<\/p>\n
The response follows comments by United States (US) Ambassador Brent Bozell, who suggested that SA cannot claim to be non-aligned while maintaining relations with countries viewed by Washington as adversaries.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In a statement, the department said non-alignment allows SA to engage across the global spectrum and pursue relationships that serve its national interests, without being tied to any particular bloc.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, a Political Science and International Relations Expert at Nelson Mandela University, said the distinction is clear. \u201cNon-alignment means you are not aligning yourself with either side, but it does not mean you stand back and do nothing,\u201d Mngomezulu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mngomezulu, on Friday, explained to Channel Africa that neutrality implies disengagement, while non-alignment creates space for diplomacy with multiple partners. \u201cIn this case, SA is in a position to engage both the US and countries like Iran without taking sides,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mngomezulu said SA\u2019s approach is not new, noting that its foreign policy has consistently prioritised diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He added that even as global tensions between major powers intensify, SA has maintained its stance, favouring dialogue over military intervention. \u201cWe don\u2019t believe in responding through force; we respond diplomatically to resolve conflicts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mngomezulu also rejected suggestions that SA\u2019s engagement with countries such as China or Iran represents a shift in policy. \u201cSA enjoys political sovereignty; it can build relations based on its own interests,\u201d Mngomezulu said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said strengthening trade and diplomatic ties is a strategic choice, not a sign of alignment with any one bloc.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mngomezulu argued that non-alignment remains relevant in a multipolar global environment, even if it draws criticism. \u201cThe only time you change a policy is after careful reflection; until then, you maintain your position,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He added that while partners may disagree, SA retains the right to explain and uphold its foreign policy approach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38187,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,26],"class_list":["post-38186","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa\u2019s (SA) Department of International Relations and Cooperation has defended its foreign policy stance, stressing that non-alignment should not be mistaken for neutrality.","published_date":"","news_description":"South Africa\u2019s (SA) Department of International Relations and Cooperation has defended its foreign policy stance, stressing that non-alignment should not be mistaken for neutrality.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38188,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/38186\/revisions\/38188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=38186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}