The existing linkages between domestic and foreign policies, manifested in the inter-state negotiation, become prominent in the present post-cold war world order. This is, however, more pertinent, as has been aptly highlighted by Aparajita Biswas in her present book, in the case of post-apartheid South Africa’s engagement in its neighbourhood.
The author focuses on the transformed relations of South Africa with its neighbouring countries in the backdrop of historic changes that have taken place within the country in the 1990s. In other words, the inter-twined connection between systemic restructuring in the regionally dominant power and its politico-economic relationship with the member states of the regional block i.e. Southern African Development Community (SADC) remains the central theme of this work. Nevertheless, author does contest the basic premise of dependency paradigm postulating that southern African political economy is a mere product of the South African hegemony. She accordingly argues that the internal political and economic crisis experienced by the SADC member countries are not ascribed only to the external, destabilizing effects of South Africa and geo-politically influential powers like the United States and the erstwhile Soviet Union. For her, it is rather a result of the juxtaposition of the both domestic and international factors.
The objective of the study, according to the author, is to critically “examine the scope and strength of the mutually beneficial relations between the ‘new’ South Africa and the southern Africa that is envisaged under the SADC formulation.” While the approach towards building closer co-operation through regional economic integration tends largely to be seen in terms of South Africa’s initiatives, the capacity of the SADC to operate as an appropriate vehicle for the same is also under investigation. The special attention of this analysis, as points out the author, is concentrated upon the significance of the institutional arrangement of SADC, promotion of mutual relations as a point of departure for both South Africa and its neighbouring countries, innovative thrust in such a politically as well as economically changed relational pattern, and infrastructural network necessary for achieving the targeted goal in a given time frame. Author in the course of her analysis grapples with the questions as to what are the reasons for limited success of the erstwhile South African Development Coordination Council (SADCC), and would South Africa’s entry into that regional block change the nature of relationships with other member states, which had till then perceived the former as exploitative, and usher in an era of co-operation.
Apart from the domestic determinants of foreign policy, there are external variables that have a bearing on the South Africa’s current engagement with the SADC member countries. In this context, author examines the evolving relations between South Africa and the African Union on the one hand, and South Africa and the European Union (EU), and again South Africa and Indian Ocean Rim countries on the other. She also describes the flourishing relations between India and South Africa in various spheres, including polity, economy, culture and sports.
The author tries to theoretically inform her analysis by applying the Constructivist approach to the explanation of the South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy behavior. The Constructivists put emphasis on the formation of identities and the power of ideas such as values, norms and rules which define the ranges of actions by and interactions among the states. The current foreign policy posture of South Africa is, therefore, perceived by Author to be driven by the ‘idea of demilitarisation’ and the ‘identity of an emerging middle ranging power’ resulting in the restoration of civilian control over military, participation in the United Nations (UN)-mandated peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, and the action of leading various initiatives like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IOR-ARC).
The same logic is extended to the regional level as well. The ‘new regionalism’ in the post-cold war period is perceived by the author to be heterogeneous, comprehensive and multidimensional, since the regional organisations are no more subordinate to an international system that happened to be bi-polar in nature. Moreover, the process is initiated within the region rather being imposed from above. The regional powers consequently enjoy greater maneuvering capacities to frame their foreign policies and determine their international alignments. The scope for strengthening local alliances and creating new collective security mechanism has become bright. The SADC’s intervention for resolving conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a case in point.
The ‘new regionalism’ has, however, remained state-centric thereby necessitating the conceptualisation of regional alliances and dependent/interdependent relations between South Africa and southern African countries. Driven by its ‘intermediate position in the international political economy and the aspiration to play an intermediary role between foreign capital and the resources of the neighbouring states’, explains the author, the post-apartheid regime in South Africa has re-oriented its commitment towards Neo-Liberal paradigm. Its relations with fellow SADC member countries are also found by author to be fraught with difficulty. In the area of security and political co-operation, it appears that South Africa was ‘too ambitious’. The author submits that South Africa has failed to convince the SADC member states for adopting the diplomatic approach to the conflict in the DRC, and has struggled to recover from the negative publicity surrounding its 1998 military intervention into Lesotho.
Though the possibility for confusion does exist due to some printing errors here and there, for instance Southern African Development Community (SADCC), yet the reader will be obliged to the author for finding an empirically sound and balanced assessment of the subject.
Vidhan Pathak,
Former Faculty,
Dire Dawa University,
Ethiopia. |
