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Liberating LibyaThis one baffles me: South Africa’s foreign policy and responses to issues of human rights.
For me, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has been the quintessential voice of championing the rights of oppressed people, clearly heard in our transition to democracy and putting this nation on the moral high ground. His voice was quick to support the Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Kyi. Yet, our Foreign Affairs department sided most puzzlingly with the Chinese and Burmese oppressors.
It then came time to take a stand on Muammar Gaddafi’s bombing raids on his own people. Why was South Africa initially silent? Lethargy? Surprise? Unpreparedness? (Which has since been clarified with votes of condemnation, freezing of assets and high-level meetings to resolve the conflict.)
To gain insight, I asked Dave Steward of the FW De Klerk Foundation to enlighten me.
For much of his dictatorial 40-odd year rule, Gaddafi has been seen as the mad dog leader by the West: erratic and unpredictable, and sponsoring acts of terror.
Yet, those who sent him into pariah status recently feted him with the highest accolades. Why? Some hoped that embracing him into the family of nations would modify his views.
Oil? Not only the raw product to drive developed economies, but the massive, expendable wealth of the petro dollars that are generated and liberally dispensed by Gaddafi to those he favours, particularly liberation movements.
South Africa’s ANC was front of the queue for handouts as millions were given to bankroll its 1994 political campaign, so it was a hard call to now bite back at the hand that fed it.
What are our lessons in leadership?
As for foreign policy, we should be governed by principles of our democratic constitution and the international conventions on civil and political rights.
As for funding: political parties should be obliged to reveal the source of their donations.
