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The article examines the extent to which South Africa's policy towards Zimbabwe under the Mbeki administration was shaped by economic and commercial considerations. Given the extensive involvement and growing influence of the South African business sector in Zimbabwe, the potential link between the South African government's policy stance towards Zimbabwe and South Africa's commercial interests in Zimbabwe is intuitively appealing. This paper argues, however, that although South African firms have exploited the commercial opportunities that have emerged from the political and economic crises in Zimbabwe, it is not clear from the available evidence if commercial interests have been a primary consideration in South Africa's policy towards Zimbabwe. It concludes that the Mbeki government's policy of 'quiet diplomacy' towards Zimbabwe was not principally shaped by economic objectives, but was instead driven predominantly by political and ideological concerns, which related closely to perceptions about South Africa's role on the African continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuing crisis over Zimbabwe raises a variety of issues of considerable interest to both the theorist and the practitioner of foreign policy: the merits or otherwise of contemporary attempts at state classification; the utility and morality of intervention in a state's internal affairs by economic or military means; the notion of hegemony; the assumptions underpinning African diplomacy; the incentives and constraints attendant on South Africa's foreign policy. In attempting to explain South Africa's role in the Zimbabwean crisis this paper will—where appropriate—make reference to these theoretical concerns on the assumption that the interaction between South Africa and Zimbabwe provides some revealing insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of quiet diplomacy policy by South African President Thabo Mbeki towards Zimbabwe and its president Robert Mugabe. It cites various efforts of Mbeki to support Mugabe that resulted in feuds with African National Congress allies. The humiliation of South Africa in its unilateral dealings with Nigeria in 1995 has influenced its foreign policy choices. It concludes that the approach used by Mbeki towards Zimbabwe has not effected purposeful change in the country.

Reports that the expulsion of 18 senior members of the Congress of South African Trade Union's from Zimbabwe in early February 2005 has triggered a protests among South African civil society organizations, church groups and youth organizations riled by the African National Congress'(ANC) policy of quiet diplomacy. Formulation of plans to mobilize mass-based protests in South Africa against the Mugabe regime; Decision by Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change to participate in parliamentary elections on March 31, 2005; Rift between Cosatu and the ANC.