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The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation today received a briefing from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on the work of Branch Africa, highlighting achievements, challenges and lessons learned in the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy in East and West Africa.
 
The committee welcomed the presentations and noted that not all the countries that form part of East and West Africa were included. It therefore requested a concise presentation to be submitted covering all the countries in the respective zones.
 
The committee also raised its concerns regarding the current unrest in the Middle East and requested information on the security of South Africans and South African businesses in times of unrest. The committee urged DIRCO to consider using South Africa’s current position in the African Union Peace and Security Council to champion trade, through addressing conflicts.
 
The committee also urged DIRCO to effectively pursue an Afro-centric foreign policy, where deliberate efforts are made to capacitate previously disadvantaged groups to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area and enter the business space across the continent.
 
The committee also directed that South African businesses in West Africa and East Africa must be adequately supported to navigate the challenges in their different trades.
 
DIRCO informed the committee that due to the National Treasury imposing a ceiling on compensation of employees, the department is having a challenge in fully resourcing missions abroad.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo