Kikwete on SADC�s origins
Correspondent | Thursday August 25, 2016 14:49
Both organisations had among its core objectives economic cooperation and integration of the Southern African region. It is opportune time, therefore, to look back and see how much ground has been covered and what needs to be done going forward in pursuit of this noble objective.
The Southern African Development Coordination Conference was the brain child of the Frontline States Organisation established in 1975 to assist and spearhead the struggle for political liberation of Southern Africa. Specifically, it was against South African colonialism in Namibia, white minority rule in Zimbabwe and the apartheid regime in South Africa. At the beginning, the Frontline States comprised five countries of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.
Later in 1980, Zimbabwe joined after getting her independence and so did Namibia on attaining independence in March 1990. Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, then President of the United Republic of Tanzania was its founding Chair. When he retired from the Presidency in 1985, President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia took over the Chairmanship of the organisation. When President Kaunda left office in 1991, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe became its Chairman.
In the course of performing their duties and functions, the Frontline States leaders realised that some strategic countries in Southern Africa faced some incumbrances which impeded them from committing fully and from contributing to the fullest in the struggle.
This was because of pervasive dependence on apartheid South Africa. The export base was controlled by South African companies in these countries. For Example, South Africa was the largest labour market for Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland were part of the Rand Monetary Agreement. Transport routes for six landlocked countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe pass through South Africa. Unfortunately, there were only North to South and no West to East routes. The list is long for the shortage of time let me mention these.
These dependent countries faced reprisals from the apartheid regime if they supported the liberation struggle. There was the possibility of sanctions or even harsher forms of punishment. Indeed, it did happen. From time to time restrictions were imposed on labour from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
There were repeated border closures and restrictions against Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Botswana.
There were frequent cuts in electricity supply to Mozambique and Lesotho. In 1980, South Africa boycotted ports of Mozambique. The apartheid regime supported armed rebellions in Angola and Mozambique. Transport networks, tea plantations and oil installations were sabotaged. Over and above that direct military aggression were perpetrated against countries that supported the liberation struggle in the region.
In view of all this, the Frontline States’ leaders directed their Foreign Ministers to deliberate on the situation and propose ways of counteracting it.
The Ministers met in May 1979 in Gaborone, Botswana and decided to ask their counterparts responsible for economic development to work on the economic aspects of the matter and come up with pertinent proposals. The economic Ministers met in July 1979 in Arusha, Tanzania and their proposal culminated in the Lusaka Summit of April 1, 1980.
At that Summit, the Heads of State of the six Frontline States of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe plus Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland signed the famous Lusaka Declaration Towards Economic Liberation. It is this Declaration which established the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC).
Sir Seretse Khama, then President of the Republic of Botswana became its founding Chairman.
When he passed on July 13, 1980 Sir Ketumile Masire, who succeeded him as President assumed the Chairmanship. At the Summit in Maseru, Lesotho in 1994, President Nelson Mandela of the Republic of South Africa was appointed Chairman for three years. After that, the SADC Chairmanship became rotational on annual basis.
The nine SADCC member states aspired to build on their political cooperation to act in concert for coordinated social-economic development of the region as a means of reducing over-dependence on apartheid South Africa.
They appreciated that individually their countries were small and weak but collectively and in view of the abundance of human, agricultural, natural and other resources they possessed, the region could become a formidable economic powerhouse.
Collectively, the region can overcome the dependence challenge and promote equitable sustainable economic growth and integration.
In this regard, the principal objectives of the SADCC were four fold:
*Reduce dependence particularly but not only on apartheid South Africa;
*Forging links to create genuine and equitable regional integration;
*Mobilisation of resources to promote the implementation of national, interstate and regional policies; and
*Concerted actions to secure international support within the framework strategy for economic liberation.
Institutions of leadership, management and follow up for the SADCC were created. The adopted implementation strategy was for each member state to be assigned a sector to coordinate or a project (s) or programme (s) to develop on behalf of the region.
In most cases it was based on the characteristics of each country and its strength and resources. Indeed, member states demonstrated very high levels of commitment and devotion in implementing their responsibilities.
There were ups and downs in implementation of the programmes and projects but, at the end of the first decade, the SADCC had been able to register some achievements in pursuit of its objectives.
People could fly from one capital to another without having to pass through apartheid South Africa. About 63% of all trade was going through ports of SADCC member states. The port of Beira was cheaper by USD 400 per tonne than the port of Durban. Fortunately, favourable weather conditions improved agricultural production by 30% in 1988 easing the food insecurity situation.
Also, terms of trade for primary commodities improved after a long time. Policy reforms by member states reduced inflation and improved competitiveness of SADCC countries. Eight countries out of the nine showed positive GDP growth rates. Things looked prospective despite the enormity of challenges.
Donors not following up their pledges with funds and demanding too much preparatory work was one of the major constraining factor. Member states complained about it.
On their part, donors complained of projects and programmes not being prepared well and lacking in regionalism. At some point, this almost created an impulse but through frank discussions matters were smoothened out and the momentum was regained.
In March 1990, Namibia became independent and joined both the Frontline States and SADCC. The SADCC membership became 10 and that of the Frontline States became six. After the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in February 1990 and the talks between the ANC and the apartheid regime, then speculation began to circulate that new political dispensations could possibly unfold in South Africa.
A new South Africa under black majority rule was likely going to happen. The leaders of SADCC, both at the political and secretariat level, took the speculations seriously. They felt that undertaking strategic thinking was a matter of essence in order to position the organisation properly if things turn out to be true.
The overarching question that demanded quick response was about how to handle a black majority-ruled South Africa for an organisation that came into existence under the philosophy of not working with South Africa and not being dependent on South Africa. At the end of intense deliberations, it was concluded that the SADCC had to work with apartheid-free South Africa. It was decided that the SADCC should be restructured accordingly to accommodate the impending situation.
This exercise was undertaken and was successfully concluded. On August 17, 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia when Heads of State and Governments of the ten SADCC member states signed the Declaration and Treaty Establishing the Southern African Development Community. The countries were Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Indeed, in 1994 the people of South Africa held their first elections on the basis of universal suffrage where no-body was denied the right to vote because of his or her race. And the same year, the new South Africa applied and was accepted to join the Southern African Development Community as the 11th member. Soon thereafter, South Africa began to participate in all organs and activities of SADC.
As a matter of fact, they were also assigned sectors to coordinate. In 1995, Mauritius became the 12th member whereas in 1996 the DRC and Seychelles became the 13th and 14th members respectively. In 2005 Madagascar joined as the 15th and the last member state to date.
The Windhoek Treaty establishing SADC sets out the main objective of SADC as “to achieve development and economic growth; maintain peace and security, alleviate poverty; enhance standards and quality of life of the people of Southern Africa; and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration”. And, these objectives are to be achieved through increased regional integration built on democratic principles and equitable and sustainable development.
The text above is taken from a speech Kikwete gave on Tuesday at the University of Swaziland in Mbabane entitled “Upscalling Regional Integration”. Kikwete, the former president of Tanzania, is in Swaziland ahead of the SADC Heads of State Summit. Abridged from the original.