25 August 2025 | 10:20 CAT
2-minute read

SA’s global standing undermined from within

South Africa is facing what former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas has described as the most orchestrated effort to undermine its credibility since the dawn of democracy. From disinformation campaigns to diplomatic pressure linked to its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the country finds itself under siege on multiple fronts.

Yet, as award-winning journalist Qaanitah Hunter argues, the greatest enabler of this campaign is not Washington or Brussels — but Pretoria itself.

Hunter, speaking on The Debrief Report, highlighted that South Africa’s diplomatic and security machinery is plagued by leadership gaps, vacant ambassadorial posts, and paralysed intelligence structures.

“The biggest enabler of this campaign that Jonas talks about is not Washington but Pretoria itself,” she said.

At the heart of the problem is the absence of decisive appointments in critical positions. South Africa has been without a permanent ambassador to the United States for five months since Ibrahim Rasool’s recall. Hunter questioned how the presidency could justify failing to fill such a vital post while maintaining ambassadors in smaller states with little strategic significance.

“There’s no justification for three years for your head of state security agency to be vacant at a time like this, but more so when the president has been warned by his own advisors that that institution is near defunct,” she said, pointing to the fragility of the intelligence apparatus.

This leadership vacuum extends to the defence sector, where the military is underfunded and overstretched, and to international relations, where South Africa struggles to articulate a clear and consistent foreign policy stance. The problem, Hunter suggested, lies less in external pressure than in a presidency marked by inertia.

Observers warn that these lapses are not just technical oversights. They weaken South Africa’s ability to mount an effective response to sustained disinformation campaigns and growing economic threats, including possible sanctions. In the absence of firm leadership, the country risks becoming reactive rather than strategic.

Hunter also warned that these systemic failings have real-time consequences. “What is in South Africa’s realm is how it responds. What is the decisions? Who are the people that are appointed? Who are the people tasked to do it?” she asked.

As global challenges mount, the government’s indecision raises troubling questions about South Africa’s readiness to defend its diplomatic standing. While Jonas’ warning underscored external threats, Hunter’s analysis drives home a sobering reality: the cracks that weaken the country’s credibility are largely self-inflicted.

Listen to the Debrief Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.