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linguistic distinction from its Spanish neighbours. In the 20 th century, Brazil’s senseof its own exceptionalism left political and diplomatic elites bitterly disappointedover the country’s failure to secure permanent seats in the post-war machinery forworld peace, following both world wars. Brazilian exceptionalism continues in the21 st century in Brazilian officials’ message that Brazil seeks friends in theinternational community, and in its commitment to global ‘social’ issues.ConclusionBoth ANC and PT came to power with resounding popular mandates and with longhistories of international activism in the name of democracy in their respectivecountries. Their prospective foreign policies were awaited with great expectation byobservers who identified with the left, while others looked on with trepidation.Institutional dynamics long-present and some newly developed under their tutelage,along with structural constraints in the global political and economic environmenthave, however, circumscribed the extent to which each party could freely direct theforeign relations of the state. In Brazil, and in South Africa, while foreignpolicymaking is the preserve of the executive, the legislature retains weakconstitutional powers, depending on their interpretation by the government of theday, to veto unpopular international commitments. The role of the political party isprimarily to provide ideological and intellectual guidance to the overall vision offoreign policy.Based on the evidence presented in the preceding discussions, it appears that for theANC, despite the centralisation of foreign policymaking power by Thabo Mbeki,and the appointment of high-level ANC members to key posts in the foreign policybureaucracy and the Presidency, it was in Mbeki’s image, and not that of the partythat foreign policy was made. By building the institutional context – a strongPresidency alongside subservient Ministries – Mbeki was able to exercise a highdegree of autonomy over foreign policy priorities and commitments. TheDepartment of Foreign Affairs has played a marginal role, along with Parliament.138