HEADLINE:   DAME MAEVE FORT

PUBLICATION: Mercury

PAGE NUMBER: 6

AUTHOR:     Zubeida Jaffer

DATE:       2000-08-14 10:22:03

Farewell Dame Maeve, not goodbye

Britain's high commissioner ends her term in SA on a high note, writes Zubeida Jaffer

Zubeida Jaffer

BRITAIN'S High Commissioner, Dame Maeve Fort, leaves South Africa this week - ending her four-year term. In 1996, Dame Fort, who was previously ambassador to Mozambique and Lebanon, became the first British ambassador to be sworn into office in a democratic South Africa, a moment of which she is proud. 

"I am the only British representative to have presented credentials to Madiba," she said. "You start on a high point with something like that." 

Considering Britain's long, tumultuous relationship with South Africa, her arrival consolidated the beginning of a different trend. "It was always a very difficult relationship before 1994 because of the claims that the then government made that they were the vanguard of Western democracy," she said. "We did not see them as that at all." 

As she says farewell, Dame Maeve describes the relationship between the two countries as "a relationship of equals". 

This is particularly expressed through a trading relationship that has developed over the past four years. South African exports to the UK have grown steadily from £970 million (R10 billion) in 1994 to £1,7 billion (R18 billion) in 1999. Imports from the UK have dropped from £2,2 billion (R23 billion) in 1994 to £1,6 billion (R17 billion) in 1998. 

The UK is South Africa's largest investor. A close examination of foreign investment since 1994 shows new investment rather than an extension of existing investment. "We are still the biggest investor in new products, new services and new production centres." 

A new impetus from the South African side has come from information technology companies. "South African IT companies are buying up British companies and that is partnership," she said. 

Two weeks ago, Dame Maeve hosted the lord mayor of London and a group of business people. "He said that he would certainly be taking back a message that South Africa was a good place to invest and there were great opportunities here," she said.

Trade development was based on a good political relationship. Not only was there a good relationship between the two government leaders, President Mbeki and Mr Tony Blair, but there was also a good friendship. "They always see each other as friends," she said. "They can speak freely and equally to one another." 

The crisis in Zimbabwe has been a test for this relationship, but Dame Fort says this has not strained relations. "We share the same concerns. President Mbeki has no difficulty in getting his message over because he understands perfectly our message. We understand that South Africa is a neighbour and a member of SADC". 

But she is decidedly cautious about Zimbabwe, choosing her words carefully. "We are trying to say as little as possible because it sets him (President Robert Mugabe) off, but we believe the country is in real trouble." 

She found it disturbing that the recent SADC summit had found it acceptable for someone to stay in power as head of state even though he seemed no longer committed to freedom and democracy. "You have to question a democracy that allows somebody who is clearly unpopular to continue year after year.

"We hope that Mugabe will listen to the SADC and carry out the promised economic reforms," she said. About Mr Mbeki's efforts to raise money for Zimbabwe's land reform programme, she said that Britain had fulfilled its Lancaster House obligations and had always been prepared to support land reform. 

"The money is available," she said. "But what you are really talking about is international development funds and, certainly in the UK, funds for development can only be spent on development and not to award cronies and so-called veterans for outbreaks of lawlessness."

For South Africa to extricate itself from the negative impact of the Zimbabwean crisis it needed to put across strong messages, she said. 

"You need to get your own message over very clearly and unambiguously that your country welcomes foreign investment, that it is a haven of political stability, that is has very sound economic policies, that it welcomes the actions of the free market and that it has a very positive approach to globalisation."

Dame Maeve will be retiring to her home in London where she will be "digging and house-painting". "I have been continuously abroad for the past 11 years and have a house that needs working on." 

But, she says, she has also committed herself "to the the Alfred Beit educational trust. We support primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in southern Africa". Her four-year term may be ending this week, but not her ties to this part of the world.