South Africa: 20th Anniversary of Freedom and the General Elections of 2014

Overview of the Economic and Political State
Friday 22 November 2013

9:00 – 13:30
Ifri Conference Room, 27 rue de la Procession, 75015 Paris

Despite a very intricate context at the end of apartheid, South Africa was successful in its transition through the iconic figure of Nelson Mandela and on the basis of a liberal and progressive Constitution. Today, while the country is widely recognized as a stable democracy and economy, South Africa is still facing important challenges such as the persistence of strong inequalities, unemployment and, consequently, social tensions. In this regard, it is necessary to consider the existence of noticeable opposition among political parties and civil society.

On the international scene, even if the country’s influence must be seen in the light of its achievements in a very competitive context, the role of South Africa as a mediator in numerous African conflicts, the recent election of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as Chairperson of the African Union Commission, or the affiliation to the BRICS group are all signs of South Africa’s assertion as an emerging power.

A few months before the general elections and after two decades of democracy and freedom, 2014 can be viewed as a turning point for South Africa. With the participation of specialists from the best universities and think tanks in South Africa and France, this conference will present an overview of the social, economic and political context of the country, and discuss its contemporary challenges.

Provisional Programme

9:00-9:30 Introduction

• Dominique David, Vice-President, Ifri
• Dolana Msimang, Ambassador of South Africa in France
• Laurent Clavel, General Commissionner of the South Africa – France Season 2013
• Véronique Vouland-Aneini, Deputy Director for Africa and Indian Ocean, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

9:30-11:00 Roundtable I: State of the Nation: Economy, Politics and Society

Chair: Jens-Christian Høj, Senior Economist on South Africa, Economics Department, OECD, Paris

• The State of the African National Congress
  Anthony Butler, Professor at the Department of Political Studies, University of Cape Town
• The Tripartite Alliance under Trade Union Pressure
  Raphaël Botiveau, University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, Paris
• The South African Economy during 20 years of Democracy
  Seeraj Mohamed, Director of Corporate Strategy and Industrial Development and Senior Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

11:30-13:00 Roundtable II: South Africa on the International Scene, New Horizons?

Chair: Hélène Quénot-Suarez, Research Fellow, Ifri, Paris

• South Africa and the African Agenda as a Centre-Piece of its Foreign Policy
  Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari, Head of the South African Foreign Policy and African Drivers Programme, South African Institute of International Affairs, Johannesburg
• The Role of South Africa in Conflict Management in Africa
  Thierry Vircoulon, Associate Research Fellow, Ifri, Paris
• The South African Foreign Diplomacy Evolution over the past 25 Years
  Thomas Wheeler, former Ambassador of South Africa (1961-2003), Research Associate, South African Institute of International Affairs, Johannesburg

13:00-13:30 Conclusion

Please note that this conference may be recorded and videos may be posted on our website.

This conference is jointly organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the French Institute in South Africa (IFAS), and the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). It is part of the South Africa – France Seasons 2012 & 2013, www.france‐southafrica.com.