Continuity and Change in the Foreign Policies of the Mbeki and Zuma Governments

Abstract

There is a commonly held view in foreign policy analysis circles that in the transition from the Mandela to the Mbeki government, continuity was the order of the day, while from Mbeki to Zuma it purportedly suggested change. Was this the case? We are interested in establishing whether Mbeki introduced important nuances, refinements and changes in foreign policy that might reveal some discontinuities, and whether the foreign policy directions and strategies of the Zuma presidency resembled a fundamental break from those pursued by Mbeki. In terms of the latter, the leadership tensions in the African National Congress (ANC) which brought about the Zuma presidency were said to be accompanied by changes in policy. Could it be that this rupture in the ruling ANC and the government was ironically characterised by policy continuities?