This is one sure way of sending out a strong message that the community is here to stay. The region needed the bold confidence statement after all this talk of a community that could be torn asunder by other competing regional blocs like COMESA and SACU. Further, there have been some thorny political, social and economic issues that threatened to put other SADC member countries on a collision course. It is, however, gratifying that SADC member states have remained focused on the mandate of the organisation other than to be distracted by the little disagreements between some of them. The recent summit in Gaborone has achieved a major feat in renewing the call to expedite regional integration. There is no doubt that SADC as a community needs to be more integrated than it is. The economic realities demonstrate that SADC can accrue many advantages working as a group than the present scenario where member states are actually competing against each other. Instructive lessons can be drawn from the political federation that brought into being the United States of America. The US is such a powerful country because all the different states saw the need to come together and form one great nation. Perhaps an example that is much closer to our own reality is the European Union (EU), which despite the early resistance and differences between member countries is proving to be one of the most powerful blocs in the world. The EU is a rich political, cultural and economic giant. SADC can draw lessons from the EU that countries need not lose their identity in regional integration. SADC can be turned into a huge market and production bloc with countries still retaining their national identities. Thankfully, SADC countries are not culturally different. Our people share a lot in common including language, history and politics. These are advantages that can be exploited for the common good of the region. While SADC needs to push the grand plan of regional integration, we are however, disappointed that the Troika did not meet to consider the political problems in Zimbabwe and Madagascar. That the Troika did not meet prior to the summit does not quite convey a positive message to the peoples of these countries. The people of Zimbabwe and Madagascar need assistance and they need it fast.
SADC cannot afford to procrastinate on these important matters. We urge SADC to do all in its power to ensure that the outstanding political problems in the two countries are expeditiously addressed.
