South Africa’s neutrality questionable over Iran sanctions vote

By Hajira Amla | 4 March 2008

South Africa voted on Monday in approval of a proposed third tier of United Nations sanctions on the beleaguered Islamic Republic of Iran despite their own representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s recommendations to the contrary.

The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Chief Director to the UN, Xolisa Mabhongo, said South Africa had not been pressurised by any major power into approving the sanctions, after France and Britain had postponed the vote to try to gain the support of four non-permanent Security Council members. French President Nicholas Sarkozy made an official visit to the country this week when the vote took place, sparking speculation that South Africa voted ‘yay’ to strengthen ties with the French president.

The vote may be seen to damage the credibility of South Africa’s self-claimed reputation for fairness and neutrality in the face of Iran’s co-operation with the IAEA. The South African representative of the IAEA, Abdul Samad Minty, had on Thursday told the UN Security Council that Iran had met all current requirements, and warned the Council not to implement further sanctions against Iran as negotiations were at a critical stage for Iran to sign further IAEA protocols. Minty said that the implementation of further sanctions could irreparably damage the delicate relationship between Iran and the IAEA.

The implications of this vote could be disastrous for South Africa’s diplomatic track record as Iran may - justifiably - refuse to accept South African mediation efforts should hostility between Iran and the United States escalate towards military aggression. There may not be many other countries that would be willing to intervene for the sake of peace and justice between the two most ideologically stubborn countries in the world.

High aspirations and national pride were paraded back and forth at the time South Africa was admitted as a non-permanent member of the United Nations’ Security Council. However, the toothless lion of the African savannah seems to have fallen asleep at the table and lost the plot.