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South Africa is the dominant force in an area that is of increasing
strategic importance to the West, yet few studies address the
geopolitical pressures that dictate the course of events there.
Analyzing South Africa's base of power, the authors argue that
because South Africa's relationships with other states in Southern
Africa are asymmetrical in nature, the country has substantial
economic and political leverage in the region. Control of Southern
Africa's transport infrastructure and the ability to project a
conventional or surrogate military presence throughout the region,
for example, gives South Africa the power to affect the economic
and political stability of virtually all regional states. Asymmetry
also characterizes relationships at the global level. Because the
West depends upon South Africa for access to the region's strategic
minerals, for the security of the Cape oil route, and for the
country's ability to counterbalance the Soviet presence in Southern
Africa, South Africa exercises considerable influence over the
African foreign policies of the superpowers. Focusing on the major
geopolitical variables affecting South Africa's ability to sustain
power, the authors analyze the economic and geographic factors that
contribute to asymmetrical relationships and examine the pluralism
that divides South African society. Pretoria's successful foreign
policy, which has created a security corridor of new buffer states,
is given particular emphasis. In addition, the authors provide a
detailed analysis of South Africa's minerals-based economy and
discuss the implications for regional stability of economic
sanctions against South Africa. Finally, they outline a policy
framework that takes regional economic, political, and geographic
realities into account.
South Africa is the dominant force in an area that is of increasing
strategic importance to the West, yet few studies address the
geopolitical pressures that dictate the course of events there.
Analyzing South Africa's base of power, the authors argue that
because South Africa's relationships with other states in Southern
Africa are asymmetrical in nature, the country has substantial
economic and political leverage in the region. Control of Southern
Africa's transport infrastructure and the ability to project a
conventional or surrogate military presence throughout the region,
for example, gives South Africa the power to affect the economic
and political stability of virtually all regional states. Asymmetry
also characterizes relationships at the global level. Because the
West depends upon South Africa for access to the region's strategic
minerals, for the security of the Cape oil route, and for the
country's ability to counterbalance the Soviet presence in Southern
Africa, South Africa exercises considerable influence over the
African foreign policies of the superpowers. Focusing on the major
geopolitical variables affecting South Africa's ability to sustain
power, the authors analyze the economic and geographic factors that
contribute to asymmetrical relationships and examine the pluralism
that divides South African society. Pretoria's successful foreign
policy, which has created a security corridor of new buffer states,
is given particular emphasis. In addition, the authors provide a
detailed analysis of South Africa's minerals-based economy and
discuss the implications for regional stability of economic
sanctions against South Africa. Finally, they outline a policy
framework that takes regional economic, political, and geographic
realities into account.
The objectives of the conference were to clarify how environmental
issues are central to the security of the region with the potential
to create tensions or promote multilateral cooperation.
This extract, the second chapter of a CSL's recently published book
Sustainability and National Security, examines the concept of
sustainability and its value as an explanatory variable in national
security issues. The authors argue that sustainability is a
valuable 'lens' which can help.
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