We are ready to do our bit

This document is a speech delivered by a representative of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) regarding the domestic governance and economic priorities necessary to restore South Africa's international influence and internal stability.

• The speaker argues that South Africa's international influence is dependent on its domestic fortunes, noting that the country has lost ground over the last decade due to corruption and mismanagement within state institutions, including the criminal justice system and state-owned entities.
• Restoring the rule of law and state integrity is presented as a priority, specifically through the rehabilitation of the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the revenue service, and the security apparatus, including Police Intelligence and the Hawks.
• Regarding energy, the speaker suggests the reconstruction of Eskom, potentially splitting it into independent generator, transmitter, and distributor components, and calls for the immediate signing of contracts for the fourth bidding window of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme to provide policy certainty.
• The mining sector is identified as a critical lever for upstream manufacturing and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as South Africa possesses some of the world's largest deposits of manganese and chrome, which are essential for wind turbines and electric vehicles.
• The speaker advocates for a new white paper to review South Africa's international engagements to better align with the current geopolitical and digital landscape, moving beyond Cold War-era ideological divisions to create a more integrated trade and investment strategy.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2018). We are ready to do our bit. https://saiia.org.za/news/we-are-ready-to-do-our-bit/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. We are ready to do our bit. 2018. https://saiia.org.za/news/we-are-ready-to-do-our-bit/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=We are ready to do our bit |date=1 February 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/news/we-are-ready-to-do-our-bit/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2018are, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{We are ready to do our bit}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/news/we-are-ready-to-do-our-bit/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }