Leading through consensus

This policy brief analyzes South Africa's assumption of the African Union (AU) chairship in 2020. It examines the opportunities for South Africa to drive continental priorities—such as regional integration and peace and security—while highlighting significant challenges, including the need to build consensus among member states and the negative impact of domestic xenophobic violence on its international legitimacy.

• South Africa's ability to lead on priorities like regional integration, peace and security, and AU reforms depends on its capacity to garner consensus and buy-in from AU member states, which utilize a consensus-driven decision-making process.
• Domestic xenophobic attacks in South Africa are viewed as a major impediment to the country's legitimacy and effectiveness as AU chair, with the diplomatic community perceiving government passiveness in protecting other Africans.
• South Africa's 2020 chairship coincides with its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, providing a unique platform to enhance AU-UN relations, particularly regarding peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and the financing of African peace support operations.
• Key priorities for South Africa's term include the implementation of the 2020 theme 'Silencing the guns, creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development', revitalizing Agenda 2063, and promoting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
• South Africa has the opportunity to strengthen the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), though it must first resolve logistical challenges by signing host country agreements for these organs based in South Africa.
• Analysis of previous chairships suggests that leadership quality and a thorough understanding of prerogatives are more critical for success than a country's economic or political weight, as demonstrated by Rwanda's 2018 term.

APA

Louw-Vaudran, L., & Diatta, M. M. (2019). Leading through consensus. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-136.pdf

Chicago

Louw-Vaudran, Liesl, and Mohamed M Diatta. Leading through consensus. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-136.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Louw-Vaudran |first1=Liesl |last2=Diatta |first2=Mohamed M |title=Leading through consensus |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-136.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{louwvaudran2019leading, author = {Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and Diatta, Mohamed M}, title = {{Leading through consensus}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-136.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }