilience of the people. As a people, we are decent and strong. But as a nation, as a state, we are an embarrassment.
But this can change. Either the ANC must change its tune and abandon its corruption and morally bankrupt ideology and apologise to its people and the world, or a new government must be elected to lead SA on the global stage. Siding with Ukraine and Israel against aggression and terror would be a poignant symbol of this shift.
We can be successful. We can be respected. For a moment in global history we were known as the country that overthrew apartheid, that was led by visionary leadership. But that was squandered.
It is not too late. We can make the right choices again.
• Woode-Smith is a policy analyst, economic historian and author who has written extensively on foreign policy and economic development.
