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Analyzing Thabo Mbeki's policy of 'quiet diplomacy' in the Zimbabwean crisis

Inccludes bibliographical references (leaves 95-103). / This thesis discusses the approach taken by the South African government in response to the political and economic crisis that has gripped neighbouring Zimbabwe since the year 2000. Its aim is to explain why South Africa, under the leadership of Thabo Mbeki, adopted the controversial policy widely referred to as 'Quiet Diplomacy'. It uses a Structuralist approach to international relations, and in particular Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory to characterise South Africa as a prototypical semi-peripheral state, with a dual-contradictory role in international relations. It argues that post- apartheid South Africa's failure to make genuine progress in terms primarily of economic transformation at home, has significantly constrained her ability to adopt more conventional diplomatic methods in dealing with the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/14271
Date January 2010
CreatorsMalimela, Langelihle Phakama
ContributorsAkokpari, John
PublisherUniversity of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Political Studies
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeMaster Thesis, Masters, MSocSc

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