day visit to Iran, South African President Jacob Zuma held a joint press conference with his Iranian opposite number Hassan Rouhani. While Rouhani was smooth and polished, Zuma looked somehow out of place. At a glance, it was possible to see why Iran has managed to fool a gullible international community while Zuma, at the head of an ANC government criticized for graft and incompetence, epitomized why South Africa is now having issues. While outside capital is steadily fleeing South Africa as payola and nepotism continue to dismantle what was once Africa's strongest and most developed economy, foreign corporates have flooded into Tehran seeking lucrative contracts as part of the rebuilding of Iran's decaying infrastructure, not least in its oil and as sector. Then there is the issue of Iran's money. With the unfreezing of its overseas deposits the regime has been busy removing as many of its assets as possible from Western jurisdictions, which would obey without hesitation any future sanctions. Russian and Chinese banks are thought to be a favored alternative but South Africa's banking system is a further attractive option. It can be expected that regime officials will have had close conversations with those in the South African delegation connected with their country's banking system. The way for Zuma's trip was paved by a visit of his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa last November. Then as now, the South African delegations consisted of some 200 businessmen. Eight cooperation agreements were signed on Sunday, which ranged from energy development thru to corporate insurance. It seems entirely possible that other deals will be inked. South Africa has two nuclear power stations, which provide around five percent of the country's electricity. Other nuclear projects planned by the state power company Eskom have been delayed or canceled. Of interest to the Iranians may be a Pebble Bed Modular reactor, developed in South Africa but currently stalled. The Chinese have the only working experimental model. Under the sanctions imposed on South Africa, many new power technologies were developed including the production of oil from coal, of which the country has a superabundance. There is no doubt a great deal of research capacity still exists in South Africa, which the Iranians would value. There have in fact been links between the two countries for some time. Nelson Mandela made two trips to Iran when he was president and made a big point of thanking the regime for the support when the ANC was still fighting for power. With the international community's sanctions removed on Iran, the Tehran regime is losing little time in renewing its public links with the Rainbow Nation. But given the duplicity of Iran and the politics of South Africa, it can be imagined how strong relations the two countries may have.
