By Ramesh Kumar
Group Editor
Oman Economic Review
Bye, bye, Your Excellency!
South Africa’s ambassador to Oman is exiting but he has set in motion a lot of bilateral initiatives which is putting Oman upfront in South Africa’s worldview

Come July, the chief resident of Way No. 3017, House No 1384, Al Shatti Qurum, Oman’s diplomatic area, will be in a different land. After a five-year stint, serving South Africa’s interests in the Sultanate, His Excellency Yacoob Abba Omar is set to take up a fresh assignment in the neighbourhood, Abu Dhabi, to be precise.
The 47-year old South African envoy, a non-career diplomat, is busy saying goodbye through customary calls on government officials, peer groups and the hordes of friends he made during his eventful tenure in the Sultanate.

“Excuse me, my table is not tidy,” says the salt-and-pepper bearded, history and politics major from the land of Nelson Mandela. He is dressed in casuals – a striped white full sleeves shirt teamed with black trousers and a black jacket, no necktie and we are seated in his spacious study littered with the customary diplomatic knick-knacks: President Thabo Mbeki’s photo on the wall, a miniature South African flag tucked on a stand, and a group photo of himself along with his staff. There is also a scattering of African artefacts. The soon-to-be former Ambassador didn’t anticipate my request to use his work desk as a prop for my notepad and hurries away from the cushy comfort of his sofa to clear the desk and ‘prepare the ground’ for me so to speak.

Colourful Past
His endearing smile and engaging demeanour hides his action-packed past. How many of us know that Omar had gone into exile for five years in 1985 under instructions from his bosses in the African National Congress (ANC)? Again, how many of us are aware that he underwent military training in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe? Similarly, do we know that he studied dialectic materialism et al in Moscow? A tough man, indeed. But his outward appearance gives little away. Omar is a diplomat after all.

Before being dispatched to Oman as South Africa’s envoy, His Excellency served on the Political Military Committee, a strategic body of the ANC besides managing the political outfit’s information and publishing affairs back home between 1990 and 1994. Subsequently, he was appointed Deputy Head of Communication under President Nelson Mandela, a post he occupied till 2001. For the next two years, Omar was engaged in his own business, communication.

Charter of Demand
“My brief, before emplaning for Oman, was clear: Establish an Embassy; strengthen political relationship; and improve bilateral trade.” Setting up the diplomatic office to represent South Africa was not a challenge as he is methodical and organised. ‘What is the meaning of ‘strengthening political relationship’?’, I ask. “In diplomatic parlance, it means advancing the number of bilateral agreements, increasing senior-level traffic between two nations thereby enlarging business opportunities,” he explains.

During his tenure, Omar has done a lot for his motherland. Nonetheless, there are a few ‘disappointments’. “I wanted the Partnership Forum Agreement to be signed before I left Oman. It is in its closing stages, but I won’t be here when it happens,” he says. What’s so great about this agreement? “This will ultimately lead to the setting up of a Joint Commission – a higher level of engagement between two nations,” he says.

Another item on the verge of materialising is an agreement to promote and protect investment in both countries.

Glorious Engagement
His Excellency is proud that the engagements between Pretoria and Muscat over the past five years have been excellent. South Africa’s ministers of foreign affairs, defence and higher education visited Oman. Similarly, the Sultanate’s ministers of oil and gas, foreign affairs, legal affairs, higher education and tourism have visited his home country. Not to be missed out were visits by several delegations from South Africa’s nine-strong provincial governments.

Nelson Mandela visited Oman in 1998 and His Excellency is confident His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said will visit South Africa in the near future. According to him, political relationships are important. “Why? Because you need each other when you pursue certain common goals. Both our nations share common perspectives on a variety of issues, including peace in the region. Oman’s is an effective voice in the global diplomatic arena and one can never underestimate the efficacy of its quiet diplomacy,” points out the South African envoy.

Business, Business
What about trade relationship? “It’s booming… Half a billion dollars is what it is worth now,” he says. South Africa sees huge potential in ties with Oman, and a trade delegation is expected to visit the Sultanate in October. How effective are such visits? “It works. Businessmen meet businessmen, and business is generated, - both ways,” he says. Given South Africa’s competence in mining, Pretoria is keen to assist Muscat in this sector. South Africa is equally ready to assist in the gas and coal sectors, both in the technology and governance areas. Agreements in these areas are near finalisation.

It’s getting late and is near closing time for the Embassy on this hot and sunny May afternoon. As we get ready to part for the last time, perhaps in Oman, I recall my first meeting with Omar a few years ago: His Excellency in his colourful and collar-less, light cotton African shirt. Today, he is different. A lot has happened over these years. As he escorts us to the door, I ask him what he considers as his crowning glory in Oman? He guffaws and responds with his trademark smile: “A lot more people in Oman now know where South Africa is.”


Top^