Zimbabwe in South Africas Foreign Policy: A Zimbabwean View

The author argues that since 1994, South Africa has treated Zimbabwe as a marginal interest, moving through phases of policy vacuum, brinkmanship, and eventually a 'twin-track' strategy of constructive engagement and containment. This lack of cohesion is highlighted by the failure to resuscitate the 1964 Customs Agreement, leading to severe trade imbalances and economic regression in Zimbabwe. Security cooperation also suffered due to disagreements over the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, particularly regarding interventions in the DRC. The paper concludes that while the Bi-National Commission provides a starting point for dialogue, a harmonised macro-economic and security framework is essential for regional stability.

• South Africa's foreign policy toward Zimbabwe between 1994 and 2002 evolved through three distinct phases: an initial lack of specific policy, a period of 'brinkmanship and frustration' from 1994 to 1999, and a 'twin-track policy of constructive engagement and containment' starting in early 2000.
• The lapse of the 1964 Customs Agreement in 1992, which had previously allowed Rhodesia to export goods to South Africa without tariffs, severely damaged Zimbabwe's economic revival and created a massive trade imbalance by 1998, with R13 billion in favor of Pretoria against R3 billion for Zimbabwe.
• Zimbabwe's economic situation deteriorated sharply by 2002, with the economy regressing by 14% annually since 1998, inflation exceeding 198%, external debt reaching $5 billion, and 75% of the population living below the poverty line since 2000.
• Regional security cooperation was hindered by disagreements between Harare and Pretoria over whether the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security should be part of the SADC Secretariat or remain separate, leading to a 'stalemate' at the 1997 Malawi SADC summit.
• South Africa and Zimbabwe diverged in their military responses to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Zimbabwe supported Laurent Desiré Kabila's campaign in 1996–97 and intervened in August 1998, while South Africa sought a 'negotiated power-sharing solution'.
• Since June 1999, the US and EU have imposed sanctions on the Zimbabwean military, specifically restricting access to spares, ammunition, information, and human resources.

APA

Rupiya, M. R. (2002). Zimbabwe in South Africas Foreign Policy: A Zimbabwean View. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/15-Rupiya.pdf

Chicago

Rupiya, Martin R. Zimbabwe in South Africas Foreign Policy: A Zimbabwean View. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2002. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/15-Rupiya.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rupiya |first1=Martin R |title=Zimbabwe in South Africas Foreign Policy: A Zimbabwean View |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2002 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/15-Rupiya.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rupiya2002zimbabwe, author = {Rupiya, Martin R}, title = {{Zimbabwe in South Africas Foreign Policy: A Zimbabwean View}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2002}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/15-Rupiya.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }