The great South African secret

July 10, 2014

Is South Africa involved in Sri Lanka to facilitate a political settlement to the
ethnic problem or isnt it! As it "rapples #ith tryin" to sho#case an internal
credible process internationally and reinin" in its an"ry political allies at
home, the $a%apaksa &overnment cant seem to decide
Jacob 'uma, South African (resident, appointed a special envoy to oversee
the African nations con)ict resolution and reconciliation initiatives in t#o
post*#ar societies earlier this year+ In civil #ar struck South Sudan, 'umas
appointee and ,eputy (resident -yril $amaphosa has his #ork cut out for
him+ .ut in Sri Lanka, #here for /ve years a relative peace has rei"ned, the
road to reconciliation seems e0ually laden #ith challen"es+
1his past #eek, as it opened the doors to the /rst third party facilitation of a
political settlement to the islands lon"*standin" ethnic 0uestion post*#ar,
the &overnment of Sri Lanka behaved like it #as hidin" a dirty little secret+
2n the one hand, the veil of secrecy re"ardin" the reasons for $amaphosas
visit had everythin" to do #ith its internal crises, #ith coalition allies like
3imal 3eera#ansas 455 and the hardline J67 stron"ly opposin" third
party involvement in the evolution of a lon"*term po#er sharin" deal #ith
the 1amil minority+ .ut it #as also the desire of the South African Special
8nvoy that the matters and modus operandi under discussion remain in the
private sphere until a"reement can be reached on ho# the process to
restart the discussion on devolution issues can "o for#ard+
8nter -yril
South Africas ,eputy (resident -yril $amaphosa, a man stron"ly tipped to
be the countrys ne9t (resident, arrived in Sri Lanka for visit that lasted %ust
over 24 hours on :onday afternoon+
1he African 4ational -on"ress ;A4-< is strivin" to build his international
pro/le in the run up to the 201= presidential poll and $amaphosas
en"a"ement in South Sudan and Sri Lanka #ill be important milestones in
the road to the presidency+ After (resident 'uma decided to take a break
follo#in" parliamentary and provincial elections held in :ay, $amaphosa
has e>ectively become his co*pilot in all matters of "overnance, chairin"
cabinet meetin"s and deliverin" speeches on his behalf+
A 0uiet visit
1he &overnment decided therefore to a>ord the South African 8nvoy almost
all the honours due to a visitin" head of state+ $amaphosa #as received at
the .andaranaike International Airport by Leader of the 6ouse 4imal
Siripala ,e Silva, #ho led a dele"ation to South Africa in 5ebruary this year+
6ours after his visit on :onday afternoon, a lar"e &overnment dele"ation
led by :inister of 89ternal A>airs &+L+ (eiris met #ith the South African
8nvoy at the &re"ory $oom of the 1a% Samudra #here the South African
dele"ation #as stayin" durin" its visit+
1he dele"ation included :inister ,e Silva, ,eputy :inister 5ais?er
:ustapha, :onitorin" :( of the :inistry of 89ternal A>airs Sa%in @aas
&une#ardane, Arun 1hambimuttu and Justice :inister $au> 6akeem+ :any
of them had been part of the ,e Silva dele"ation that travelled to South
Africa earlier this year+
(resident :ahinda $a%apaksa hosted $amaphosa for dinner on :onday
ni"ht at 1emple 1rees+ Just before dinner, the pair held discussions that the
(residents 2Ace later refused to comment on, sayin" the talks #ere
Bprivate+
A "lance at the State*run ne#spapers and broadcasters over the t#o days
spannin" $amaphosas visit #ill reveal ho# desperately the &overnment
#ished to keep the nature of his visit under #raps domestically+ 1he
phenomenon #as not uni0ue to the Sinhala lan"ua"e press, #hich caters to
the &overnments core support base that lar"ely opposes political
concessions to the 1amil people post*#ar+ (resident $a%apaksas usually
hyper*en"a"ed 1#itter account remained stran"ely silent on the
$amaphosa meetin"s, #hile the 8n"lish lan"ua"e State press restricted
itself to a pre*dinner photo of the South African 8nvoy #ith the (resident
and a similar picture #ith :inister (eiris prior to his departure on 1uesday+
$amaphosa, the tourist
Sta"e*settin" for do#nplayin" the $amaphosa visit #as performed at last
#eeks -abinet press brie/n", #hen :edia :inister Ceheliya $ambuk#ella
announced that there #as Bno a"enda for the South African 8nvoys visit+
$ambuk#ellas dismissive tone and his insistence
