Glenn Babb

Glenn Robin Ware Babb (born June 4 1943)cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Mr Glenn Robin Ware Babb
work = Who's Who of Southern Africa
publisher =Media24 Digital
date =2008-01-06
url = http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/Pages/profilefull.aspx?IndID=1652
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accessdate = 2008-05-19] is a former politician and diplomat for the former apartheid regime 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.cite news
last =MacGregor
first =Karen
coauthors =
title = Apartheid envoy reviled in Canada
work = Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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date =2003-08-30
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accessdate = ]

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.

Family

Glenn Babb was born in Johannesburg 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 a daughter.

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 Paris where he served as secretary for three years. He returned to Pretoria in 1972 and was a training officer with the ministry. 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.

Ambassador to Canada

Babb's mission as Ambassador to Canada began in 1985 while South Africa was in crisis and international pressure on Pretoria 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"Rosenfeld, Erica, "Apartheid on way out, Babb insists ", "Globe and Mail", October 27, 1985] and claimed that sanctions would harm South African blacks more than the white minority. [Canadian Press, "Back Pretoria, envoy urges", "Globe and Mail", November 18, 1985] 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."Cox, Kevin, "Envoy says South Africa hard done by," "Globe and Mail", October 17, 1985] 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. ["50 picket CBC over apartheid", "Toronto Star", January 21, 1986]

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.

Return to South Africa

In 1987, Babb was recalled to South Africa to take over as head of the Africa division and deputy director-general of the department of foreign affairs. [Gawith, Philip, "South African exporters come out into the open", "Financial Times", October 4, 1990] 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. [Wren, Christopher S., "De Klerk's Party Wins By-Election Decisively", "New York Times", November 8, 1990] 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. [Reuters, "Electoral college approves de Klerk as president", "Toronto Star", September 14, 1989] Babb subsequently left parliament after two years, in 1991, and returned to the foreign ministry, serving as South Africa's ambassador to Italy [Cowell, Alan, "South African Artists on Show at the Biennale", "New York Times", June 26, 1993] until 1995 when he left government service. He has since been active with various business pursuits such as long-lasting milk, oil lubricants, manufacturing, an airport shuttle service, manufacturing wine vats and owning an Internet cafe.

Babb is chairman of the Owl Club, a gentlemen's club, in Cape Town.

References

ee also

*Foreign relations of South Africa
*Angola-South Africa relations