South Africa Sources Of, Developments Term Paper

Direct political involvement and aid, however, has not been as noticeable or as openly accepted in the past decade and a half.

Part of this resistance to foreign influence is a direct result of South Africa's long submission to colonial or Europeanized rule, first by the Germanic Afrikaners and subsequently by the British (and the Afrikaners at the same time), and finally by the white government that intermingled European settlers from both origins if it ostensibly established "home rule" and full national sovereignty (Frost 2009). This does not mean that foreign powers have not attempted to assert some influence over the national policies and related threats of South Africa -- largely through international bodies like the United Nations -- but the South African government has been quite vocal in its independence and sovereignty as a response to the long period of disenfranchisement and a lack of sovereignty experienced by the majority of the country's citizens (Frost 2009; Baker 2010). Influence has thus been limited by the explicit perspectives of the South African government.

Conclusion

The threats currently facing South Africa are quite diverse and far-reaching, stemming from internal instabilities and ongoing health issues to external threats of a less solidified but potentially wider-reaching nature. The ongoing AIDS epidemic in the country continues to be a substantial source of direct and indirect threats, decimating the population and contributing to economic instability and a lack of equality. Efforts to address this epidemic have been hampered by the South African government, though other threat areas have seen some progress made.

References

Baker, D. (2010). South Africa's threat environment: a guide for the National Planning Commission. African Security Review 19(3): 54-64.

Chigwedere, P., Seage, G., Gruskin, S. & Lee, T. (2008). Estimating the Lost Benefits of Antiretroviral Drug Use in South Africa. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 49(4): 410-5.

Coovadia, H., Jewkes, R., Barron, P., Sanders, D. & McIntyre, D. (2009). Towards a Normative Theory of International Relations: A Critical Analysis. Lancet 374(9692): 817-34.

Frost, M. (2009). Towards a Normative Theory of International Relations: A Critical Analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Goldberg, D. (2009). The threat of race: reflections on racial neoliberalism. New…