Chris Van Gass
12 May 2008
Cape Town — There was no difference between the positions of the government and the new African National Congress (ANC) leadership under Jacob Zuma when it came to pursuing foreign policy, Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said yesterday.
The minister said that work on concluding agreements in the strategic alliance between India, Brazil and SA (IBSA) would continue as it formed part of the country's external relations policy, which did not differ from the policies adopted by the party at the ANC conference at Polokwane.
Dlamini-Zuma had been asked whether conflicting signals were coming from the government and the new ANC leadership and whether permission was needed from the new leadership to conclude agreements.
She said there was no need for this as there was no division on the issue between the government and the ANC leadership and that there had been nothing contradictory in the positions.
The minister said, "Governments come and go and presidents come and go."
Dlamini-Zuma also said that the heads of political parties in the three IBSA countries -- including Jacob Zuma -- had held discussions with the German government recently. She said IBSA would be holding a summit later in the year in India, and was already planning a summit in Brazil next year.
The IBSA ministerial meeting had not discussed the issue of possible violence in the runoff elections for president in Zimbabwe, she said, and reiterated that there was no difference in the position of the South African government and Zuma on the runoff elections.
The minister said the phrase "quiet diplomacy" did not mean that one had to keep quiet if there was something wrong. The phrase had been coined by the media and she did not know what it meant.
"Diplomacy by its very nature is not loud," she said.
While the issue of possible violence in the Zimbabwe presidential elections was not discussed by the IBSA commission, she said that all three countries were opposed to violence taking place.
She said the IBSA wanted to see a peaceful solution and "it would do nobody any good and not benefit any candidate" to have violence mar the elections.
The "unique" IBSA strategic alliance was formed in 2003 and was an alliance "not against anyone", she said, but was "an alliance for democracy, economic development and all those values we hold dear ".
A number of working groups in sectors ranging from agriculture and transport to revenue administration and education had already committed themselves to targets on various matters and were working towards agreements.
In terms of an IBSA timetable, SA and Brazil will visit India where cases of transfer pricing and international taxation cases will be examined.
Also included is the formation of a joint venture company between India and South African shipping corporations and an agreement is to be signed this month.
The three countries have also agreed to share data on the top 25 importers and exporters in each of the administrations which would reflect total value and total transactions.
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