FREE TRADE AREA - SARDCof contribution to total GDP. The establishment of so-called “Grand” Free Trade Area is expected to bolster intra-regional trade by creating a wider market,

THE LEADERS of 26 Africancountries have taken anothermajor step towards a FreeTrade Area that would coverthe eastern half of Africa, liter-ally from the Cape to Cairo –from South Africa to Egypt.

Meeting in South Africa on12 June at their second jointSummit, the leaders ofthree Regional EconomicCommunities (RECs) formallylaunched negotiations for theestablishment of an integratedmarket of the 26 countriescomprising,o a combined population

of almost 600 million peo-ple;

o a total Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) of aboutUS$1 trillion;

o half of the African Union(AU) in terms of member-ship;

o 57 percent of the total popu-lation of the African Union;and,

o just over 58 percent in termsof contribution to total GDP.The establishment of so-

called “Grand” Free TradeArea is expected to bolsterintra-regional trade by creatinga wider market, increasedinvestment flows, enhancedcompetitiveness and the devel-opment of cross-regional infra-structure.

This FTA, formally known asthe Tripartite Free Trade Area, isbeing established by theSouthern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC), the EastAfrican Community (EAC) andthe Common Market for Easternand Southern Africa (COME-SA).

The Legal and Institu-tional Framework was agreed

through a Tripartite Memo-randum of Understanding onInter-Regional Cooperationand Integration signed byCOMESA, EAC and SADC,that came into force on 19January 2011.

In order to fast-track prepa-rations for implementation, theleaders have adopted a devel-opmental approach to theTripartite integration processthat is anchored on three pil-lars:

Market integration based onthe Tripartite FTA; Infrastructure developmentto enhance connectivity andreduce costs of doing busi-ness; andIndustrial development toaddress productive capacityconstraints.

continued on page 2...

POLICY 3

INFRASTRUCTURE 4

FOOD SECURITY 5

CLIMATE CHANGE 6

ENERGY 7-10

BUSINESS BRIEFS 11

SOUTH - SOUTH 12

GENDER 13

ELECTIONS 14

EVENTS 15

HISTORY TODAY 16

SADC TODAY Vol. 13 No 4 June 2011

FREE TRADE AREA TO COVER HALF OF AFRICA

support for the Tripartitecooperation within theframework of establishingan African Economic Com-munity and the overallAfrican Union Vision andStrategy presented in theLagos Plan of Action (1980)and the Abuja Treaty (1991).They also support the resolu-tion of the 2006 AU Summitthat directed the commissionand the RECs to put in placemechanisms to facilitate har-

monization and coordinationwithin and among the RECs.

The first Tripartite Summitwas held in 2008 in Uganda,with initial commitmentto implementation regardingprogrammes in trade, customsand economic integration; freemovement of business per-sons; and infrastructure devel-opment amongst the threeRECs.

In the area of infrastructuredevelopment, progress is

In addition to launching thenegotiations for establishing theTripartite FTA, the leaders ofCOMESA, EAC and SADCadopted a roadmap as well asthe negotiating principles,processes and institutionalframework. They have alsodirected that a programme ofwork and a roadmap be devel-oped for the industrialisationpillar.

The African Union Com-mission has expressed strong

THE GRAND FTA documentlaunched at the 2nd TripartiteSummit in South Africa isin the form of a draft agree-ment that contains 14 annex-es covering various comple-mentary areas regardedas necessary for effectivefunctioning of a regionalmarket.

The main proposal is toestablish a tariff-free, quota-free and exemption-free traderegime covering the 26 coun-tries by combining the existingFTAs of the three RECs.

It is expected that by 2012,the SADC, COMESA and EACFTAs would not have anyexemptions or sensitive lists forproducts manufactured in therespective regions. However,there is a possibility that a fewcountries might wish to consid-er maintaining a few sensitiveproducts in trading with somemajor economic partners.

For this reason, provisionhas been made for the possibil-ity of a country to seek permis-sion for maintaining some sen-sitive products for a specifiedperiod of time.

The Tripartite FTA willbe underpinned by robustinfrastructure programmesdesigned to catalyze the region-al market through interconnec-tivity facilitated by all modes oftransport and telecommunica-

tions, and to promote competi-tiveness through initiativessuch as ensuring adequate sup-plies of energy.

Following the officiallaunch of negotiations toestablish the FTA, MemberStates will have about sixmonths, up to December 2011,to finalize their domestic

processes for ratifying theagreement, establishing therequired support institutionsand adopting the relevant cus-toms procedures and instru-ments.

It is proposed that once thisapproval process is accom-plished, the Tripartite FTAshould be launched in 2012. r

2 SOUTHERN AFRICA Today, June 2011

continued from page 1...

Free Trade Area to cover half of Africa

What the leaders said

How the Free Trade Area will work

already evident in the plans tostrengthen the North Southtransport corridor betweenDar es Salaam and Durban,with the support of interna-tional cooperating partnersand the donor community.

Aid for Trade programmesare being developed for theother major corridors includ-ing maritime corridors.Priority projects will bepresented at a Tripartite andInter-Governmental Authorityon Development (IGAD)Infrastructure InvestmentConference in Kenya on 29-30September 2011.

The host of the recentTripartite Summit, PresidentJacob Zuma of South Africa,described the historic meetingthat launched the Tripartite FTAnegotiations as “a key mile-stone in the integration ofAfrica.”

Egypt will host the nextTripartite Summit. r

HOST PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma ofSouth Africa said the creation of anenlarged Free Trade Area wouldensure a favorable environment foreconomic prosperity and growth.

“There is no single country thatcan prosper on its own, our destiniesare intertwined. We can achievegreater competitive advantagethrough the Tripartite FTA arrange-ment,” he said.

SADC chairperson and Namibian President,Hifikepunye Pohamba concurred, urging allmember countries to put their shoulders to thewheel to make the FTA a reality.

