Statement by SAIIA National Council Chairperson Fred Phaswana

The statement by SAIIA Chairperson Fred Phaswana discusses the role of media and military neutrality in North African uprisings and the importance of legitimate elections in Africa. It highlights South Africa's challenge in balancing energy security with climate commitments ahead of COP17 and evaluates the country's role in the UN Security Council and BRICS to ensure international engagement delivers domestic benefits.

• The uprisings in North Africa were significantly influenced by the neutrality of security forces in Tunisia and Egypt, as well as the revolutionary role of the internet and cellular technology.
• Democratic stability in Africa is threatened by forced or artificial power-sharing agreements for election losers, which are described as undemocratic and unsustainable.
• South Africa faces a difficult task hosting the 17th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP17) due to a conflict between its need for energy security and its progressive rhetoric on climate mitigation and adaptation.
• South Africa's membership in the BRICS and its role in the UN Security Council should be leveraged to provide tangible domestic benefits to address poverty, inequality, and unemployment.

APA

Phaswana, F. (2011). Statement by SAIIA National Council Chairperson Fred Phaswana. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-by-saiia-national-council-chairperson-fred-phaswana/

Chicago

Phaswana, Fred. Statement by SAIIA National Council Chairperson Fred Phaswana. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-by-saiia-national-council-chairperson-fred-phaswana/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Phaswana |first1=Fred |title=Statement by SAIIA National Council Chairperson Fred Phaswana |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=23 March 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-by-saiia-national-council-chairperson-fred-phaswana/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{phaswana2011statement, author = {Phaswana, Fred}, title = {{Statement by SAIIA National Council Chairperson Fred Phaswana}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/news/statement-by-saiia-national-council-chairperson-fred-phaswana/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }