Alfred Nzo: Reassessing a Misunderstood Minister

ABSTRACT Alfred Nzo served as the newly democratic South Africa’s Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1994 and 1999. His tenure was widely criticised. Nzo was described as ineffectual and inert by the media, opposition parties and even by some within his own African National Congress. These criticisms have been unquestioningly absorbed by historians and foreign policy scholars, and now constitute a cornerstone of the conventional wisdom regarding the Mandela Administration’s foreign policy. This article draws on a range of interviews with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide an alternative portrait of the Foreign Minister. While rarely animated, many DFA officials recall Nzo as accessible and closely attuned to the critical international issues confronting South Africa. The article concludes by considering the methodological missteps that contributed to misunderstanding Nzo, and reflects on the difficulties of personality-driven political analysis.