“With a population of nearly 600 millionpeople and a combined Gross DomesticProduct of close to US$1 trillion, the realizationof this goal (economic integration) would repo-sition our respective regions to achieve higherlevels of economic growth.”

COMESA chairperson, King Mswati III ofSwaziland also hailed the launch of the FTAnegotiations, saying it is inline with the AfricanUnion initiative to promote free trade amongall African countries.

“The present RECs have been operating inisolation, thus creating trading barriers with-in the African continent. Time has come for usto bring together all these organizations toform one big economic powerhouse toincrease trade among African countries.”

EAC chairperson and President of Burundi,Pierre Nkurunziza urged members of the threeregional groups to establish a sound and viableeconomic bloc to pave way for the formation ofan African Economic Union.

“In this perspective, we have a dutyto adopt methods and principles governingthe establishment of the Tripartite Free TradeArea, the roadmap negotiations, and thestatement on the launch of negotiations.” r

President Zuma, King Mswati and President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundiwere some of the African leaders present at the launch of the Grand FTA.

projects and submit reports,”the ministers said in a state-ment.

The Southern AfricanPower Pool (SAPP) is a 12-member regional body thatcoordinates the planning,generation, transmission andmarketing of electricity onbehalf of member states utili-ties in SADC.

“According to the currentprojection, the region willattain self-sufficiency inpower by the year 2014, pro-vided implementation ofplanned projects remains oncourse.”

The ministers said coun-tries should move towardsidentifying energy projectsthat have a regional impact toattract investment.

Potential investors haveshown great desire to fundsuch projects, arguing thatindividual country projectsare too small to attractinvestment hence expandingthe market size could facili-tate the mobilisation offunds while at the same timecross-border projects havethe advantage of a positiveeconomic effect on theregion.

The Zimbabwe-Zambia-B o t s w a n a - N a m i b i a(ZiZaBoNa) transmissionproject and the MozambicanBackbone Corridor are goodexamples of regional projectsthat have the potential tohave a positive effect on theregion.

Other projects includethe Mphanda Nkuwahydro power project inMozambique, Itezhi Tezhihydro power plant in Zambiaand the Inga hydropowerproject in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo. r

REVIEW OF SADC’s energysector governing instrumentsis expected to be completedby March 2012 after a year-long delay due to fundingconstraints.

This emerged from theannual meeting of SADCEnergy Ministers held inBotswana in May at whichvarious issues affecting thesector were discussed.

The review of the SADCenergy sector governinginstruments such as theSADC Energy Protocol,SADC Energy Policy, SADCEnergy Strategy and ActionPlan and SADC EnergyActivity Plan was approvedlast year at the ministers’annual meeting held inAngola in April.

The ministers noted dur-ing the Gaborone meetingthat the review had not beenundertaken but that negotia-tions were ongoing with theNorwegian government toassist with funding with aview to have the review com-pleted by March 2012.

The SADC energy policyframework is comprehensiveand places great emphasis onthe availability of sufficient,reliable and least-cost energyservices. This addresses thebroader SADC objectives,which include attractinginvestment and promotingcompetitiveness and trade asa means for eradicatingpoverty, bearing in mind theneed for the environmentallysustainable use of energyresources.

The policy framework alsoaims to support the SADC'sstrategic priorities that aretargeted at industrialisation,the promotion of economicand social infrastructure,

developing agriculture, gen-der mainstreaming, humanresources development andimproving social welfare.

The SADC Protocol onEnergy provides the broadlegal and policy frameworkfor cooperation in the energysector. It was signed inAugust 1996 and came intoforce in April 1997 afterreceiving the required num-ber of ratifications.

The protocol was opera-tionalised through the SADCEnergy Cooperation Policyand Strategy and the SADCEnergy Sector Action Planapproved by the SADCCouncil of Ministers in 1996and 1997, respectively.

The Action Plan identifiesfour priority areas as energytrade, information and expe-rience exchange, training andorganisational capacity build-ing, and investment andfunding.

The SADC Energy ActivityPlan (approved by Council in2000) further elaborated thefour priority areas into adetailed programme of activi-ties to be implemented.

All the instruments gov-erning regional cooperationin the energy sector wereadopted more than 10 yearsago and have, therefore,become outdated.

The sector has seen pro-found reforms over the years,bringing to the fore new areaswhich are not covered by thepolicy framework. Recentdevelopments such as the cli-mate change agenda havebecome more relevant thanbefore. It has thus becomenecessary to review the policyinstruments so that they aremore responsive to currentrealities.

On the development of theRenewable Energy Strategyand Action Plan, the ministerssaid plans are underway toensure the strategy is “final-ized by the end of January2012.”

The strategy and actionplan aim among other thingsto promote the uptake ofclean and alternative energysources.

Alternative energy sourcesor low-carbon energy projectssuch as hydro, solar and windproduce less pollutants andare fast emerging as the mostlucrative sources of financ-ing under the CleanDevelopment Mechanism(CDM).

SADC is vast with cleanenergy sources, which if fullyharnessed have the capacityto address most of the energyneeds in the region.

The ministers reaffirmedthe need for collective collab-oration in addressing theenergy situation in the region,which now far outstripsdemand.

They noted that the regioncould only attain self-suffi-ciency in power if MemberStates implement all shortterm generation projects asper agreed plans.

However, the lead time formost power generation proj-ects is fast approaching andsouthern Africa needs toredouble its efforts to ensurethe targets are met or at leastget back on track.

“Member States shouldtake measures necessary toensure completion of projectsas per the planned milestonesand we invite the SADCSecretariat assisted by SAPPto effectively monitor theimplementation of power

P O L I C Y

Energy policy review to be completed by March 2012

SOUTHERN AFRICA Today 3


T H E S A D C E x e c u t i v eSecretary, Tomaz Salomão hasconfirmed Southern Africa’scommitment to building theKazungula Bridge that willlink Botswana and Zambiaover the Zambezi River com-pleting an important trans-port route for the region.

Salomão said in a state-ment that despite the delaysin constructing the bridge, theproject is on course.

He said that Botswana andZambia are committed toimplementing the project thatwill benefit the entire south-ern African region.

“The SADC Secretariatexpresses its appreciation tothe two Member States for theutmost cooperation and com-mitment they have demon-strated in the course of imple-menting this phase of theproject.”

Salomão said this inresponse to some mediareports that had claimed thatthe project was facing seriousimplementation challengesand was on the brink of beingshelved.

“Contrary to recent pressreports, that Zambia has notpaid its contribution towardsthe project, resulting indelays, the two MemberStates have religiously mettheir financial obligations andcurrently none of them is inany form of arrears, and thecurrent thrust is on imple-mentation and conclusion ofthe three components of theproject,” he said.

The Kazungula Bridge is tobe constructed at the conflu-ence of the Zambezi andChobe rivers, about 65kmupstream from the VictoriaFalls.

The project, estimated atmore than US$100 million,comprises the main bridgethat measures about 720m

and 2,980m for approachroads.

SADC approved the proj-ect a few years ago to facili-tate trade and the smoothmovement of goods and serv-ices across the region.However, various challengeshave impeded the implemen-tation process.

Initially the bridge in-volved Zimbabwe, archingover the country’s territorialwaters, but a new locationwas found after extensiveconsultations, a few metresupstream to Namibia.

The components comprisea detailed design study of theKazungula road/rail bridge,border control facilities,tolling facilities and one-stopborder posts on either side aswell as consulting services fortrade and transport facilita-tion for the North-Southtransport corridor componentbetween Lubumbashi andDurban.

These components werecompleted by the end ofJanuary 2011 while theprocess of tendering for theconstruction of the bridgewas finalized in February.

Challenges have includedthe relocation of the road/railbridge from the shorter sec-

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

Plumtree-Mutare road to boostregional trade

Kazungula Bridge project remains on course

tion in Zimbabwe to theupstream in Namibia and anescalation of costs of financ-ing such a regional project.

The bridge is expected tofoster and support regionaleconomic development and

ZIMBABWE HAS signed aUS$206 million deal with theDevelopment Bank ofSouthern Africa for the reha-bilitation and upgrading ofthe Plumtree-Mutare high-way.

The project involves therehabilitation of 820km ofroad from Plumtree onZimbabwe’s border withBotswana to Mutare on theborder with Mozambique,through Bulawayo andHarare.

The work envisagedincludes rehabilitation ofsome sections and construc-tion of state-of-the-art toll-gates to replace temporaryshelters that have been erect-ed.

Transport, Communi-cation and Infrastructure

Development Minister,Nicholas Goche and FinanceMinister, Tendai Biti signedthe deal on behalf ofZimbabwe. The DBSA wasrepresented by its ExecutiveVice President, AdamassuTadesse.

Work on the highway willbe done by Infralink, a jointventure company betweenthe Zimbabwe National RoadAuthority (Zinara) and GroupFive International of SouthAfrica.

Zinara has a 70 percentshareholding in the joint ven-ture while Group FiveInternational has 30 percent.Group Five International hasconstructed major highwaysand airports in South Africa,notably for the 2010 SoccerWorld Cup.

deepen integration amongMember States, as well asreducing the transport costsfor basic commodities andimpacting on other economicsectors such as tourism.

The Kazungula Bridgeproject is largely funded bythe African DevelopmentBank (AfDB), although thetwo Member States arerequired to fund certain com-ponents of the feasibilitystudies as well as any aspectsof the study that they maybring up after the signing ofthe bilateral financial agree-ments with the AfDB.

Completion of the bridge isexpected to reduce themounting pressure on south-ern Africa’s transport systemand address delays, which areoften experienced at borderposts. r

The Kazungula bridge linking Botswana and Zambia will replace the currentferry and provide a new transport route for regional trade.


FOOD SECURITY is expect-ed to remain satisfactorythroughout the year overmost parts of southernAfrica.

Assessments by theFamine Ear ly WarningSystems Network (FEWS-NET) show average to above-average maize harvests formost SADC Member Statesduring the just-ended2010/11 agricultural season.

“Current reports indicatethat household food accesshas improved and food secu-rity has been enhanced, par-

ticularly in those areas whichbenefited from favourablerainfall,” FEWSNET said in itsassessment.

The harvests are sufficientto meet the region’s require-ments for the next six monthsand beyond.

FEWSNET said the totalregional cereal availability isexpected to remain near thelevels reached last season. Forthe 2009/10 marketing year,SADC recorded a regional cere-al surplus of 476,000 tonnes.

Preliminary forecasts forregional maize and all cereals

production as estimated bythe respective national statis-tics offices and the FoodSecurity Early Warning Units(NEWUs) within the regionshow that while SouthAfrica’s maize productiondropped by 14 percent in the2010/11 season, the combinedproduction of maize by theother Member S ta tesincreased by four percent.

The biggest contributors tothis increase are Malawi andZambia, whose maize produc-tion has increased by about 13and 8 percent, respectively.

F O O D S E C U R I T Y

SADC region remains food secure

SADC countries work together to contain footand mouth disease

Final crop production esti-mates are expected by the endof July.

“Despite the drop in SouthAfrican maize, however, thecountry’s total maize avail-ability in 2011/12 is sufficientto meet the regional importrequirements of its grain defi-cient neighbours,” saidFEWSNET.

With regard to maize pro-duction, most countries areexpected to complement theirproduce by larger carryoverstocks on account of thebumper harvest from last sea-son.

For example, South Africais expecting a carryover ofmore than 2.65 million metrictonnes, while Zambia andMalawi have also reportedsignificant formal and on-farm closing stocks. rVETERINARY AUTHORI-

TIES from five SADC coun-tries are working jointly tocontain sporadic outbreaks offoot and mouth disease alongtheir borders.

Botswana, Mozambique,South Africa, Zambia andZimbabwe met recently andresolved to work together todeal with outbreaks of thedisease.

The joint initiative followsan outbreak of the diseasein Matabeleland North,Masvingo and Chimanimaniareas of Zimbabwe, someparts of Botswana, and SouthAfrica’s KwaZulu-Natalprovince.

Botswana has since assist-ed Zimbabwe with vaccinesas part of a joint vaccinationprogramme as the two coun-tries step up efforts to defendtheir beef industries.

“We appreciate the gestureby Botswana, who like us, areleading exporters of beefin southern Afr ica ,”Zimbabwean AgricultureMinister, Joseph Made said.

He said his ministry isworking closely with theDepartment of National Parksin order to minimize contactbetween cattle and buffaloes,which are vectors of the dis-ease.

“We need to ensure thatNational Parks maintainsfences to keep buffaloes intheir traditional areas whilewe also closely monitor theincidences of veldt fires thatare destroying pastures andforcing the buffaloes to wan-der out of the parks in searchof forage,” Made said.

Foot and mouth disease is acontagious, sometimes fatalviral disease that affectscloven-hoofed animals, includ-ing domestic and wild bovids.

The virus causes a highfever for two or three days,followed by blisters in the

mouth and on the feet thatmay rupture and cause lame-ness.

Foot and mouth disease isa severe plague for animalfarming since it is highlyinfectious and can be spreadby infected animals throughthe air or by contact with con-taminated farming equip-ment, vehicles, clothing orfeed.

Its containment demandsconsiderable efforts in vacci-nation, strict monitoring,trade restrictions and quaran-tines, and occasionally theelimination of millions of ani-mals.

Suscept ib le an imalsinclude cattle, buffalo, sheep,goats, pigs, antelope, deerand bison. It has also beenknown to infect hedgehogsand elephants. The Herald r

SIGNING OF the SADC agri-cultural research charter bySwaziland signals anotherstep towards boosting foodsecurity in the region.

Swaziland signed theCharter for the Centre forCoordinating AgriculturalResearch and Development inSouthern Africa (CCARDE-SA) in May and is among thefirst countries to do so.

CCARDESA, which wasapproved by SADC Councilin 2010, aims to establish acentre to coordinate agricul-tural research, technologygeneration and disseminationof research information insouthern Africa.

This is Expected toincrease agricultural produc-tion and ensure SADC is sus-tainably food secure. r

Swaziland signsSADC agricultureresearch charter


C L I M A T E C H A N G E

by Neto Nengomasha

CLIMATE CHANGE expertsfrom across the globe areengaged in crucial negotia-tions to ensure a break-through is achieved at theforthcoming climate changeconference scheduled to forlate November in Durban,South Africa.

Negotiators for the 17thConference of the Parties(COP 17) recently met atthe UN Climate ChangePreparatory Conference inBonn, Germany, “to provideclarity on the architecture ofthe future international cli-mate regime to reduce globalemissions fast enough to avoidthe worst climate change.”

The Uni ted Nat ionsFramework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC)Executive Secretary, ChristianaFigueres, said national govern-ments hold an unavoidable

responsibility to make clearprogress towards the 2011 cli-mate objectives agreed to at the16th Conference of Parties heldin Cancun, Mexico, last year.

“Governments lit a beaconin Cancun towards a low-emission world which isresilient to climate change,”she said, adding that “they

committed themselves to amaximum global averagetemperature rise of 2 degreesCelsius, with further consid-eration of a 1.5 degrees maxi-mum,” Figueres said.

“Now, more than ever, it iscritical that all efforts are mobi-lized towards living up to thiscommitment,” she added.

Figueres highlighted theglobal climate action whichgovernments need to capital-ize on, including new policiesthat promote low-carbongrowth and an increase in low-carbon investment by the pri-vate sector, as well as greateruse of clean technology.

“The clean and renewableenergy revolution has alreadybegun – the challenge is tocomplete it in time,” she noted.

COP 17 comes amid reve-lations that there is a sharprise in the volume and con-centration of greenhouse gasemissions in the atmosphere.

The International EnergyAgency announced that 2010emissions from global energygeneration have returned torecord highs, marking anunexpectedly sharp reboundfrom the reduced emissionlevels resulting from thefinancial crisis.

The reports also show thatcarbon dioxide concentra-tions have once again peakedat just under 395 parts permillion (ppm).

At an earlier conferenceheld in Bangkok, Thailand, inApril, Figueres pointed outthat while Cancun was a sig-nificant step, meeting thelong-term challenge of cli-mate change requires increas-ingly strong internationalagreements, backed bynational policies that incen-tivised all sides to takeaggressive and collectiveaction on a global scale

Climate change expertsnoted that the rulebook of theKyoto protocol is the onlyinternational set of account-ing rules to protect environ-mental integrity while ensur-ing that a tonne of carbonremoved from the atmos-phere is a real tonne, no mat-ter where it is removed orwho removes it. r

COP 17 needs a breakthrough

SOUTH AFRICA haspledged to reach out to allstakeholders as it seeks a cli-mate change deal that deliv-ers on the aspirations of allparties.

As host of COP 17 andincoming chair of the globalclimate change negotiations,South Africa said it acceptedthat the onus to deliver anacceptable climate changeoutcome in Durban rests withthe host country.

“But the role of state par-ties cannot be overempha-sized – this is their meeting,”s a i d M a i t e N k o a n a -Mashabane, South Africa’sInternational Relations andCooperation Minister.

Scheduled for Durbanfrom November 29 toDecember 10, COP 17 is

expected to provide an oppor-tunity for countries fromaround the world to agree onclimate change adaptationand carbon emission reduc-tion measures.

“As the next president ofthe COP 17, we are reachingout to all parties and stake-holders in the climate changenegotiations. Our taskremains to ensure that coun-try parties to the UNFCCCdeliver an acceptable, fair,transparent, and equitabledeal in the upcomingclimate change negotiationsi n D u r b a n , ” N k o a n a -Mashabane said.

The last conference, held inMexico last year, failed to pro-duce a binding internationalagreement to cut carbon emis-sions.

Mashabane, however, saidrecent climate change talks,such as the just-ended Bonnnegotiations, are encourag-ing, ahead of the global con-ference.

She said there is anundertaking by PresidentJacob Zuma and PresidentCalderon of Mexico to co-hosta leaders’ dialogue to be heldon 20 September on the mar-gins of the United NationsGeneral Assembly, “which webelieve will set the tone as wemove towards Durban.”

SADC has a draft regionalstrategy for climate changeat COP 17, although genderministers have expressedconcern that it does notsufficiently reflect the differ-ent impacts on women andmen. r

South Africa pledges fair COP 17 deal

Increased flooding can result from environmental damage and climate change.


REGIONAL EFFORTS toreduce SADC’s energy crisisappear to be achieving resultsas the electricity shortfall inthe region stood at just 325megawatts (MW) in 2010compared to more than 900MW at the beginning of 2009.

SADC Energy Ministerssaid in a communiqué issuedafter their annual meetingheld in Gaborone, Botswana,in May, that new power gen-eration plants were installedlast year with a capacity toproduce a combined 1,040MW.

“According to the currentprojections, the region willattain self-sufficiency inpower by the year 2014, pro-vided implementation ofplanned projects remains oncourse.”

“Peak demand in 2010 was45,650 MW which requiresgeneration capacity amount-ing to 50,306 MW, taking intoaccount the 10.2 percentreserve margin required atany time.

“With the available capaci-ty at 49,981 MW, this gives adeficit of 325 MW,” the minis-ters said.

The Southern AfricanPower Pool (SAPP) expects tocommission six energy proj-ects in 2011 that will addabout 1,250 MW of electricity.The new projects are current-ly being developed in Angola,Botswana , Democrat i cRepublic of Congo (DRC),Namibia, South Africa andZimbabwe.

Member state utilities haveidentified a number of priori-ty projects for commissioningover the next few years toaddress the crippling energysituation in the region.

en are actually slower thanexpected.

Many factors have beenattributed to the currentpower shortages obtaining inthe region as well as the slowpace of recovery from the sit-uation.

Some of the reasons offi-cially cited as having histori-cally contributed to where theregion presently finds itself ininclude:• Economic growth of morethan five percent constantlyachieved in most SADCMember States leading tounprecedented growth inelectricity consumption anddemand;• Increase in demand forbase metals resulting in highmetal prices on the worldmarket with new miningcompanies being establishedin the SADC region in the lastfew decades;• Inadequate investments ingeneration and transmissioninfrastructure over the last 20years; and• Electrification expansionprogrammes such as ruralelectrification have partlycontributed to increased con-sumption and demand. r

For example, between 2011and 2015, SAPP expects tocommission projects thatwould add about 16,692 MWof electricity to the regionalgrid, allowing the region tomatch supply and demand.

Recently, the SAPP hasbeen experiencing a powerdeficit situation due toincreased consumptiongrowth in the SADC region ofabout 3-4 percent per annumas a result of enhanced eco-nomic activities and electrifi-cation projects.

Most of the SADC MemberStates are suffering energyshortages and the region isonly expected to fully recoverfrom the current widespreadenergy vulnerability after2013 when power utilities canonce more enjoy the desiredcollective cushion of 10 per-cent surplus power genera-tion capacity, according toSAPP.

The reserve margin is nec-essary to guarantee system

reliability and allow for unex-pected surges in demand.

But the target recoveryyear would only be met if allshort term generation projectsare implemented by MemberStates as per agreed plans.

However, the SADCEnergy Ministers meeting inApril worrisomely revealedthat SADC could in fact con-tinue to experience seriousshortages beyond 2013 asmost projects being undertak-

Zambezi river gorge at Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.

Source: SAPP

Regional energy cooperation is achieving results

Planned Power Projects for 2011-15


ABOUT 80 percent of theworld’s energy supply couldbe met by renewables by 2050if the right policies are put inplace to promote the use ofcleaner and alternative energysources, the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change(IPCC) has said.

Currently, “renewables”provide less than 20 percent ofthe global energy supply withfossil fuels such as thermalaccounting for the majority.

The IPCC said in its SpecialReport on Renewable EnergySources and Climate ChangeMitigation that wider adop-tion of renewables would sig-nificantly reduce carbonemissions, thus contributingtowards the global goal ofholding the increase in tem-perature below 2°C.

The IPPC generally consid-ers 2°C to be the level of safewarming, and the 16thConference of Parties to theUN Framework Conventionon Climate Change (COP16)agreed to cut emissions to con-trol global warming, which hashad some devastating effectssuch as increased frequencyand severity of droughts andfloods, especially in Africa.

Speaking at the reportlaunch, Ottmar Edenhofer, theco-chair of the working groupthat produced the findings,said stakeholders should worktogether to encourage invest-ment in renewables.

Renewable energy sourcesthat are less polluting to theenvironment include solar,hydropower and wind.However, compared to fossilfuels, renewable energy sta-tions such as hydropowerplants and wind farms areexpensive to construct.

The IPCC is urging gov-ernments to adopt the rightpolicies, even though it maybe “technically and political-ly very challenging” toincrease the use of renewableenergy.

These policies may includereducing the price of renew-able energy technologies, anddeveloping incentives forrenewable energy investorssuch as attractive tariffs aswell as friendly tenderingprocedures.

