Thabo Thage will soon serve as chargé d’affaires in Washington. (Photo: Dirco)
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has quietly appointed a new ambassador to China and a charge d’affaires in the USA.
Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, a former minister of state security and currently South Africa’s ambassador to Turkey, has been appointed as South Africa’s ambassador to China and Thabo Thage, a former ambassador, will soon serve as chargé d’affaires (charge of affairs) in Washington.
However, Dirco did not want to confirm the appointments to Maroela Media this week.
The DA did.
Ryan Smith, the DA’s spokesperson on international relations and cooperation, told Maroela on Tuesday that Dirco himself confirmed the appointments to him.
Smith suspects that Dirco cannot yet reveal too much about the appointments for purely procedural reasons.
Smith said that there is a worrying lack of transparency when it comes to diplomatic appointments.
Why be silent?
Smith accepts that in the case of Letsatsi-Duba and Thage, Dirco cannot yet say anything regarding these new appointments.
“Dirco may be making a mistake by commenting on the matter, as the relevant diplomatic procedure has yet to unfold at state level.
“Credentials, for example, must be submitted to the relevant heads of state for approval. There are many balances and counterbalances that Dirco must go through in order to appoint a new ambassador. On the face of it, I would say that this is probably why Dirco does not want to comment on the appointments at the moment.
“As a political party, the DA is naturally more free to talk about it.”
However, this does not mean that there is generally a lack of transparency when it comes to diplomatic appointments, Smith said on Tuesday. “The appointments remain the prerogative of the president and the president alone. This is the legislative process.”
Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba currently serves as South Africa’s ambassador to Turkey. (Photo: Dirco)
Smith says the party would, however, prefer a more open and transparent process, managed by parliament.
“The DA would like to have a more transparent process where candidates with various political backgrounds and a variety of private sector expertise can apply to serve as ambassador.”
The DA would also prefer that candidates be interviewed and screened by the relevant parliamentary portfolio committee.
“This is how they do it in many other countries, but the ANC has always used South Africa’s foreign service as a retirement plan,” says Smith. “The ANC has been doing this since they came to power in 1994.”
Smith said on Tuesday that retired ANC politicians are often appointed as ambassadors. This also often applies to beleaguered ANC politicians who have been accused of corruption.
“We often say to each other in the DA that corruption is swept under the diplomatic carpet. You will often see that in order to divert the attention of an individual accused of corruption in South Africa, they are sent to a post somewhere abroad in the hope that the media will forget the matter. This is often the case.”
Smith says this is extremely problematic, as South Africa’s foreign missions and embassies are often not staffed by competent career diplomats but rather by ANC members who “do not understand diplomacy, cannot speak the relevant languages and cannot communicate with the countries where they are posted to serve”.
Smith says the appointment of ambassadors should be discussed among all partners in the government of national unity. “But that process is still dominated by the ANC. So I think it is a symptom of the ANC still refusing to give up its power over the executive.”
Smith says Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa promised his partners in the RNE a lekgotla on foreign policy. It is not yet clear when this lekgotla will materialize.
“But I think it is high time that foreign policy is discussed as a next priority of the RNE.”
Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba currently serves as South Africa’s ambassador to Turkey. (Photo: Dirco)
Why charge d’affaires and not ambassador?
Maroela Media also wanted to know from an expert why Ramaphosa is not sending a new ambassador but rather a charge d’affaires to Washington.
Prof. Theo Neethling, lecturer in local and global politics at Akademia’s Paarl campus, suspects that Ramaphosa is simply not yet ready to send a new ambassador to Washington amid the soured diplomatic tension between South Africa and the USA.
“I think they are still watching the cat from the tree, because if there was another problem with an ambassador, it would be a huge embarrassment.
“I therefore conclude that for the time being the government only appoints someone who can take over the office operations there in Washington.”
Neethling is cautiously optimistic about Thage.
“He is a career diplomat and understands the diplomatic environment. I think he will handle it carefully. But only time will tell.”
About Letsatsi-Duba’s appointment as ambassador to China, Neethling says: “She is quite strong in stature.
“South Africa and China’s relationship is also less problematic. Our relationship is actually quite good.”
Letsatsi-Duba will have to pay attention to the large trade balance between South Africa and China, Neethling believes.
Thabo Thage will soon serve as chargé d’affaires in Washington. (Photo: Dirco)