Selling South Africa to the world

Ndumiso Ntshinga, South Africa’s ambassador to Kenya, tells PETER MUIRURI why coming to Kenya was like coming home He has all the makings of a career diplomat — robust, articulate and well versed in current political developments, economic, agricultural and even cultural affairs.

However, Ndumiso Ntshinga, the South African High Commissioner to Kenya, combines much more than these usual diplomatic stereotypes.

Ndumiso, 53, whose tour of duty in Kenya is a little over a year, has already learnt how to navigate Kenya’s tough social landscape. Few of his diplomatic colleagues would dare drive in Nairobi’s chaotic roads as he does, jostling for space with unruly matatus and being stuck in the city’s legendary traffic.

"The only way to know this country and its people is by direct interaction with the common man. Get to know Kenyans in their normal environment by shedding off the official jacket and tie, put on sneakers and hit the road. If I can drive in Johannesburg, Nairobi is fair game to me," says the envoy.

Sitting at his spacious office located at Roshanmaer Place along Lenana Road in Nairobi’s Kilimani area, Ndumiso’s imposing posture, infectious smile and outgoing nature reveal a diplomat who has things under his control.

Referred to simply as Balozi (ambassador) by his staff, his passion for articulating African issues has been shaped by his turbulent youthful life in apartheid South Africa.

"I was detained at 18 years of age after participating in a student uprising in Soweto. I was granted bail a year later but soon fled to Botswana, Zambia and then Tanzania, becoming an African National Congress (ANC) member in exile. After escaping the brutal life in detention, I was more determined to champion the cause of the oppressed," says Ndumiso.

Humility

He was inspired by ANC giants such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Govan Mbeki and Walter Sisulu among others.

"These were people who had law firms and real property but gave up all these for the sake of championing the freedom of their motherland. I was greatly touched by the humility of these men for the brief period I interacted with them. Unlike other prominent persons, Mandela had the time to sit down and listen to a mere mortal like me," says he.

Under ANC sponsorship, Ndumiso obtained a scholarship to study in Bulgaria, obtaining a Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Sofia in 1985. His journey to a diplomatic career began five years later when he was appointed the ANC representative in Australia and New Zealand.

After the first elections in a free South Africa, Ndumiso was recalled home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he honed his diplomatic skills further.

"It was surprising to see many moderate whites who were still willing to work in a government headed by an African. Some even went on to become ambassadors fiercely articulating our country’s foreign policy," recalls the envoy, who credits his country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for the successful integration.

There are interesting elements that inform his three diplomatic postings so far. His first port of call was Washington, USA, where he served as deputy head of mission. His second posting was Beijing, China, the world’s second biggest economy rivaling the US, and now, Kenya, an emerging economic powerhouse in Africa and fierce business competitor with his country, South Africa.

In his tour of duty, the envoy hopes to reduce the trade imbalance that currently favours his country.

"Much of this has to do with our two countries belonging to different regional economic alliances. Kenya belongs to Comesa and EAC, while my country and her main trading partners fall in the SADC group," says Ndumiso, who hopes that the ongoing tripartite negotiations between these trading blocs will address such business hiccups.

Improving infrastructure

While at economic matters, Ndumiso feels African governments should do more in developing infrastructure rather than look up to the outside for business.

"Currently, intra-African trade accounts for a meagre ten per cent of the total business conducted using African goods and services mainly due to a poor transport network. It is easier to transport goods from either Cape Town or Mombasa to Europe and Asia than from Cape Town to Goma, DRC or any other place in Africa," says Ndumiso.

Despite the vast natural resources, African countries also lose much revenue by not adding value to their products. For example, he says, it does not make sense to mine copper, clean it and export it to Europe or America where it is then processed into cables that we then buy at an exorbitant price.

His views on Kenya, his host country?

"Kenya is a country that has achieved a lot but fails to fully acknowledge the blessings. For instance, you people have just passed the most liberal and transparent constitution in Africa, one that is making the leaders more accountable than ever," says Ndumiso, as he praises the country’s civil society for keeping the Government on its toes.

Rather than being a source of division, Ndumiso says that Kenyans should use their cultural diversity to their advantage, citing the example of his country that has managed to create a united nation despite its ethnic diversity.

"Kenya’s ethnic diversity is like flowers in a garden. Even flowers of the same kind such as roses have different colours," remarks the envoy.

According to Ndumiso, other things in Kenya worthy of imitation by other African countries are the vibrant cooperative movements.

Though his family is in South Africa, being posted here was like coming home for a man who loves many things Kenyan. Like South Africans, Kenyans are a hospitable people who make a visitor feel at home in an instant.

"You eat matumbo, we eat matumbo. You eat ugali, we call it pap," says Ndumiso who also relishes pilau and biriani from the Coast.