“With consistent climateand energy policy support,renewable energy sources cancontribute substantially tohuman wellbeing by sustain-ably supplying energy andstabilizing the climate,” hesaid.

Co-chair Ramon Pichsadded that the report wouldhelp to inform governmentson the options and decisionsthat will be needed if theworld is to collectivelyachieve lower carbon emis-sions and a more resource-efficient and equitable devel-opment path.

“The report shows that it isnot the availability of theresource, but the public poli-cies that will either expand orconstrain renewable energydevelopment over the comingdecades,” he said.

“Developing countries havean important stake in thisfuture – this is where most ofthe 1.4 billion people withoutaccess to electricity live yet alsowhere some of the best condi-tions exist for renewable ener-gy deployment.”

For example, Africa is huge-ly endowed with watercoursesthrough the seven major riversystems of Congo, Limpopo,Niger, Nile, Orange, Senegaland Zambezi, which, if fullyharnessed, could provide thecontinent with adequate ener-gy supplies.

According to available data,the Zambezi River has thepotential to produce about20,000 megawatts (MW) ofelectricity. However, only 23percent of this potential isbeing harnessed, largely fromtwo main sites at the KaribaDam between Zambia and

Zimbabwe, and the CahoraBassa Dam in Mozambique.

Despite the challenges inexploiting renewables, Africahas made stable progresstowards adopting cleaner andalternative energy sourcesdue to the realizationthat fossil fuels andother forms of ener-gy such as coal willnot last forever, hencethe need to preparefor the future.

Key renewable energyprojects include the MphandaNkuwa hydropower projectin Mozambique, Itezhi Tezhihydropower in Zambia,Batoka hydropower stationbetween Zambia andZimbabwe, and the Ingahydropower project in theDemocratic Republic ofCongo.

Other projects are the WestCoast in South Africa, whereplans are underway to com-mission wind power. TheWest Coast has the potentialto generate about 10,000 MWof electricity.

With regard to solar,Botswana plans to build a 200MW solar plant. The plant hasthe capacity to address a sig-nificant portion of the energyrequired by the country as itsnational power consumptionneeds stand at just about 450MW.

The Special Report onRenewable Energy Sources andClimate Change Mitigationwas launched on 9 May andwill feed into the broader

work of the IPCC as it pre-pares its Fifth AssessmentReport (AR5). The AR5Synthesis Report is sched-uled for finalization inSeptember 2014. r

SADC PLANS to reduce its depend-ence on coal by more than 23 percentover the next five years as part of aprogramme to promote the use ofcleaner energy sources that result inless carbon emissions.

The region currently generatesabout 74 percent of its electricityfrom thermal stations as coal is inabundance.

Thermal stations are easier andcheaper to construct compared tohydro or wind plants. However,renewable energy sources such ashydropower and solar are fastemerging as the most lucrativesources of energy because they donot pollute the environment.

SADC moves towards c

Renewables: The future source of energy

Share of Generation Capacity 2010

Source: SAPP


A SHIFT to clean energy solu-tions will enable Africa to takeadvantage of concessionalresources available, whichreduce costs and risks of suchinvestments while at the sametime providing leverage formobilizing private sectorfunding.

This emerged from thehigh- leve l seminar on

The Southern African Power Pool(SAPP) says the current energy mixneeds to be addressed to achieve abalance. As such, the region intendsto reduce its energy dependence oncoal to about 59 percent by 2015.

This move is expected to seeusage of other energy sources such assolar, wind and gas increasing signif-icantly while nuclear power wouldbe reduced.

For example, wind and solar areexpected to account for about 2 per-cent by 2015. Currently, both sourcesof energy are not considered as majorcontributors to the regional energymix. r

Powering Africa through clean energy – It’s possible

Africa’s largest wind farm approved forcarbon creditsTHE UNITED Nations hasregistered sub-Saharan Africa'slargest wind farm under amechanism that will allow theproject to generate carbon cred-its from its greenhouse gasemission reductions.

The 310 megawatt (MW)Lake Turkana Wind Powerproject is situated close to theshores of the famous LakeTurkana, in north-westernKenya.

The wind farm, which willbe operational by 2013, isbeing developed by a group oflocal and foreign entrepre-neurs.

“We are extremely pleasedto have received notificationof project registration,” saidCarlo van Wageningen, chair-person of Lake Turkana WindPower Limited (LTWP).

“This is another importantmilestone for LTWP, and isfurther confirmation thatrenewable energy is a viableoption for Africa."

LTWP has pledged toreturn part of the carbon cred-it revenue to the Kenyan gov-ernment, which has indicatedthat it will use such revenuefor development activities inthe project area.

The wind farm wasregistered by the Clean

Development Mechanism(CDM) of the UN FrameworkConvention on ClimateChange after independentauditing and expert review.

Carbon credits generatedunder the CDM are knownas "Certified EmissionReductions," each equivalentto one metric tonne of carbondioxide reduced or removedfrom the atmosphere.

The project expects toreduce emissions by morethan 700,000 tonnes perannum by displacing fossilfuel-based electricity genera-tion. This is equivalent to theemissions of more than150,000 cars in a year.

The registration of thewind farm is also further indi-cation that CDM is picking upin Africa and confirms that itis possible to develop high-quality carbon projects on thecontinent.

The Afr ica CarbonAsset Development (ACAD)Facility, jointly set up by theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) andStandard Bank with fundingfrom the German govern-ment, helped to cover some ofthe costs related to the devel-opment and monitoring of thecarbon credits. r

A b u n d a n t n a t u r a lresources in the African conti-nent, coupled with the devel-opment of innovative finan-cial instruments to combat cli-mate change, make the conti-nent capable of significantlyreducing its energy deficit.

With its growth to bebased on a low-carbon andclean energy, Africa will gen-erate more interest than everfrom donors and privateinvestors.

