Glenn Babb
Encyclopedia
Glenn Robin Ware Babb is a former politician and diplomat
for the former apartheid government in South Africa
. More recently he has been a businessman and entrepreneur. From 1985 to 1987 he had a high-profile posting in Canada
where he was his government's ambassador
to Ottawa and made frequent public statements against the anti-apartheid movement
and in defence of his government and in opposition to the movement for economic sanctions on and disinvestment from South Africa
that the Canadian government
was leading internationally.
Babb was educated at Stellenbosch University
and at Oxford
after which he joined South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also earned a law degree from the University of South Africa
.
to Eric Ware Babb and Ora Constance Loverock and was educated at St John's College
, Johannesburg, a private school for boys. He married Tracey Dibb on May 31, 2003. Babb has two sons and two daughters.
where he served as secretary for three years. He returned to Pretoria
in 1972 and was a training officer with the ministry. He authored the book "Training for the Diplomatic Service" In 1975, he returned to Paris where he was the embassy's counsellor and then in 1978, he moved to the South African embassy in Rome
. In 1981, he again returned to South Africa to become head of the Africa Desk at the Ministry and held that position for four years.
was mounting. Canadian Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
threated to break off diplomatic relations with the country when he spoke at the United Nations
.
During his two-and-a-half year posting, Babb appeared on Canadian television more than 132 times and even more frequently on radio. He heavily lobbied politicians, journalists, intellectuals and universities in support of the Reagan Administration
's policy of "constructive engagement
" rather than sanctions or divestment. Babb referred to apartheid as a "benign policy" and a means of controlling "urbanization" and claimed that sanctions would harm South African blacks more than the white minority. He also said of sanctions, "Whether you shoot the zebra on the white stripe or the black stripe," he said, "you are going to kill the zebra." He claimed that the disruption of mineral production in South Africa was in the interests of the Soviet Union
and that South Africa was the only force standing in the way of a Soviet takeover of the African continent.
Many of Babb's appearances across Canada were met with protests. In 1985, when he was speaking at the University of Toronto
's Hart House, anti-apartheid activist Lennox Farrell
hurled the debating society's ceremonial mace at him. In Montreal, when entering the private Mount Stephen club to give a speech, club members and Babb were pelted with eggs and snowballs by protesters who called him "racist scum". In 1986, Babb appeared on the CBC Radio
program Sunday Morning
to debate Montreal human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler
. The appearance was picketed by 50 anti-apartheid activists.
In an article in Fortune
, Babb compared South Africa's treatment of its black population with Canada's treatment of Native peoples
. "The media reaction was phenomenal, but some Indian leaders said I was on the right track," said Babb retrospectively. Accepting an invitation by Chief Louis Stevenson, Babb made a high-profile visit to a First Nations reserve
in Manitoba
, with media in tow, in order to press his point.
division and deputy director-general of the department of foreign affairs. As such, he initiated the Brazzaville
talks for the withdrawal of South African troops from Angola
and end the country's involvement in the South African Border War
. In the 1989 general election
in South Africa, he entered politics as the ruling National Party
's candidate in the electoral district
of Randburg but was defeated by Wynand Malan
, co-leader of the liberal Democratic Party
. He was nevertheless appointed to a seat in the South African parliament
by F.W. de Klerk
who, as President of South Africa
, had the constitutional right to fill four seats in parliament through direct appointment. Babb subsequently left parliament after two years, in 1991, and returned to the foreign ministry, serving as South Africa's ambassador to Italy
where he opened diplomatic relations with Albania, Malta and San Marino and was appointed the first South African Permanent Representative to UN Food and Agriculture Organisation since 1963. He participated 1991-1992 in the Mozambican peace negotiations in Rome between RENAMO and FRELIMO under the aegis of the Rome Sant' Egidio community and his role is mentioned positively in Sant' Egidio's report on the success of the Peace Protocol. In 1995 he left government service. In 1995 he became chairman of AGIP Lubricants. In 1998 he was appointed consultant to the government of the Western Cape and he continued in that role till 2002. In 1998 he was appointed Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Turkey with jurisdiction for the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces. He has also been active with various business pursuits such as long-lasting milk [PARMALAT], oil lubricants, manufacturing, a tourism service, manufacturing wine vats and owning an office support and internet service. In 2005, his firm Babrius was appointed by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries [ACP] aligned to the EU to write a report, which was published in French and English by the ACP in Brussels on 13 February 2006
Babb was chairman of the Owl Club
, from 2006 to 2007, a gentlemen's club
, in Cape Town
.
In January 2009 Babb was shortlisted for the position of Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD in the African Union.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
for the former apartheid government in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. More recently he has been a businessman and entrepreneur. From 1985 to 1987 he had a high-profile posting in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he was his government's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Ottawa and made frequent public statements against the anti-apartheid movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
and in defence of his government and in opposition to the movement for economic sanctions on and disinvestment from South Africa
Disinvestment from South Africa
Disinvestment from South Africa was first advocated in the 1960s, in protest of South Africa's system of Apartheid, but was not implemented on a significant scale until the mid 1980s...
that the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
was leading internationally.
Babb was educated at Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
and at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
after which he joined South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also earned a law degree from the University of South Africa
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.-History:...
.
Family
Glenn Babb was born in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
to Eric Ware Babb and Ora Constance Loverock and was educated at St John's College
St John's College (Johannesburg, South Africa)
St John's College is a private school for boys in Houghton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.-History:St John's College was founded in Johannesburg on 1 August 1898 and is an Anglican school....
, Johannesburg, a private school for boys. He married Tracey Dibb on May 31, 2003. Babb has two sons and two daughters.
Early career
Babb's worked as a schoolteacher in 1964 before continuing his education. In 1967, he joined the foreign ministry and in 1969 he had his first overseas posting when he was assigned to the South African embassy in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he served as secretary for three years. He returned to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
in 1972 and was a training officer with the ministry. He authored the book "Training for the Diplomatic Service" In 1975, he returned to Paris where he was the embassy's counsellor and then in 1978, he moved to the South African embassy in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 1981, he again returned to South Africa to become head of the Africa Desk at the Ministry and held that position for four years.
Ambassador to Canada
Babb's mission as Ambassador to Canada began in 1985 while South Africa was in crisis and international pressure on PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
was mounting. Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
threated to break off diplomatic relations with the country when he spoke at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
During his two-and-a-half year posting, Babb appeared on Canadian television more than 132 times and even more frequently on radio. He heavily lobbied politicians, journalists, intellectuals and universities in support of the Reagan Administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
's policy of "constructive engagement
Constructive engagement
Constructive engagement was the name given to the policy of the Reagan Administration towards the apartheid regime in South Africa in the early 1980s...
" rather than sanctions or divestment. Babb referred to apartheid as a "benign policy" and a means of controlling "urbanization" and claimed that sanctions would harm South African blacks more than the white minority. He also said of sanctions, "Whether you shoot the zebra on the white stripe or the black stripe," he said, "you are going to kill the zebra." He claimed that the disruption of mineral production in South Africa was in the interests of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and that South Africa was the only force standing in the way of a Soviet takeover of the African continent.
Many of Babb's appearances across Canada were met with protests. In 1985, when he was speaking at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
's Hart House, anti-apartheid activist Lennox Farrell
Lennox Farrell
Lennox Farrell is a Canadian community activist and retired teacher from Toronto, Ontario.Currently, he is head of the Caribbean Cultural Committee, which puts on the Caribana parade....
hurled the debating society's ceremonial mace at him. In Montreal, when entering the private Mount Stephen club to give a speech, club members and Babb were pelted with eggs and snowballs by protesters who called him "racist scum". In 1986, Babb appeared on the CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
program Sunday Morning
Sunday Morning (radio program)
Sunday Morning was a Canadian radio news and information program, which aired on CBC Radio One. The magazine style program was one of the highest budget shows on CBC Radio and featured documentaries, interviews, round table discussions, book reviews, arts reports, puzzles and various features...
to debate Montreal human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, MP was Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Mount Royal in a by-election...
. The appearance was picketed by 50 anti-apartheid activists.
In an article in Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, Babb compared South Africa's treatment of its black population with Canada's treatment of Native peoples
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. "The media reaction was phenomenal, but some Indian leaders said I was on the right track," said Babb retrospectively. Accepting an invitation by Chief Louis Stevenson, Babb made a high-profile visit to a First Nations reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, with media in tow, in order to press his point.
Return to South Africa
In 1987, Babb was recalled to South Africa to take over as head of the AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
division and deputy director-general of the department of foreign affairs. As such, he initiated the Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
talks for the withdrawal of South African troops from Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and end the country's involvement in the South African Border War
South African Border War
The South African Border War, commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces on the one side and the Angolan government, South-West Africa People's...
. In the 1989 general election
South African general election, 1989
The 1989 South African general election was South Africa's last national race-based parliamentary election. The election was called early to gauge support for the recently elected head of the National Party, Frederik Willem de Klerk and his program of reform, which was to...
in South Africa, he entered politics as the ruling National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
's candidate in the electoral district
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
of Randburg but was defeated by Wynand Malan
Wynand Malan
Wynand Malan is a liberal Afrikaner South African politician.A lawyer, Malan entered politics in the 1977 South African election when he was elected to the South Africa's all white parliament as the National Party MP for Randburg....
, co-leader of the liberal Democratic Party
Democratic Party (South Africa)
The Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
. He was nevertheless appointed to a seat in the South African parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
by F.W. de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk , often known as F. W. de Klerk, is the former seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994...
who, as President of South Africa
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
, had the constitutional right to fill four seats in parliament through direct appointment. Babb subsequently left parliament after two years, in 1991, and returned to the foreign ministry, serving as South Africa's ambassador to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where he opened diplomatic relations with Albania, Malta and San Marino and was appointed the first South African Permanent Representative to UN Food and Agriculture Organisation since 1963. He participated 1991-1992 in the Mozambican peace negotiations in Rome between RENAMO and FRELIMO under the aegis of the Rome Sant' Egidio community and his role is mentioned positively in Sant' Egidio's report on the success of the Peace Protocol. In 1995 he left government service. In 1995 he became chairman of AGIP Lubricants. In 1998 he was appointed consultant to the government of the Western Cape and he continued in that role till 2002. In 1998 he was appointed Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Turkey with jurisdiction for the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces. He has also been active with various business pursuits such as long-lasting milk [PARMALAT], oil lubricants, manufacturing, a tourism service, manufacturing wine vats and owning an office support and internet service. In 2005, his firm Babrius was appointed by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries [ACP] aligned to the EU to write a report, which was published in French and English by the ACP in Brussels on 13 February 2006
Babb was chairman of the Owl Club
Owl Club
The Owl Club of Cape Town, South Africa, is a gentleman’s dining club formed in 1894 to provide a social meeting place for those with an interest in the liberal arts and science. The members are entertained and informed by a tradition of speakers and musical performance.- Background to the name...
, from 2006 to 2007, a gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
, in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
In January 2009 Babb was shortlisted for the position of Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD in the African Union.
Publications
Babb has published short stories and poetry, articles on legal subjects, and numerous other reports and articles, including:- Prison Administration in South Africa. Department of Foreign Affairs, 1968.
- Training for the Diplomatic Service. SA Institute for International Affairs, 1975.
- South Africa: Where we stand. C-FAR Canadian Issue Series, 1986.
- Il Capo: una delle prime citta d'acqua del Nuovo Mondo. Aquapolis Quarterly, International Centre Cities on Water, 2000, Vol 3-4.
- The Future of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries. ACP/28/012/06 Brussels, 13 Feb 2006.
- Abubakr Effendi: Among the Young Turks in Afrikaans. Quarterly Bulletin of the National Library of South Africa, 2010, Vol 64, No 1.
See also
- Foreign relations of South AfricaForeign relations of South AfricaThe foreign relations of South Africa have spanned from the country's time as Dominion and later Realm of the British Empire to its isolationist policies under Apartheid to its position as a responsible international actor taking a key role in Africa....
- Angola-South Africa relationsAngola-South Africa relationsAngola-South Africa relations refer to the current and historical relationship between Angola and South Africa. Relations in the post-apartheid era are quite strong as the ruling parties in both states, the African National Congress in South Africa and the MPLA in Angola, fought together during the...