that the discussions #ould be nothin" out of the ordinary caused one
forei"n correspondent at the media conference to 0uip, Dso is -yril
$amaphosa comin" here as a tourist!E
1he term Btourist #ould be used by 6ousin" :inister 3eera#ansa to
describe the South African 8nvoy durin" a special press brie/n" convened
on :onday ;F<, and no member of the rulin" coalition attempted to correct
him+ 3eera#ansas party has made its opposition to the South African
initiative kno#n in a 12*point ultimatum issued to the &overnment recently+
.ut despite the optical illusions the State has tried to create, to the astute
citi?en or the keen political observer, the intentions of the -yril $amaphosa
visit #ere crystal clear+ ,urin" his visit, the South African 8nvoy met
(resident $a%apaksa, a broadly representative &overnment dele"ation and
2pposition Leader $anil 3ickremesin"he+ 1he other ma%or stakeholders
involved in len"thy discussions #ith the visitin" ,eputy (resident #ere the
1amil 4ational Alliance G the countrys lar"est 1amil party G and the
4orthern (rovince -hief :inister, Justice -+@+ 3i"nes#aran+ ,urin" his trip
to Ja>na to meet #ith the -hief :inister, $amaphosa also held talks #ith
the 4orthern (rovince &overnor, :a%+ &en+ ;$td+< &+A+ -handrasiri and
Security 5orces -ommander 7daya (erera+
3i"nes#arans tale
1he -hief :inisterial dele"ation that met $amaphosa and his team at the
1ilco 6otel in Ja>na en"a"ed in frank discussions #ith the South African
8nvoy+ 1he 4orthern (rovincial -ouncil :inisters for 8ducation and 6ealth
and its Le"al Advisor accompanied 3i"nes#aran to the meetin"+
3hen the 14A chose the former Supreme -ourt Justice as its -hief :inister
candidate, it may have been #ith this kind of meetin" in mind+ 1he learned
and elo0uent -hief :inister has become the focal point for nearly every
hi"h*level diplomat visitin" the country #ith an interest in reconciliation+
$amaphosas talks #ith 3i"nes#aran #ere len"thy, and be"an at the
be"innin"+ 3i"nes#aran traced the history of the 1amil problem in Sri
Lanka, recallin" that the feelin" of bein" -eylonese above everythin" else
had been prevalent in his youn"er days durin" .ritish rule and for a fe#
brief years after independence+ 1he South African 8nvoy had shared his
o#n countrys e9perience in the post*Apartheid era, e9plainin" that a sense
of bein" South African #as instilled into the many lan"ua"e, race, reli"ious
and colour "roups that constitute the rainbo# nation+
-hief :inister 3i"nes#aran also asked the visitin" ,eputy (resident to
clarify #hether the South Africa e>orts #ere to be complementary to the 74
probe, the resolutions in &eneva and 4e# ,elhis separate initiatives to
achieve a political settlement in Sri Lanka+ $amaphosa assured the -hief
:inister that the South African e9ercise #ould be aimed at complementin"
these processes+
,evelopment vs+ ri"hts
3i"nes#aran also informed the South African 8nvoy that the bi""est
problem facin" the 1amil people in the north and east #as the militarisation
of the t#o provinces+ D1his is the same Army that bombed, shot, terrorised
and fou"ht the #ar in the north+ 1H0,000 soldiers #ere still in the areas of
the o>ensives even /ve years since the #ar ended+ 1he Army is still
involved in all aspects of civilian life,E the 4orthern -hief :inister told the
visitin" South African dele"ation in Ja>na+
$amaphosa put a 0uestion to the -hief :inister about #hether it #as not a
fact that the &overnment had developed infrastructure in the former
con)ict ?one #ith carpeted roads and "reater connectivity+ 1he -hief
:inister responded that the roads had been a boon, but in fact they had
helped the south more than the north+
D1hey helped the Army to keep 0uick and e>ective control over the area+
1hey helped the southerners initially to make a triumphal entry into their
areas of capture+ 1hey helped the southerners to make a 0uick buck by
e9ploitin" the local markets by takin" a#ay products at very cheap rates
and sellin" them at tremendous pro/ts+ 1he construction of roads "ave
employment to the southerners, not to the locals+ 8ven today "ranite, sand
and /sh are transported 0uickly from the north to the south thanks to these
roads,E he told the South African ,eputy (resident+
$einforcin" his ar"ument, 3i"nes#aran ar"ued that the people had voted
over#helmin"ly in support of the 14A despite the &overnments superior
