It appears that President Cyril Ramaphosa has resorted to the letter of the Constitution in a bid to appoint a new ambassador to replace Ebrahim Rasool. In the process, he is once again turning his back on the spirit of cooperation in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
According to a report by News24 earlier today (โRamaphosa says thereโs no need to consult GNU partners on Ebrahim Rasoolโs replacementโ), the President told the media, after the ninth conference of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA), that he does not need the GNU partners’ input to appoint Rasool’s successor.
He reportedly added that the country’s president appoints ambassadors, so, he is authorised to do so.
Technically speaking, and in terms of the South African Constitution, the President is right about having the authority to appoint, among others, ambassadors.
Section 84(2)(i) of the Constitution determines that the President, in terms of his powers and functions, is responsible for “appointing ambassadors, plenipotentiaries, and diplomatic and consular representatives”.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) recognises the President’s constitutional right in this regard. However, the Constitution does not have a provision stipulating that foreign policy is the prerogative of a single party.
The Freedom Front Plus wants to reiterate that the ANC is not the sole determiner of South Africa’s policy on international relations. So far, the ANC has only managed to turn South Africa into an international outcast with its warped policy.
This is a conversation to be had in the GNU, and policy on international relations should be determined through discussions and consensus in the GNU.
And then the President is free to appoint whomever he wants within that agreed upon framework. This will ensure that appointments carry the political clout of an entire Government of National Unity and not just that of a single party.
In this way, the spirit of cooperation in government will be embodied as it ought to be.
