FROM THE TOTAL STRATEGY TO THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA: A CONSTRUCTIVIST ANALYSIS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN POLICY (1978-1999)

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the South African foreign policy between 1978 and 1999 through the Constructivist Theory of International Relations. Due to the implementation of a racial segregation system, South Africa was characterized as a pariah state during most of the 20^th century, which reflected directly on its foreign policy actions. However, towards the end of the 1980s, the country’s external posture started to change, which had its apex after Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994. Initially, this paper discusses the main guidelines of South Africa’s foreign policy between 1978 and 1999, under the presidencies of P. W. Botha, Frederik De Klerk and Nelson Mandela. Finally, this study applies the Constructivist Theory of International Relations in order to verify if the changes in the South African foreign policy during the period under analysis represented changes in the identity of the South African state.