Memoirs
Foreword . . .
A more suitable title than Beyond Diplomacy for Riaan Eksteen’s autobiography would be hard to conjure. lt fully sums up or takes in a lifetime as a professional diplomat, business executive and academic. But those two words skilfully hide high drama, massive tensions, wars and nailbiting diplomacy. This is the legacy of Koedoe Eksteen which he now pens in what I view as the most informative book on a hugely important time in South Africa’s modern history.
Recommendations
“Riaan Eksteen reflects on his remarkable journey that took him from a diplomatic career under the previous South African dispensation to serving the new South Africa as an ambassador to several countries, including Namibia. As South Africa’s first ambassador to Namibia he worked with our government to lay the foundations of a new relationship between our two countries. He shows that it is possible to draw lessons from life, to convert challenges into opportunities, and to build friendship even with former political opponents.”
“From the vantage point of an active participant in various capacities, Riaan Eksteen chronicles the events, issues and personalities that helped to shape South Africa’s foreign relations and domestic politics over five decades. He makes a vital contribution to the country’s recorded diplomatic history and also provides fascinating insights into the political machinations of both the old and new South Africa.”
“Beyond Diplomacy is testimony to Eksteen’s professional approach. The versatile Eksteen was able to establish a wide diplomatic network and also a large circle of friends and associates within Southern Africa and intenationally over decades. Anyone who reads Beyond Diplomacy attentively will take a fresh Iook at one of South Africa’s top diplomats.”
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About
The Author
At the cutting edge . . .
Beyond Diplomacy covers Riaan “Koedoe” Eksteen’s eventful career — from being South Africa’s youngest ambassador at the time, taking the helm and transforming broadcasting in South Africa, to being closely involved in Namibia’s pre- and post-independence. Events and altercations that have never before been aired or documented are now put in a new context. His experiences and involvement in South Africa’s diplomacy stretched over a period of 27 years starting way back when Verwoerd was prime minister. During his extraordinary career he served as ambassador under John Vorster, P.W. Botha, F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.
Now for the first time Riaan “Kudu” Eksteen shares his life story in his own words. In his memoirs, he covers nearly six decades of extraordinary and remarkable career and life transitions. He describes each of these crucial moments and the difference each one made.
Riaan is still active as an academic. The six years after his 74th birthday were particularly productive. During this time he wrote a doctoral thesis and two books, one of which was published in Europe. In 2019, he was invited to deliver two lectures in Europe and the USA at international conferences. He was also requested by experts in Europe to contribute chapters for two books. He also published 14 articles for international journals. On more than 20 occasions, he addressed audiences in Europe and the US through Zoom. As a visiting professor, he lectured to law students at the University of Uzbekistan. He serves on the Board of the “Global Institute for Research, Education and Scholarship (GIRES)”, Amsterdam. In June 2022 he became a member of the South African Academy of Science and Arts.
By The Author
Sneak Peak – Preface
Get the feel of the book
It is not the intention of this memoir to catalogue my life from birth. Equally, what follows is neither a blow-by-blow account of the varied careers I have pursued nor a presentation of an egotistical journey or a sharing of life philosophies. It is also not an attempt to provide a detailed historical narrative of events. When the context requires this, I quote briefly from or refer to authors who supply such detail in depth and with much more authority than I can muster. A full catalogue of these sources is contained in a volume that I presented to the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), the only multidisciplinary academic knowledge institute in the Netherlands devoted entirely to the study of Africa and an interfaculty institute of Leiden University.
My objective, rather, is to reflect on some of the events that I had been fortunate to have observed from close range or in which I had been privileged to have been involved. In some of these I occupied a particular vantage point. Looking back, I have no regrets about the choices I have made or the decisions I have taken in my professional careers or private life.
The names of places and of persons and their positions are given in their proper historical context. Using first names of personalities denotes no disrespect; instead, it serves the useful purpose of ridding this account of the burden of formality.
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