SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy

The author contends that South Africa is experiencing a retrenchment of its global diplomatic ambition under President Zuma, characterized by a lack of policy clarity and a 'managerial lacuna' within the government. While acknowledging the institutional legacy of the African Union left by former President Mbeki, the text warns that continental crises—including climate change, energy insecurity, and water stress—require decisive leadership that is currently absent. The author calls for greater policy coherence between the Department of International Relations and Co-Operation (DIRCO) and other state organs and the private sector, suggesting that DIRCO must modernize its diplomatic skills to include environmental and economic literacy to drive domestic growth.

• The Zuma administration is perceived as lacking a clear foreign policy direction, leading to a decline in South Africa's global diplomatic reach and the potential for the country to be seen as an "unreliable developmental partner".
• A 'managerial lacuna' exists within the South African government where initiatives from progressive international nations are ignored because decision-making power is not clearly aligned with accessible officials, resulting in lost opportunities.
• The African continent faces severe challenges that threaten to undo previous governance and developmental gains, specifically citing climate change, energy insecurity, and water stress as looming crises.
• To effectively drive domestic economic growth, the Department of International Relations and Co-Operation (DIRCO) must address internal vacancies, integrate private sector cooperation, and expand diplomatic training to include environmental and economic literacy.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2010). SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy. https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy. 2010. https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy |date=3 March 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2010squandering, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{SA is squandering international goodwill through rudderless foreign policy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/sa-is-squandering-international-goodwill-through-rudderless-foreign-policy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }