By Gabrielle Venter

We often hear about ambassadors from foreign countries in the news. In South Africa, there are many ambassadors representing their countries. But what is an ambassador?

According to Wikipedia, an ambassador is ‘a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign entity or government, or to an international organisation, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country’. In everyday usage, this term applies to a high-ranking government representative stationed in a foreign capital. The host country typically grants the ambassador control of specific territory, called an embassy, where the territory, staff and even vehicles are generally afforded diplomatic immunity in the host country.

Bafana Sydney Kubheka is the former South African ambassador to the Republic of Korea. He is attached to the Directorate: Japan, Koreas and Central Asia at the Department of Foreign Affairs. When he was younger, he was exposed to travelling abroad and interacting with people from other countries. He spent part of his life in exile and this influenced his career choice. Luckily for Bafana, there were people in his life who mentored him and recognised his diplomatic skills. “I am at home with diplomacy, because it is challenging, interesting, and there are no simple ways.” He told us about his international career.

The salary of an ambassador or diplomat depends on the level and conditions of service in the country       of accreditation. Ambassadors are appointed at senior management level, while other diplomats are appointed at middle and lower management level.

“You are sent to the country of accreditation to represent the interests of your country. You are the eyes and ears of your country, in terms of political and economic interests, and     to identify opportunities for your government and business community,” says Bafana.

“The pros,” says Bafana, “are that it is quite a challenging job, in the sense that you have to be able to convey messages or information concerning your country to the maximum effect. You always have to think of the repercussions of the actions and statements you make or issue. It should always be kept in mind that the messages or statements you convey have a significant influence on popular opinion and these, in turn, influence a country’s foreign policy

“The cons are that it can be difficult when certain events of political or economic significance happen in your home or host country that directly or indirectly affect your relations, and you are not in a position to explain convincingly. It is a two-way street. You need to know what is happening in your home country, as well as what is happening in your host country,” says Bafana.

To become an ambassador or diplomat, you need to have knowledge on a broad range of subjects, which is not only confined to international politics. You need to know about international law, economics, culture, climate and environmental issues. Bafana studied international relations, diplomacy, international economic relations, as well as international cultural relations. “Foreign policy is the extension of your domestic policy, influenced by your country’s Consti-tution,” he says.

“You must be able to think on your feet and know what’s going on with numerous things. You need to be fast-thinking, tactful, confident, up-to-date, have good communication skills, negotiation skills and interpersonal skills, and be aware of the business culture internationally,” states Bafana.

“I check my e-mails in the morning and deal with all types of communication that need my attention,” says Bafana. “I also need to read the papers and watch all the news to see if there is anything that is going on that affects South Africa. I must know what’s happening, in case I’m asked anything regarding it. I have to be in touch with embassies regularly.

My normal daily work involves corresponding with the diplomatic missions I’m responsible for. I also have a responsibility to inform my political principals of matters that might affect South Africa’s relations in the country of my responsibility.”

“To love your country, love the people and be passionate and proud, precisely because, if you want to be an ambassador, it’s about promoting your country and people.”

“The job accords me the opportunity of interacting with people that I would not meet under normal circumstances,” smiles Bafana.

The worst thing about the job is when the host country has lost your trust and confidence,” frowns Bafana.