Kreisky Forum Talks

Georg Lennkh in conversation with Thuli Madonsela
SOUTH AFRICAS NEW ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Today, South Africa plays a leading political and economic role on the African continent. The country is committed to resolving intra-African conflicts and strengthening regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In the global economy, South Africa plays a mediating role between industrialized and developing countries. In international organizations such as the United Nations, the G20 and the World Trade Organization (WTO), South Africa sees itself as an advocate for Africa’s interests. In 2023, South Africa held the presidency of the BRICS states, an informal group of emerging economies.

The fact that more than half of South Africa’s population lives below the national poverty line is a cause for concern. The black population is particularly affected. There is hardly any other country in the world where income and wealth are distributed as unequally as in South Africa.

South Africa is also intervening on a geopolitical level. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the country has been one of the fiercest critics of the Israeli military operation. It has called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the main UN legal body responsible for settling disputes between states, to classify Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as „genocide“. South Africa has also submitted an urgent appeal to the ICJ to ensure that Israel allows more humanitarian aid into the embattled Gaza Strip.

One of the most knowledgeable experts on historical and current developments in the country is the former Public Protector of South Africa and former founder of the Thuma Foundation for Democracy Leadership and Literacy, Thuli Madonsela.

Prof. Madonsela is the director of the Centre for Social Justice(CSJ) in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University, the Law Trust Research Chair Professor of Law in Social Justice Studies and a member of the African Academy of Sciences. She was recently appointed to the UN Scientific Advisory Board and as Chairperson of Cities Alliance. She is a member of the International Anticorruption Advisory Council and Global Justice Leaders.

Prof. Madonsela was one of the drafters of the Constitution and a key participant in the conceptualization and drafting of several laws, including the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. She also helped draft a number of international human rights instruments and country reports.

Georg Lennkh, former Austrian Special Envoy for Africa  and former EU Special Representative in Chad, board member of the Kreisky Forums