The appointment of Ronald Lamola (ANC) as minister of international relations and cooperation was unforeseen but should be highly welcomed. His appointment, coupled with the constraints brought by coalition government, will likely see a foreign policy more focused on the national economic interest.
National support for Palestinians will continue – exemplified by South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). But the DA will be keen to moderate the pro-Russian stance of some ANC leaders and ensure a policy more rooted in the national economic interest.
The new foreign minister will likely return to a mode of engagement that prioritizes exerting influence through multilateral forums, rather than taking a leading role himself.
LAMOLA AS JUSTICE MINISTER
Lamola shares few personal attributes with his predecessor, Dr Naledi Pandor, but his appointment has been well received and may usher in a lower profile and more pragmatic era. He trained as a lawyer and his rise in politics began as a 13-year old in the ANC youth league.
He has been a consistent supporter of President Cyril Ramaphosa. At the 2022 ANC party conference, he ran as a rank outsider unsuccessfully for the position of deputy president.
He ignored efforts to encourage him to step aside for the sake of party unity, saying the party needed a younger generation pushing for top positions.
That he was not politically punished for this symbolizes the respect in which he is held by the party’s highest echelons and his appointment as foreign minister at the age of 40 shows he is a rising star.
From 2019 until to his new appointment, Lamola served as minister of justice, professionally running the department and supporting the judicial system – one of the most trusted institutions in the country – during a period where a high-profile target of litigation was his own party.
Peoplesmind
