South Africa's foreign policy options in Southern Africa

Abstract

Over the past thirty-eight years South Africa foreign policy has been preoccupied with the struggle to assert South Africa's right to exist and participate freely in international affairs, regardless of its internal socio-political system. Continued international criticism and hostility towards South Africa, because of its racial policies, largely shaped its external relations and created the main external dangers for it. Consequently, South African foreign policy makers have been landed with the task of trying to end international diplomatic hostility and to defend and gain acceptance of apartheid.