SAIIA SOUTH AFRICAN DIPLOMATS ABROAD.pdf

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*~*>i» So far South Africa has appointed ambassadors to Washing ton and to Paris. 1 Prior to their appointment, however, IvTr. • ••ut-t, Charles te Water became* Ambassador-at-large. a post with a precedent in the old South Xtrican Republic. An ambassador originally represented the personal dignity the sovereign or head of his state. He was and is entitled to personal access to the sovereign or head of the state to which he is accredited. Formerly there was also a distinction between an ambassador ordinary ..and extraordinary, the latter being sent on special^missions."""* To-day "the "latter expression is almost universally used and is also applied to the lower ranks of diplomats. Ministers plenipotentiary are in charge of legations (as distinct from the embassy or an ambassador/. Originally they did not represent their sovereign or head of stateHut their Government.^" This difference has disappeared and it is now merely a lower rank. Slightly inferior in status again is the Minister Resident. Nowadays the titles of Minister and Envoy aTe virtually synonymous but because of disputes in bygone times it has become visual to appoint representatives under the joint designation of "Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. A Charge d'Affaires (en litre) is accredited by the Minister of Foreign Affairs oi his own country to the equivalent minister of the other country. These differences of status are mosfclearly seen in the degree of ceremonial attending the reception of different ranks of diplomats, an ambassador, for instance, being entitled to a larger escort and a larger salute of guns. In South Africa some consuls-general exercise a certain amount oT^dipTomatic power? This is leftover from the_time when" our country enjoyed a lower diplomatic status than it does at present. Although consular officials are not regarded as members of the diplomatic service", tKey~bften_enjoy _courtesy privileges. As far as Britain is concerned the two services are amalgamated and recruiting is interchangeable. As recently as 1908 Britain was only represented in countries like Bulgaria by a "Commissioner and Consul-General". Among foreign powers so represented in the Union, are China, Czechoslovakia. Braiil, Egypt, Spain and, as already* mentioned, Soviet Russia. TFiere is no reason why a diplomatic representative should not be accredited to more than one country. Dr. W. J. Leyds showed this in the case of the Transvaal Republic and we ourselves have a Minister in Rome with several accreditations and likewise the Minister in Stockholm. 1 In February W49 it was announced that Mr. North Winship, the Minister Plenipotentiary tor the United States ot" America in Pretoria had been appointed Ambassador, the post to be accredited to the head of the South African state. (24)
After the war South Africa had, for some time, u new diplomatic relation with Italy. The Union had a "diplomatic representative" in Rome while the Italians had a Government Representative" in Pretoria. Once peace was signed Ministers were exchanged in the normal fashion. As a matter of convenience small powers like^Luxembourg are represented by the consulates of larger states. ^(Kelgium in this instance and Switzerland in the case of Liechtenstein.) Of fundamental importance in the operation of the foreign relations of South Africa, or any other state, is the preservation of the inviolability of legations. A Chinese consular official, himself not enjoying diplomatic immunity had been arrested by mistake, and this emphasised the awkward situations that could arise. The Diplomatic Immunities Act was passed in 1932, making it a serious criminal offence Tor any person to take legal action against any member of a diplomatic staff. To-day it is customary to forward to the Department of External Affairs lists of personneLorririe basis of" which it publishes in the "Union Government Gazette" the names of protected individuals, including wives, children and hojusehpld staff. No policemen or office of the court is allowed access to diplomatic property in his official capacity. When a new Minister Plenipotentiary arrives in the Union the Department of External Affairs arranges for him to present his "letters of credence" to the Governor-General as head of the StateÂi'ter the dooiment has been handed over, the Minister and the Governor-General {who-is attended by the Union Minister ot foreign Atairs) make short ceremonial speeches expressing pleasure at the meeting and goodwill towards each other's nations. Consuls ûndergo no such ritual but act under a Commission from their own Government while Exequatur,- i.eTâutKority from the receiving Government, mustgenefally be confirmed by the King on the advice of his South African/Ministers. 1 It has sometimes happened that a nominee has proved unwelcome for political or other reasons, in which case he is called "persona non grgtaj' but no such case has been recorded in the Omont For a consul appointed to the Union the Exequatur is signed at the top by the King (who always signs at the head of a document) and after saying who the representative is and by whom appointed, goes on: "We have approved of this appointment according to the Commission beforementioned, Our Will and Pleasure are, and We hereby require that you do receive. ... in the exercise 1 Where the Commission is issued by the Head of a Foreign State the Union Government will approach the King with a request to issue his Exequatur. Where it is issued by a Minister of Foreign Affairs the Union Governor- General grants recognition. (2S)
Page 1 and 2: THE S.A. DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFF
Page 3 and 4: Act No. 9 of 1944. 3* Section eight
Page 5 and 6: HE Editorial Committee of the South
Page 7 and 8: Beginnings of South African Diploma
Page 9 and 10: iind signed hv President .Brand and
Page 11 and 12: Resident in the first years). The t
Page 13 and 14: A convention is not as clear an ind
Page 15 and 16: On July 9th, 1884, weeks too late,
Page 17 and 18: e financed out of an "Imperial Trea
Page 19 and 20: o the outer world and it will take
Page 21 and 22: look after the interests of the Tre
Page 23 and 24: Jl ~7 -f hi 1932 the Entertainments
Page 25 and 26: office seems to have been well run,
Page 27: at the very beginning of the histor
Page 31 and 32: "The Government of the I 'nion of S
Page 33 and 34: form, have agreed to the present Ch
Page 35 and 36: meetings between senior officials.
Page 37 and 38: Political Section 1 First Secretary

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