A discursive historical approach (DHA) to understanding South Africa's leadership aspirations in Africa: state exceptionalism and foreign policy under Mandela and Mbeki

Maposa, Siseko Kwalunga

A discursive historical approach (DHA) to understanding South Africa's leadership aspirations in Africa: state exceptionalism and foreign policy under Mandela and Mbeki

Master Thesis

2022

Abstract

Since the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the state has maintained a “South African Africa destiny” which sees itself as a modernizing and civilizing force in, and the rightful leaders of Africa. What has also been evident, throughout various political leaderships, has been a strong presence of South African exceptionalism which forms a core characteristic of its' national identity (Vale & Maseko, 2002; Mamdani, 1998; Breckenridge, 2004). Leadership foreign policy dispositions and state exceptionalism have persisted through the democratization of the state, forming a core component of post-apartheid state identity and foreign policy in Africa. But how can one understand the relationship between South African exceptionalism and its' continued leadership dispositions in the region? By employing a Discursive Historical Approach (DHA), the thesis investigates the influence of South African exceptionalism on its' foreign policy in Africa under the presidencies of Mandela (1994-1999) and Mbeki (1999-2008). Analysis will identify the discursive origins of South African exceptionalism, assess discursive diachronic changes and (re)productions within the post-apartheid state before drawing upon theoretical in-sight to investigate the impact of state exceptionalism on South African foreign policy in Africa. The thesis finds that firstly, the origins of South African exceptionalism can be discursively traced back to the pronouncements by British political leaders in the South African Union of 1910. Initially, South Africa was argued to be exceptional because of its' geography and in the manner it exercised colonial governance over its' African subjects. Secondly, several post-apartheid discourses of exceptionalism are identified, traced back to the workmanship of new right-intellectuals of the 1990s and their ideas of a multicultural new South Africa. Post-apartheid discourses of exceptionalism relate to: 1) the South African miracle, 2) South Africa: the rainbow people of God, 3) South Africa: the cradle of mankind and 4) South Africa: the gateway to Africa. These discourses construct a South African identity possessing the inter-subjective view that the states' politics, economy and society are more advanced than that of its' neighbouring nations. Lastly, the paper finds that South African exceptionalism must be understood as 1) a discursive construction of South African identity, 2) a role-creator articulating South Africa as leaders and teachers in the region and 3) a framework articulating the nations' model of political and economic organization as something worth exporting elsewhere. At often times, this influences the states' actions in Africa by creating a leadership-orientated foreign policy demeanour.

Keywords

International Relations

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