To this end, the AfDB pro-posed the creation of a special

fund, the Africa Green Fund,as a funding mechanism toaddress the needs of low-car-bon growth in Africa.

The fund would be mainlyfinanced from resources allo-cated to Africa under theCopenhagen climate changeagreement.

It will strengthen theappropriation of resources byAfrican countries and Africanparticipation in decision-making about the use of theseresources for the continent.AfDB r

“Powering Africa: FinancingEnergy and Green Growth”,held during the 2011 AnnualMeetings of the AfricanDevelopment Bank (AfDB).

This is particularly the casefor the US$4.3 billion CleanTechnology Fund, which isexpected to mobilize at leastfour times this amount forinvestments in energy effi-ciency, renewable energy andsustainable transport.

Nevertheless, given thehigh cost of these solutionsand the existing funding gap,there needs to be a range offunding sources that willmeet current and futuredemand on a sustainablebasis.

For Africa, the average costof electricity is extremely high– US$0.18 per kWh comparedwith US$0.04 per KWh in Asia.

These exceptionally highcosts are mainly due to thesmall size of national electric-ity grids and the widespreaduse of diesel for generation,an expensive and pollutingform of energy.

Other handicaps includeinefficient use of budgets forenergy investment, inade-quate maintenance, lack ofefficiency and losses in distri-bution, and electricity pricingbelow the cost of production,which encourages waste.

AfDB said Africa shouldtake a cue from the experienceof developed countries thatfirst focused on hydroelectricpower. Construction costs arehigh, but operating costsremain low and the priceis generally competitive.Largescale projects must alsobe combined with smallscaleprojects.

The strong economicgrowth achieved by SADCand the rest of Africa duringthe last decade means thatthey more than ever neednew facilities to support theirrising energy consumption.

clean energy

y for the region

Power Generation Mix in 2010

Source: SAPP


ZAMBIA HAS launched thePower System DevelopmentMaster Plan outlining projectsworth US$12.1 billion to beundertaken between 2010 and2030.

The plan was developedwith the help of the JapaneseInternational CooperationAgency (JICA) and highlightsleast-cost expansion optionsfor generation, transmissionand distribution in the coun-try. The objective of the planis to provide a blueprint forpower system developmentup to the year 2030.

Speaking at the launchceremony, Energy andWater Development MinisterKenneth Konga said powergeneration projects will bedeveloped to add a total of

4,337 megawatts during thenext 20 years.

“The successful implemen-tation of the plan will, amongothers, lead to the provisionof reliable electricity to allpublic and private institu-tions country-wide by 2030,”he said.

He said the plan is expect-ed to increase the transmis-sion capacity for powerexport and import within theregion as well as provide reli-able electricity to all economi-cal ventures. These includemining, agricultural, tourism,commercial and other sectorsof the economy.

This plan supersedes themaster plan developed by theZambia Electricity SupplyCommission (ZESCO) in 1966

which has guided the countryin addressing its electricitygeneration, transmission anddistribution challenges formore than 40 years.

Japanese Ambassador toZambia, Akio Egawa, said theimprovement of electricitynetwork was crucial in pro-pelling Zambia's economicdevelopment and helping thecountry meet targets setunder its Vision 2030.

“I do hope that this masterplan will be fully utilized byZambia and leveraged toachieve stable and sufficientpower supply for the coun-try,” he said.

The formulation of thePower System Developmentmaster plan started in 2008.Times of Zambia r

Zambia launches energy master plan

E N E R G Y

ZIMBABWE PLANS to boostits power generation capacityfrom about 1,200 megawatts(MW) to over 2,800 MW by2015, according to the coun-try’s new five-year economicblueprint.

According to the MediumTerm Plan, which projects aver-age annual economic growthrate of seven percent between2011 and 2015, ramping uppower output is deemed key tothe country's quest for sustain-able economic recovery,growth and development.

Plans to increase powergeneration come on the backof crippling power shortagesas national power demand, at2,200 MW, far outstrips sup-ply.

The MTP seeks to raiseoutput at the Hwange coal-fired power station toinstalled capacity, lease smallthermal plans to raise supplyby 290 MW, ensure use of pre-paid meters by 2012 and effectdemand side management tosave 300 MW by 2013.

The MTP envisages raisingoutput at Kariba HydropowerStation to 1,050 MW, Hwange(1, 520 MW), Harare thermalstation (100 MW), Bulawayothermal (90 MW) andMunyati thermal (100 MW)by 2015.

“The first two years of theMTP will ensure Kariba andHwange power stations arerestored to full capacity andthat small thermal powerstations are operational.Restoring capacity to 1,960MW will require rehabilitationof the Hwange Thermal PowerStation and smaller thermalunits to capacity,” reads part ofthe MTP.

But the plan also foreseesthat raising output will faceconstraints related to billing,collection of revenue fromconsumers, lack of funding,

old equipment, infrastructureand debt issues.

Undercapitalization of thenational power utility,Zimbabwe Electricity SupplyAuthority (ZESA), and inade-quate specialized skills andtools for planning and forecast-ing the energy needs were alsoidentified as major obstacles.

The plan is expected toaddress regulatory and legalissues seen as detrimental toefforts targeted at amelioratingthe national power shortage.

The MTP also seeks toreview legal and regulatoryframeworks governing theenergy sector, promising toaddress capacity constraintsfaced by the national regulatorin setting viable power tariffsand regulation of power pro-ducers and consumers.

This would include stifferpenalties on offenders byreviewing existing legislationon theft and vandalism of

power infrastructure andenacting legislation to dealwith environmental impactcertification.

Despite facing cripplingpower shortages since 2000,the country has struggled toattract significant investmentinto the power sector.

Therefore, measures willbe put in place to promoteinvestment in the power sec-tor and the MTP proposes areview of systems andprocesses in ZESA’s commer-cial operations to enhancebilling, revenue collection,

cash management and cus-tomer service.

