Leaders dispel misconceptions: ‘Brics not ganging up against West’

Amid the shift in geopolitics, with leaders from 23 countries having formally expressed interest in joining Brics, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor yesterday shrugged off as “untrue” a perception the body was ganging up against the West.

Asked during a media briefing on South Africa’s state of readiness to host this month’s three-day 15th Brics leaders’ summit whether the body acquiring new members might assume an anti-West character – she said: “I do not think we see Brics as being pro-Russia and anti-West.

“That would be extremely wrong, because South Africa’s trading partners in the West are very important to South Africa’s economic programme. I do not think we would join or be part of any organisation that is anti-this and pro-that.

“We have a set of principles and values which join us together, with none of them being intended to make enemies with anyone.

“We believe in a world that collaborates and works together for a greater good of the world that is representative – where we all have opportunities.”

Taking stock of progress made by the group of five fastest-growing emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa since becoming a member in 2010, Pandor said:

• The New Development Bank established by Brics members in 2015 played a catalytic role in providing financial support to emerging markets, having to date ‘Brics not ganging up against the West’ approved 12 projects in SA – valued at about R101 billion – to improve service delivery in critical areas.
• SA’s overall trade with its Brics partners has increased by an average 10% from 2017 to 2021, with the total SA trade with Brics having reached R830 billion in 2022 – from R487 billion in 2017.

Pandor said SA was “privileged to be chair of Brics this year, for the third time since we were invited to join in 2010”.

She added: “Our theme is Brics and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism. The theme reflects our vision of Brics providing global leadership in addressing the needs and concerns of most of the world: beneficial economic growth, sustainable development and inclusion of the global south in multilateral systems.”

Pandor said the theme reflected SA’s belief in the benefits a partnership with Africa can bring to Brics, “with our partners eager to explore opportunities to support, and benefit from, operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area”.

She said Brics economies were at the centre of the recovery of global economic growth and there was a need to ensure this brought benefits to other economies of the global south – particularly in Africa.

“The combined economic strength of Brics should respond to the needs of our businesses and communities, said Pandor.