The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a comprehensive set of proposals to President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of South Africa’s upcoming G20 Presidency, set to begin on Sunday, December 1.
The DA’s submission highlights key areas for engagement, with an emphasis on maximizing the country's international opportunities and ensuring tangible benefits for all South Africans.
Ryan Smith, DA deputy spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, outlined the party’s vision for the G20 Presidency, emphasising the importance of a foreign policy that aligns with South Africa’s constitutional principles, while fostering economic and political cooperation that benefits both the nation and the global South.
A central proposal from the DA is the re-establishment of the G20 Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which will include DA ministers like John Steenhuisen, Geordin Hill-Lewis, Natasha Mazzone, and Leon Schreiber.
This committee will serve as a "foreign policy engine room" under South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), ensuring that South Africa’s approach to the G20 is inclusive, principled, and effective.
"We must ensure that South Africa's G20 Presidency reflects the inclusivity of the GNU, ensuring that various voices and perspectives shape our foreign policy.
"The IMC will play a key role in this, serving as the platform for developing and ratifying South Africa’s foreign policy in alignment with the G20’s theme,'' said Smith.
Smith further highlighted the DA's call for a foreign policy that promotes national interests while being guided by the values of the South African Constitution.
This includes prioritising South Africa's role as a regional power and a representative of both the global South and developing nations.
Additionally, the DA is calling for increased private sector involvement in the Think 20 and other sector-specific Sherpa Track engagements.
The party stresses the need for international expertise to assist in reforming South Africa’s public healthcare and education systems, drawing from best practices globally.
''This must also include the leveraging of international best-practice models from both G20 developed, and developing nations, to assist in the reform of South Africa’s education and healthcare systems to enhance the roll-out and quality of these crucial public services,'' he said.
Moreover, Smith noted that South Africa’s G20 Presidency is an exciting international opportunity for our country to not only demonstrate our pride as one of the most multi-cultural and multi-ethnic democracies in the world, but as a serious global player representing the needs of African nations and the developing world at large.
''Under the GNU, South Africa must also ensure that its G20 Presidency focuses on achieving the Statement of Intent’s Basic Minimum Programme of Priorities to create a more united, inclusive, and open South African society and economy.''
IOL Politics