election machinery, the mi"ht of the Army and the sudden dolin" out of
&overnment %obs and the me"a infrastructural pro%ects carried out in the
re"ion+ 1he former Supreme -ourt Justice said over F0I of northern
re"istered voters had voted in the September 201J poll, despite
intimidation by the armed forces+ D3hy! ,espite the infrastructural
development! 1he reason #as because development never really touched
the people,E he e9plained+
3i"nes#aran revealed that a fe# miles ri"ht or left of the A= hi"h#ay there
#ere roads that had remained in disrepair for 40 years+ D1he psycho*social
needs of our people post*#ar have not been addressed+ Livelihood support
has not been suAcient for the #ar*a>ected,E the -hief :inister e9plained,
outlinin" the ma%or issues still facin" the people of the north, /ve years
after the #ar ended+ 6e also e9plained to the South African ,eputy
(resident ho# the &overnment and its 4orthern &overnor #ere clippin" the
elected -ouncils #in"s and hinderin" e>ective "overnance by his
administration+
-ounter*narratives
It #as a stin"in" narrative, %u9taposed a"ainst the &overnments o#n
claims about its post*#ar successes+ 1o the visitin" South African
dele"ation, the meetin" #ith 3i"nes#aran #ould have e9posed the
continuance of the con)ict /ve years after the #ar ended and duellin" post*
#ar narratives that prevail in the north and south of the island+
(resident $a%apaksa, durin" his meetin" #ith the ,eputy (resident of South
Africa, #as to push hard once more for the 14A to %oin the (arliamentary
Select -ommittee process+ Ket, from the outset, the South Africans, like
many other members of the international community, have remained
unconvinced that the (S- #as the appropriate multilateral forum to address
the 0uestion of political devolution and lon"*term reconciliation+
At the heart of it, $amaphosas visit to Sri Lanka this #eek #as aimed at
restartin" stalled ne"otiations bet#een the t#o main stakeholders of the
devolution process G the &overnment of Sri Lanka and the 14A+ It is
(retorias hope that it can obtain the concurrence of both the &overnment
and the 1amil (arty to be a third party presence in their ne"otiations
to#ards reachin" a political settlement to resolve the ethnic 0uestion+
1alks bet#een the $a%apaksa administration and the 14A ended in a
deadlock in 2012, and prospects for their recommencement have been
bleak since+ 1he unobtrusive presence of a trusted country like South Africa,
#hich en%oys the con/dence of both the &overnment and the 14A, could
both #itness the process and assist to remove roadblocks in the discussions
if ne"otiations "et under#ay+ At least, that is the A4-s hope+ 1he 14A has
already e9pressed #illin"ness to participate in a process facilitated or
observed by a South African dele"ation+ 1he &overnment has decided it
#ants time to mull over the proposal+
1he be"innin"
1he South African initiative #as set in motion durin" the -ommon#ealth
6eads of &overnment :eetin" ;-62&:< in 4ovember 201J that unfolded in
the shado#s of a )a#ed impeachment of the Sri Lankan -hief Justice,
on"oin" human ri"hts abuses and "ro#in" calls for an investi"ation into
alle"ed #ar crimes committed durin" the /nal sta"es of the #ar+ 1he
&overnment of Sri Lanka anticipated hi"h attendance from heads of
"overnment from the -ommon#ealth member states, the measure of
success of any -62&:+ As a result of boycotts and 11th*hour cancellations,
the reality #as that it #ould be recorded as one of the most poorly attended
summits in the recent past+
1he presence of South African (resident Jacob 'uma therefore #as a ma%or
success story for the $a%apaksa Administration+ 'uma #as the perfect
counterpoint to .ritish (rime :inister ,avid -ameron #hose "randstandin"
and ultimatums at the -olombo -62&: had humiliated the &overnment
and clouded the colour and pa"eantry #ith threats of an international
in0uiry four months later+
'uma #as o>erin" the $a%apaksa administration an e9it strate"y+ (ublicly,
the South African (resident #as promisin" to assist Sri Lanka #ith its
diAcult reconciliation process and e9pressin" con/dence in a domestic
process to address lin"erin" post*#ar issues bet#een communities in the
island+
Suddenly, set a"ainst the increasin"ly real prospect of an intrusive
international in0uiry, #as a South African style 1ruth and $econciliation
-ommission focused on restorative rather than punitive %ustice #ithin the
