The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) recently ran an article-writing competition in which the winner will be awarded the opportunity to attend the budget vote in parliament.

UP third-year PolSci student Stuart Mbanyele was awarded top honours in the competition. His winning essay is below:

In light of the annual summit of our continental body the African Union which is scheduled to be hosted on our shores once more during this upcoming June. South Africa’s role within this continental August institution is once again the subject of much discussion and thus begs for analysis and redefinition.  The country is often criticized as being reclusive and restricted to a mere sideline actor, and sometimes for being stringed puppet for Western and Eastern interests which continue to dominate the continent; and by others as being a bully in executing its domestic foreign policy objectives on the continental scale. However South Africa’s leadership remains central for the effectiveness of the AU and the argument this text seeks to critically discuss.

The fate of the AU and that of the continent at large is inextricably linked to that of South Africa. We have immense interests in the continent, thus an effectively functional AU would not only be of great benefit to us as a country, but its impact would also be traced down to each and every corner of the continent where it would trickle. Ours is to be at the frontlines in the mapping and effective execution of the mandates of the AU, as envisaged by the founding fathers of our democracy, and illustrated in their  immeasurable contribution to the remodeling of the OAU to the establishment of more effective AU and the championing of the continent’s interests since the dawn of   democracy.

SA cannot optimally contribute to an AU which is continuously ‘punching above its weight’ and doesn’t have the institutional capacity to carry out its noble ideals and functions. Our aims and objectives should be mindful of the institutional pitfalls which continue to plague the continental body.  Despite the encouraging strides made since H.E. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s ascension to its commission’s helm, the AU is still characterized by a lack of resources and capacity; it continues to be marred by the challenges of a lack of financial resources as well as shortage of human and technical skills and to a large extent by bureaucratic inefficiency. The myriad obstacles have resulted in a number of pitfalls and perpetual constraints to its operations throughout the continent in a number of fields.   

Mindful of the continental challenges such as  the rise in extremist militancy, terrorism, Ebola as well as the continued plague of civil conflicts and increase in illicit financial flows amongst other pertinent issues, as well as the internal crises SA is currently facing such as high inequality and unemployment which have resulted in recurrent service delivery protest and the resurfacing of xenophobic violence which has flared across the country throughout the past week. It is blatant that our role in the continent warrants a new definition. Evidently, greater emphases must be placed in mapping development through continental and regional economic cooperation and integration as well as maintaining the pace of development and peace and security, illustrated by our leadership role executed in the establishment and institutionalization of the ACIRC: The African Capacity For Immediate Response to Crises which highlighted our commitment to the idea of finding African solutions to African Problems.

Conscious of the aims of SA foreign policy, which are intrinsically linked to its role in the AU, an institution through which SA asserts its leadership capabilities, which have also trickled to a number of multilateral institutions. Currently the chairmanship of the G77 plus China, BRICS membership, our rotary stints as the non permanent seat of the United Nations decision making body the Security Council, where we seek recognition for our power brokering ability through the acquiring of a permanent seat. These positions were made possible by the meticulous leadership role in Africa which manifest through our active involvement in the AU.

As heads of states, plenipotentiaries and other key stakeholders descend to our shores this winter. The task for SA should ensure that whatever outcomes reached are meaningful, the solutions ought to be implemented and not only benefit to the status quo but are rather cognizant of those trapped at the margins of society in adverse conditions such as the victims of xenophobia and of the insecurity brought by extremism, the #Chibok girls and the core issue pertaining women empowerment, and those perpetually impacted by rampant poverty and underdevelopment throughout the entire continent.