Speech by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Mr Ronald Lamola (MP), in the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa on the occasion of The Presidency Budget Vote Debate
A Call for Collective Action in a World Under Strain
Mr President,
Madam speaker,
Honourable members,
This budget will enable the Presidency to fulfil its obligations to build a national democratic society and not narrow political interests.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy, when there is a challenge of national significance a commission of inquiry becomes relevant.
Progress on Reforms Led By President Ramaphosa
All the broken institutions the President is fixing where broken by the Supreme leader of the MKP.
At Eskom the lights are now on.
The network industries such as Transnet and our Ports are on a way to recovery.
South African Airway has posted a profit R252 Million.
SARS (which was the subject of the Nugent Commission) now has the capacity collect a record gross amount of R2.303 trillion.
Denel is recovering.
How can you say expropriation has been forgotten when it is President Ramaphosa has signed the Expropriation Act and the Bela Act.
The “MKP” Leader is someone who, as a (former) judge, did his best to unlawfully influence other judges to support Jacob Zuma. Lack of ethics. No integrity. Just Dishonesty. Hon Hlophe is an unrehabilitated and blind Zuma loyalist.
He is part of the family business. He has sold his soul because it is alleged, he was promised by Zuma to become the Chief Justice. Just like Zuma is consumed by hate for our President Cyril Ramaphosa so is Hon Hlophe consumed by blind loyalty to Zuma.
Is it not ironic that the person who is accusing the President of being a demolisher of democracy is coming from a party that has no democracy, leadership is anointed by the Supreme leader from his home?
Is it not ironic that this, is a party that has declared the death of democracy by advocating for parliamentary sovereignty.
Foreign Policy Is An Extension Of Domestic Policy
The President is also the chief diplomat of the Republic of South Africa.
Our foreign policy is an extension of our domestic policy. Every day we work harder to make our contribution to advance the national interests of our people, especially helping to overcome the triple challenges of poverty, joblessness, and inequality.
Through attracting foreign direct investment, we are contributing to achieving a 3 percent economic growth in the medium term. We take no pride in being labelled the world’s most unequal society in the world.
The statement of intent contains the following clause on our foreign policy:
Foreign policy based on human rights, constitutionalism, the national interest, solidarity, peaceful resolution of conflicts, to achieve the African Agenda 2063, South-South, North-South and African cooperation, multilateralism and a just, peaceful and equitable world.
We have not deviated from this statement of intent in our implementation of our foreign policy.
Unprecedented and Uncertainty Times In Geopolitics
Distinguished Guests,
We live in unprecedented and uncertain times in geopolitics.
The heightened levels of geo-political and geo-economic tensions, punctuated with sheer scale at which impunity overrides international law, not just in Palestine and in the war between Ukraine and Russia, but especially in our own continent, particularly in Sudan makes a mockery of any notion of accountability.
This, coupled with a rampant surge towards unilateralism, severely weakens collective action that undermines the promise of multipolarity in addressing common global challenges.
As we remain committed to a progressive internationalist and non-aligned foreign policy committed to co-operation not confrontation, dialogue instead of war, economic interdependence, not punitive tariffs, we say with conviction that it is time to disabuse the world of the dangerous idea that “might is right.”
Progressive multilateralism and dialogue amongst nations – the idea of deepening co-operation and solidarity – must be restored.
As the President has said we will continue to engage those countries, the US in particular, on unresolved challenges
We must remind this house that it is not only South Africa facing increased tariff challenges with the US, it is countries in the global North and South, it is American friends and foes, they all have Ambassadors in the US but still face the same challenge.m
It should be noted that our negotiations are coordinated by DIRCO and led by DTIC with regards to trade.
A Collective Duty To Promote South Africa’s National Interest
Opposition parties also have a duty to promote South Africa’s national interest, it is self-destruction to go to Washington to bad mouth your own country, when you go out of South Africa, you should be a true patriot and promote South Africa’s national interest, you will not find any American opposition parties coming to South Africa to bad mouth their country, so why do you do it? If your agenda is not to find outside help to change domestic policy?
Honourable Mr Mulder: Professor Sampie Terblanche in his book history of inequality from 1652 argues that Apartheid was built in such a manner that it must be able to reproduce itself even in a democracy.
The 2022 world bank report on inequality states that South Africa’s inequality is attributed to the legacy of apartheid and the nature of economic growth, which has not been inclusive enough to reduce poverty and create sufficient jobs.
The Democratic Alliance has become a shapeless amoeba since joining the Government National Unity (GNU), they are not sure if they are in government or in opposition.
The GNU is not a backdoor for the DA to govern South Africa and to also act as an opposition, the GNU is a platform to unite all South Africans in the national interests and not the narrow party interests of the DA.
Anti-War Foreign Policy
As we mark 70 years of the Freedom Charter our human rights outlook continues to inform our international relations perspective. Our anti-war stance is the aspiration of many South Africans from all walks of life who declared that: South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation – not war.
As the war in Sudan rages, the spectre of violent conflict looms in South Sudan. Committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, South Africa will continue to play its role in both Sudans.
Our continent’s crises demand a concerted approach to peacebuilding and the clarion call of Agenda 2063 – the Continent we want, to silence the guns. This is the conviction that drove us as we engaged all political protagonists in Mozambique after last year’s election.
We were resolute in our participation in the joint SADC and East African Community missions to find lasting peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This house should be reminded the SAMIDRC mission, in which we participated, was duly sanctioned and mandated by three continental multilateral organisations.
South Africa is not in the business of deploying our men and women in conflict situations unilaterally.
This year marks a pivotal year for multilateralism. As the United Nations approaches its 80th anniversary, this vital institution finds itself facing an existential crisis, highlighting the urgent need for a renewed commitment to its founding principles.
Our support for the Seville commitments was informed by our ambitions to bring back on track the commitments to the SDGs.
It is against this backdrop that members countries of the UN have recommitted themselves to close the R 4 trillion annual funding gap through de Sevilla de compromise (Commitment) to achieve the objectives of agenda 2030.
G20 Presidency: Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability The Very Antithesis What Has Gone Wrong
It is against this backdrop of a fundamental commitment to multilateralism that our G20 Presidency takes place.
Our Presidency is revolutionary; it is the very antithesis of what is going wrong in the world’s global order. It seeks to revitalise the dialogue between North and South, and we will not waver for Africa to be at the Centre of the debate.
Where unilateralism casts its long, isolating shadow, solidarity will rise during the hosting of our G20.
While the world runs on our resources, the value does not stay here. The minerals leave raw. The batteries, the solar panels, we power AI, the cancer treatments are made elsewhere.
We export wealth but import back its transformed value.
This is a phenomenon we see across Africa. In an award-winning book Cobalt Red Siddharth Kara argues that: it is the blood of the Congo that powers our lives.
This is why South Africa’s G20 Presidency puts forward a Critical Minerals Framework that will rewrite this anomaly and revitalise our industrial strategies and manufacturing capabilities.
In all bilateral and multilateral platforms, like the AU- SA partnership, FOCAC and so on the influence of South Africa can be seen through the declarations that pronounces without ambiguity on value addition at source.
BRICS A Forum Co-operation and Economic Development
Honourable members, as you are all aware, we just returned from the BRICS summit in Brazil, where co-operation and economic development were the themes that resonated, not unilateralism and zero-sum politics and economics.
South Africa leverages its BRICS partnership to power its green future: R2.9 billion from the New Development Bank is building the grid backbone for renewable energy, boosting energy security through tangible projects like the integration of 7 renewable energy projects of independent power producers in Upington, the construction of transmission lines and substation for Soweto area, and construction of transmission lines for Ankerlig-Sterrekus Power Station.
A R3.5 billion NDB loan is transforming Durban Port into a world-class African gateway. This upgrade slashes shipping times, attracts mega-vessels, and unlocks regional growth – making Agenda 2063 trade goals a reality.
Non-alignment Enables Us To Pursue Our National Interest
Honourable Members,
Our non-alignment isn’t a passive shrug of neutrality. Instead, it’s a vibrant, dynamic tightrope walk, carefully balancing our National Interest with our unwavering commitment to Progressive Internationalism.
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) A Tangible Engine For Growth
To truly deliver on these promises, we must be strategic. As trade wars precipitate, we need to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), not just as a concept, but as a tangible engine for growth. We need to make the AfCFTA the centre of continental economic co-operation and integration.
We aim for economic integration to grow above the current 21 percent economic trade within Southern African Development Community to lay a solid foundation for the AFCFTA.
Conclusion
Honourable Members,
Every one of our external engagements, every diplomatic handshake, every international agreement, must echo our domestic imperatives: eradicating poverty, reducing unemployment, and slashing inequality. Our foreign policy is a mirror reflecting the needs of our people.