Nothing Sacred

THERE’S WORK TO BE DONE: Countries don’t have friends; countries have interests

“BY THEIR FRIENDS ye shall know them” is what we learn from Aesop’s fable, The Ass and his Purchaser. That goes for nations as well as for people. Thus, under its dictator Alfredo Stroessner, whose iron rule lasted from 1954 to 1989 – coincidentally, almost the lifespan of apartheid under the late, unlamented National Party’s rule – Paraguay was the only state to favour South Africa with an official State visit.

Your ancient scribe was news editor of the Sunday Times under the great Joel Mervis when the visit was announced. One of our number mentioned he had read a piece about Stroessner´s Paraguay in the Readers’ Digest, in which it was alleged the country was a principal pipeline for smuggling drugs into the United States.

 It was further suggested Stroessner and his corrupt minions were personally beneficiaries of that nefarious trade which, judging from the current violent unrest in Mexico’s border areas with the US, continues to flourish, although Paraguay is, hopefully, not involved.

We broke the story on the very Sunday that Stroessner and his gang arrived in Johannesburg on their private jet. What greeted them was a blazing headline stating our country was hosting a drug trafficker on a State visit.

Led by a coldly furious Helgard Muller, the then foreign affairs minister, the government viciously attacked the Sunday Times. John Vorster phoned to complain bitterly to Mervis, accusing him of treachery.

That reaction reflected the fact SA was an outcast in the world, with no respectable friends. It was a beggar in a friendless world and couldn’t choose.

Thankfully, we’re now rehabilitated to stand as a free nation among the democracies of the world. Having made our tortuous journey to acceptance, it’s vital we don’t damage our credibility through doubtful friendships.

Our imprimatur is precious and it’s in our vital interests that we bestow it with good judgment, remembering the sage counsel of Bismarck: “Countries don’t have friends; countries have interests.”

Soon our leaders will be gathered with others from the continent in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, for the African Union summit. Tragically, it’s the site of the massacre in twin bombings of 76 innocent Ugandans on 11 July while the Soccer World Cup final was being played in Johannesburg. And it’s there the matter of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant on – among others – charges of genocide against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir will come up for debate.

Surely it’s in our interest as Africa’s most powerful nation to try to see to it the continent recognises and respects an institution such as the court – whatever the consequences for those whom we might seem, for either sentimental or historical or fraternal reasons, to owe allegiance?

Similarly, we must guard against building close and possibly demanding links with the likes of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who is busy ruining his nation’s economy through precisely the policies the ANC Youth League is championing in SA – much to the concern of our major trading partners.

In order to keep and attract foreign investment it’s important not to be tarred with the same brush as that applied to an unstable and irrational player such as Chavez.

Travelling in Britain and Europe, you’re struck by the concerns of intelligent observers about the influence of the ANCYL. It’s causing us great harm in terms of our image as a stable investment destination.

Similarly, we should keep our distance from the likes of Equatorial New Guinea’s evil and voracious ruling Obiang family.

It may be that with the Soccer World Cup success as a catalyst intra-African trade will start to grow beyond the meagre levels at which it now sits, accounting for 10%. Among the problems that retard growth of trade among African countries are transportation, communications and other infrastructural handicaps, plus pervasive and expensive levels of corruption. There’s work to be done.