domestic sphere+ South Africa #on the #orlds admiration for deliverin"
%ustice and reconciliation that united rather than divided communities post*
con)ict and -olombo #as con/dent that the African nations credibility
#ould help the rest of the international community to "et onboard+
6i"h hopes
.ut if sections of the $a%apaksa &overnment #ere placin" their hopes on
the 1$- process to #ard o> an international in0uiry at the 74 6uman $i"hts
-ouncil in &eneva, that proved to be a false da#n+ Interest in the South
African initiative has been #anin" ever since+ 7pon their return from South
Africa in 5ebruary, members of the &overnment dele"ation hinted at this
diminishin" interest, #hen they told reporters that there #ere more
di>erences than commonalities in the Sri Lankan and South African
e9periences+
5or four months since, the $a%apaksa re"ime has en"a"ed in doin" nothin"
more than "ently kickin" the can do#n the road+ Alon" the #ay, it has
faced several challen"es+ 5irstly, it must "rapple #ith its o#n fundamental
lack of #ill to o>er political devolution to the 1amil people because in its
#orldvie#, the con)ict ended #hen @elupillai (rabhakaran perished on the
banks of the 4andikadal La"oon+ It must also contend #ith strin"ent
opposition from its hardline allies, the J67 and the 455 #hich vie# the
South African moves as an intrusive attempt to deliver politically to the
1amil people #hat the L118 could not achieve throu"h violent means+
In reality these t#o problems are t#o sides of the same coin+ In the
uppermost echelons of the $a%apaksa re"ime, it is the positions of the
hardline constituent allies that resonate most stron"ly+ 2pposition from
these t#o parties, therefore, is easily e9ploited and can be used as a
convenient e9cuse for delayin" any process to restart talks #ith the 14A+
Ket, for all the desire to dismiss the South African process or keep it in the
shado#s, one thin" continues to stay the re"imes hand+ $e%ection of the
South African o>er of assistance, because it is "iven in a stron" spirit of
"ood#ill bet#een &overnments, #ould demonstrate to the #orld that Sri
Lanka is not only incapable of puttin" a domestic reconciliation process in
place to address the roots of its ethnic con)ict, but that it has absolutely no
interest in doin" so+ 1his could prove a dan"erous revelation at a time #hen
the international community is already breathin" do#n the re"imes neck
on the 0uestion of human ri"hts and accountability+
5ar too often has this re"ime dismissed recommendations and solutions
o>ered by commissions and processes it has set up of its o#n accord+ 1o
turn a#ay from the South African facilitation #ould seal the $a%apaksa
&overnments fate internationally and open the door even #ider for
intrusive "lobal action to ensure accountability and reconciliation+ It #ill
erode the credibility of the re"imes bilateral and multilateral claims that it
is "enuinely pursuin" a political solution post*#ar+ 1hat is the unspoken
po#er South Africa holds over the $a%apaksa &overnment in -olombo+
6i"h stakes "ame
4either (resident 'uma nor his envoys are particularly interested in havin"
their role in the Sri Lankan reconciliation process labelled+ It is content #ith
keepin" the process 0uiet and assistin" it alon", if it #ill ensure that the
&overnment is comfortable enou"h to en"a"e in these Btalks about talks+ If
it risks political embarrassment at home, (retoria kno#s the $a%apaksa
administration #ill back a#ay in a hurry+
All South Africa #ill demand from Sri Lanka therefore is credibility and
honest en"a"ement in the process+ It #ill not abide disin"enuous conduct
or alle"ations of meddlin" G even from a &overnment it stron"ly considers a
friend+ Sharin" South Africas post*Apartheid reconciliation and truth*
seekin" process around the #orld is an inte"ral part of the 4elson :andela
le"acy that the African 4ational -on"ress strives to keep alive+ It is a
process therefore that it #ill not en"a"e in frivolously for very lon", #ithout
some measure of pro"ress+
(retoria has nothin" to lose from #alkin" a#ay from the Sri Lankan process+
-olombo, on the other hand, stands to lose it all+ .ut this administration has
a tra"ic history of thro#in" it all a#ay in hi"h stake "ames in #hich it is,
almost al#ays, ultimately bested+
3hether this time #ill be di>erent remains to be seen+