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Editorial: IDRC, a close friend of South Africa

1998-09-25

Today, IDRC can count the Government of South Africa among its close friends; there are few countries where IDRC has been in on the ground floor of such radical transformations. The Centre remains intimately associated with many of the most important policy initiatives of that country's first democratic government.

When relations with Africa's former pariah were still prohibited by international sanctions, IDRC was already funding the activities of South African exiles in neighbouring countries. As it became clear that apartheid was on its last legs, the IDRC Board of Governors approved a broad program of support for the ANC.

IDRC began supporting projects in South Africa in 1988. It worked with universities, local NGOs, and the country's emerging leadership. From 1992 until the 1994 elections that swept the ANC to power, the new IDRC office in Johannesburg often seemed like a meeting place for the democratic movement. Nelson Mandela's advisors, his economists - many of them newly returned from exile - and his future ministers met there to discuss the financing and implementation of research programs.

A partner in new policies

With the ANC in power, IDRC financed studies that served as the basis for green papers, white papers, and new legislative measures adopted by South Africa's parliament in the key sectors of agriculture, small business development, environment, telecommunications, and science and technology policy. Marc Van Ameringen, director of the IDRC office in Johannesburg, and his team worked hand in hand with the architects of the transformation that saw South Africa become an inspiration for the entire continent.

IDRC also managed the Governance Project which was headed by Al Johnson, a former president of CBC. This project was a comprehensive program of training to reshape the South African civil service. It provided training to many members of the Democratic Movement who were readying themselves for key roles in the management of their country and to future South African leaders, including four provincial premiers who were here to see how their Canadian counterparts operated.

In close cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with CIDA, solid partnerships have been formed in the areas of governance, trade and industrial policy, telecommunications, and science policy. Several South Africans have benefitted from training in Canada, and over the past 10 years, IDRC has spent $18.7 million in South Africa.

Signed agreements

During Mr Mandela's visit, his Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, and the president of IDRC, Maureen O'Neil, signed a memorandum of understanding recognizing the $3.8 million that the Centre has already contributed to just one sector - industrial and trade policies - and confirming IDRC's willingness to continue its cooperation in this area. In the same spirit, an agreement providing $2 million for formulating an industrial strategy to prepare for free trade among the countries of southern Africa and another for establishing the "South Africa Schools Network" were also penned IDRC still believes strongly in the country that Nelson Mandela has done so much to shape and has no intention of leaving it now.

For more information on IDRC's work in South Africa see:

Building for democracy

Building a New South Africa

Backgrounder:Activities and projects of Canada's IDRC in South Africa

IDRC's Regional Office for South Africa

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