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?