A battle of principles: South Africa's relations with Iran

Michal Onderco

doi:10.1080/14662043.2016.1151168

Abstract

This paper provides a detailed case study and theoretical explanation for one of the least appreciated bilateral relationships of democratic South Africa. It analyses South Africa's post-apartheid relations with Iran as a case study to illustrate and discuss the contradictory principles that appear to guide South Africa's foreign policy. South Africa's tempered reaction to Iran's nuclear programme is in contradiction with its non-proliferation stance, but can be understood by looking into the ideology of the ruling African National Congress.

Highlights

South Africa’s relations with Iran are very little studied
While numerous scholars have argued that the penchant for negotiation is the trademark of South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy (Alden & Le Pere, 2003), in this particular case, it provided South Africa with a welcome opportunity to demonstrate its own historical experience and use it as a tool against the Western approach of sanctions and isolation
The African National Congress (ANC) and the regime in Tehran developed good ties, and after the fall of apartheid, the ANC leaders called Iran ‘a friendly country’ (The Citizen, 1994). This view persisted till today: the 12th meeting of the South Africa –Iran joint commission in Tehran in 2015, the South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, reiterated this position: ‘The Islamic Republic stood by us during our darkest days, cutting ties with the apartheid regime

Summary

Introduction

South Africa’s relations with Iran are very little studied. This is surprising, given that the relationship has so much of interest in it, and essentially captures many of the dilemmas of South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy. While numerous scholars have argued that the penchant for negotiation is the trademark of South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy (Alden & Le Pere, 2003), in this particular case, it provided South Africa with a welcome opportunity to demonstrate its own historical experience and use it as a tool against the Western approach of sanctions and isolation.

Results

Conclusion