By Odwa Mkentane
Following Parliament’s International Relations Committee seeking answers from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) over the latest démarche involving US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Bozell, the third such incident in nine months, experts have warned that South Africa should move away from public and confrontational diplomacy with the United States and return to formal, measured engagement.
Speaking to VOC, lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences Roland Henwood said that repeatedly reacting to statements from Washington could worsen tensions and harm South Africa’s economic and diplomatic interests. He urged the government to focus on protecting the country’s interests through careful and responsible diplomacy.
“I think the problem is something else. We have increasingly turned to public diplomacy to address bilateral issues. There is nothing inherently wrong with using public diplomacy, but it should not be an alternative to proper bilateral relations.
“For quite some time, South Africa took a measured approach towards the United States, particularly the Trump administration. However, since Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola’s visit to the US, the relationship has become much more public. We have seen a number of statements and pronouncements from both sides that have caused offence and increased tensions.
“I think it may be time for South Africa to step back from public diplomacy in this context and return to proper, formal diplomatic engagement,” said Henwood.
Henwood added that his concern is that South Africa is now standing up to the US but may be doing so in the wrong way.
“This could affect South Africa much more negatively than it affects the United States. The key question should be: What is the best response from a South African perspective, regardless of what the US is doing?
“We must also be careful not to fall into the Trump administration’s approach of conducting diplomacy through public platforms. When everything becomes public, it attracts unnecessary attention, and I do not think that serves South Africa’s long-term interests.
“Interestingly, people who have engaged with the US ambassador in one-on-one or round-table discussions describe him as someone who appears genuinely interested in strengthening relations between South Africa and the United States. He seems to be a reasonable person.
“The problem arises when these engagements move into the public sphere, because then they become something completely different,” Henwood said.
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