South Africa, The Kmt Government In Southern Africa Regional Policy

This article is an account of South Africa's regional policy betWeen l948 and 1994.It sets out to describe and exaxnine the main developmenis during this period.Southem Africa is the last region to gain independence. Ulltil the 1960s SouthernAfrica, except Soath Africa and Naxnibia, was under the control of colonial powers, withimperial economic and political system operated by Britain and Portugal. Before thel 960s, Southern Africa took uP a minor ped in South Africa's concerns of foreign policy,while South Africa cared about the relations with westem couniries the most.In the mid l960s when Britain withdrew from the African continent and somesurrounding cotalries obtained independence, Soulh Africa began to tum regional policyas the core of fOreign policy In this region, the colonial story was not over, as thePortuguese struggled to retain control in Mozambique and Angola, the South Africanremained the control in Namibia and the Anodesian dispute dragged on. AlthoughPretoria opposed Britain's withdrawal, it had no choices bllt to come to terms with thenew situation. A white bloc was fOrmed with SoUth Africa as its most powerful membeT,and, someWhat to Pretoria's smprise, it discovered that in Britain's absence its economicand military strength created opportunities to demonstrate its regional power and to buildlinks with the new black states. Yet Whi1e Pretoria demonstrated its strength it failed tobreak the hostility of most black states. The best that was achieved was a "live and letlive" situation, and even that became more difficult from the mid l970s When Portllgueserule collapsed in Angola and Mozaxnbique. The white bloc disintegrated, the Whiteregime in rmodesia was defeated, and South Africa was left surrounded by black states.To a greater or lesser extent they were a1l dependent on it for vital services, and Pretoriatried to tie them to it through co-operation, bul the black states resented their dependenceand they remained bitter opponents of APartheid. They were not always prepared meeklyto subordinate their political interests to economic advanage.2lFrom the late l9703 Pretoria overly used its militmp power to try to gain regionaldominance. At the same time, the g1obal powers were drawn inio the region, influencingthe course of events. Their entry and hostility of neighboring black states continued tolimit Pretoria's regional power despite its relatively great strength. For all Pretoria'Sefforts the region did not provide a platfOrm to launch its infiuence further into Africa.At the end the l980s, Soulh Africa fell into a severe economic and political crisis.With the push of African democratic tidy, Apartheid was broken gradually. The relationsbetween South Africa and Southern Africa were therefOre improved greatly.