The External State-Building Function of Paradiplomacy

In this article, I use the case of cross-border co-operation between South African subnational governments and the Kingdom of Lesotho to show how paradiplomacy can fulfil an external sovereign state-building function. The role of economic development and effective border management in inspiring and determining subnational cross-border activities on this borderline should not be underestimated. However, a closer examination suggests that paradiplomacy in these borderlands cannot be understood outside the framework of Lesotho's precarious and highly dependent statehood. Drawing mainly on key informant interviews with officials and other stakeholders, I argue that cross-border paradiplomacy in this context should be seen as more than just a housekeeping or region-building imperative. Consistent with the social contract model of state-building, cross-border co-operation between Lesotho and neighbouring South African subnational governments can be interpreted as a legitimacy-boosting strategy that affords the beleaguered state external avenues to provide for the socio-economic needs of its citizens.