From The Economist, published under licence. The original article can be found on www.economist.com
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The Economist
By John McDermott, Chief Africa correspondent
When I was back in London recently, two colleagues and I visited South Africa House, an edifice on the edge of Trafalgar Square. The 1930s pile is the workplace of South African diplomats. But it is also something of a museum, one that offers visitors glimpses of the past, present and future of the country. ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
The past is hard to miss. The neoclassical columns, the gilded light fittings, the boardrooms with more panels than an American cable network—all speak to the wealth extracted from a country that at its peak accounted for a large share of global gold production. Murals depicting pastoral images of the South African countryside are revealing for what they do not show: black people.
South Africa House today is a better reflection of the country. Diverse diplomats warmly greet visitors, even journalists. Colourful modern art, including a fetching pair of cheetah statues in the lobby, distracts from the fusty scenes of old. As if to ensure South African staff are not homesick for “load shedding”, the hallways are dark because some lights aren’t working.
And the future? Well, apparently that was who we were there to meet.
A month ago Cyril Rampahosa, South Africa’s president, announced that Ronald Lamola would be his new foreign minister. The 40-year-old’s appointment was lost in the excitement over the formation of the Government of National Unity, a coalition that was formed after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority at the general elections in May. But Mr Ramaphosa’s designation could yet prove the most consequential decision he made in those heady weeks.
The president might have been sending a couple of signals. The first is that he would like to adjust at least the tone, if not the substance, of South Africa’s foreign policy. Under Naledi Pandor, who Mr Ramaphosa opted against reappointing, the country stretched its policy of “non-alignment” to unbelievable lengths.
It has come under pressure, especially in Washington, for its links to China, Russia, Hamas and Iran, which this year joined the BRICS bloc (of which South Africa is the “S” in the acronym). In February America’s House of Representatives introduced a bill that, if enacted, would force the Biden administration to “comprehensively review” the ties between America and South Africa. Ms Pandor was beloved by global lefties for calling out what she sees as the West’s neocolonial hypocrisy. Many Western diplomats, for their part, found her turgidly self-righteous.
Mr Lamola is more emollient. In our interview he spoke of the importance of both “south-south” and “south-north” cooperation. Unlike many in the ANC, he has the self-confidence to laugh at himself (and he laughs a lot). I doubt that the former justice minister, who helped launch South Africa’s case of alleged genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice, will dramatically change the country’s international relations. But he will annoy fewer people as he goes about his new job.
And the more important signal from his appointment may well concern Mr Ramaphosa’s job. The president cannot serve beyond the next election, due in 2029. Before then he is expected to step down as leader of the ANC; his successor as party chief will become the favourite to stand as its presidential candidate, raising the possibility that Mr Lamola may lead South Africa into the 2030s. In appointing his youthful favourite to such a key cabinet post, he is givng Mr Lamola an implicit endorsement.Â
There is no guarantee that he will ascend to the top job. Paul Mashatile, the deputy president, will prove tough competition; other bigwigs may fancy their chances, too. But a President Lamola, who was just 11 when Nelson Mandela was elected in 1994, would mark a generational shift for a party that is struggling to win over disillusioned younger South Africans. He speaks sensibly of the need for the party to spend less time blaming others for its electoral result (“There’s no amount of rhetoric that can bring back the votes”) and more time implementing reforms and governing well. And though I didn’t come away from our interview convinced that he is going to be South Africa’s saviour, he just might be the ANC’s best hope.
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