By Banele Ginindza and Anisha Pemjee
As warmer relations between South Africa and Kazakhstan open, Kazakhstan has come out to critically assess trade blocs, including the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa business communities (BRICS) and misperceptions about the business dealings of members within the group.
The two countries, with diplomatic relations dating from 1992, recently held consultations that explored closer co-operation in the fields of skills development and technological transfers, people-to-people co-operation, education, science and technology, mining, agriculture and energy.
A range of issues, including foreign policy, international security, energy, climate change, economy, finance and technology, were discussed in more than 20 individual sessions over the two days The panels included experts in their fields.
Earlier this month, Kazakhstan launched the inaugural Astana International Forum (AIF) in Kazakhstan’s capital. Although it was attended by more than 4 000 delegates, South Africa had a podium position in which the similarities it shared regarding the endowment of mineral resources and agriculture were explored.
Both countries have an opportunity for collaboration and co-operation in the sectors and in mining. They are moving forward to increase trade and commercial exchanges between each other.
The 7th session of Political Consultations between Kazakhstan and South Africa took place in Astana and was co-chaired by South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Candith Mashego-Dlamini and Kazakhstan Deputy Minister Kanat Tumysh.
Part of the IAF discussions included that BRICS has positioned itself as a champion of the developing world. At the BRICS Foreign Minister’s meeting in Cape Town recently, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor said the group’s vision was to provide global leadership in a world fractured by geopolitical tension, inequality and global insecurity.
Providing a viable alternative, more than a dozen countries have expressed interest in joining the bloc, including Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to attend the BRICS Summit of heads of state in Johannesburg, South Africa in August.
“We are also witnessing the return of earlier divisive ‘bloc’ mentalities unseen for 30 years. The forces of division are not purely geopolitical,” Tokayev said at the AIF plenary.
“They are also motivated by economic undercurrents. Economic policy itself is openly weaponised. These confrontations include sanctions and trade wars, targeted debt policies, reduced access or exclusion from financing and investment screening. Together, these factors are gradually undermining the foundation upon which rests the global peace and prosperity of recent decades: free trade, global investment, innovation and fair competition.”
While South Africa and Kazakhstan are geographically in two different hemispheres, 14 000km apart, they have friendly relations and share many commonalities. They are both middle power countries, economically strong in their regions, rich in mineral resources and advocates for a nuclear-free world, having surrendered their nuclear weapons.
The digital realm and growing technological enhancements have further spurred closer co-operation between the nations.
The “friends” aspect was evident by the presence of Professor Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa who participated as a speaker at the AIF.
Sooklal said that in Hiroshima, on the margins of the G7 meeting, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the financial system as outdated, dysfunctional and unfair. He noted that the Global North must do more to ease the frustrations of the Global South.
Sooklal said the reform of the multilateral system had been a standing agenda item since the formation of BRICS which was why under South Africa’s presidency, the theme for BRICS was “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism”.
He said the world has changed significantly since the formation of the UN and that many saw the “Super Powers” as being the cause of much of the strife in the world.
Sooklal reiterated that the world needed a strong UN. Of the 51 founding members of 1945, there were only four African countries among the 193 members.
He said the organisation needed to be reformed and to become a transformed multilateral system.
“BRICS has been calling for a reform of the UN to reflect the realities of 2023.1945 is far behind us. The major part of Africa was still under colonial rule, most of the world was still under colonial rule when these rules and regulations were written. BRICS is here to work in conjunction with everyone, not just the Global South.”
Sooklal said multilateral bodies should not be politicised; they existed to serve the people and, therefore, and the multilateral system should be inclusive, equitable, fair and just.
BUSINESS REPORT