Various technologies willbe explored such as solar andwind energy, incentives topromote and explore viabilityand capacity for low carboneconomy and creation of con-ditions for competitive powermarket.

Further, environmentallyfriendly biofuels will be con-sidered as part of efforts toreduce dependence on fossilenergy generation and expen-sive imported power. TheHerald r

Zimbabwe to boost energy production

Projected Power Output by 2015

Power Station Capacity (MW)Kariba Hydropower 1,050Hwange 1,520Harare Thermal 100Bulawayo Thermal 90Munyati Thermal 100


B U S I N E S S B R I E F S

Tanzania to spend US$27 billion on development projectsTHE UNITED Republic ofTanzania plans to spend 42.9trillion shillings (aboutUS$27.41 billion) over thenext five years to financedevelopment projects aimedat boosting economic growthin the country, a governmentminister has said.

Stephen Wassira, Ministerof State in the President’sOffice, told parliament thatthe government wouldallocate 13.5 trillion shillingswhile the rest of the fundswould be provided bydomest i c and fore ignsources.

“The government needs tospend an average of 8.5 tril-lion shillings a year in orderto implement the new five-

year development plan,”he said when presentingthe government’s mid-termplan.

“We have to ensure that atleast 35 percent of the gov-ernment's budget is allocatedfor development projects.”

He said the developmentplan launched by PresidentJakaya Kikwete on 7 June willtarget average economicgrowth of 8-10 percentannually over the nextfive years by focusing publicand private investments on

infrastructure, agricultureand industrial sectors.Growth in 2010 was sevenpercent.

“Our aim is to reducedonor dependency in the gov-ernment's budget to just 10percent,” he said. r

MOZAMBIQUE PLANS toboost biofuels production andintroduce fuel blending nextyear in a bid to cut fuel imports,the energy minister said.

The government expects tosave about US$22 million inthe first year on petrol anddiesel imports from the cur-rent US$500 million it spendsannually.

INTRA-SADC TRADE hasmore than doubled since 2000as the region steps up eco-nomic cooperation, a topSADC official said.

SADC trade policy advisorPaul Kalenga said intra-regional trade has grown inabsolute terms from justUS$13.2 billion in 2000 toUS$34 billion in 2009, a stag-gering 157 percent increase.

However, intra-regionaltrade as a proportion of totalSADC trade has only grownfrom 15.7 percent in 2000 to18.5 percent in 2009.

This could be explained bythe fact that SADC trade withthe rest of the world, especiallyChina and the United Stateshas also grown tremendouslyduring the same period.

SADC launched its FreeTrade Area (FTA) in 2008 andthe regional bloc anticipatesthat trade within the regionwould be completely liber-alised by January 2012.

Kalenga's statistics onregional trade were corrobo-

rated by a study carried out bythe World Bank in April, whichfound out that once individualGDP and geographical issuesare factored, trade within theregion is actually high.

The World Bank found outthat contrary to fears, SADC

countries are actually moreintegrated and that while thereare impediments which makeit difficult to move goodsacross the region, these are atlevels comparable to countrieswith similar levels of develop-ment. Southern Times. r

MAURITIUS SAW a seven-percent increase in touristarrivals during February thisyear as its European marketshowed signs of revival andvisitor numbers from EasternEurope and Asia rose strongly.

Official figures show thecountry welcomed 77,390 visi-tors in February 2011, com-pared with 72,366 during thesame period last year.

After the slump triggeredby the recession in Europe,Mauritian holidays appear toonce again have become popu-lar with European tourists.

Tourist arrivals were up 33percent from Switzerland, 18percent from the Netherlands

and seven percent fromFrance, which is a key market.

Tourism accounts for about10 percent of the Indian OceanIsland’s Gross DomesticProduct and around two-thirds of foreign visitors comefrom Europe.

But the country's marketingpush in other nations is alsopaying off, with a two-foldincrease in tourist numbersfrom Russia and arrivals up 24percent from China and 35 per-cent from India.

Last year, Mauritius saw itstourism revenues grow 11 per-cent as visitor numbers roseseven percent to a record934,827. r

CHRISTINE LAGARDE ofFrance has been appointedManaging Director of theInternational Monetary Fund(IMF), replacing compatriotDominique Strauss-Kahnwho resigned in March.

Lagarde beat Mexico’sAgustin Carstens to land theIMF top job that has alwaysbeen held by a European.

In the run-up to Lagarde’sappointment, developingcountries had lobbied for adeparture from tradition toallow a non-European to leadthe Bretton Woods institutions,the IMF and World Bank.

Since the formation of theIMF and the World Bank, aEuropean has held the toppost at IMF while anAmerican is at the helm at theWorld Bank.

However, in recognition ofthe growing importance ofChina in the global economyas well as the need to moveaway from tradition, the IMFappointed Zhu Min to anewly created deputy manag-ing director post. r

Mozambique to increase biofuel production

Intra-SADC trade rises 157 percent since 2000

Tourist arrivals to Mauritius rise

IMF gets new boss

“We have been approachedby companies to enter into theproduction of biofuels, whichmeans that as we increase pro-duction levels and the ratio ofmixtures, the savings will alsobe high,” Energy MinisterSalvador Namburete said.

Mozambique plans to usejatropha, a biofuel crop, toboost the output. Jatropha

has been widely heralded asa wonder plant whose culti-vation on non-arable land inAfrica, Asia and LatinAmerica would providebiodiesel and jobs in poorcountries without usingfarmland needed to feedgrowing numbers of localpeople. AIM r

CHINA IS willing to expandimports from southern Africaand encourage Chinese com-panies to invest in the region,Vice-Premier Wang Qishanhas said.

Speaking at the China-SADC Inves tment andBusiness Forum held in Beijingrecently, Wang said while thereare still many uncertaintieswith the global economicrecovery, SADC and Chinashould strengthen their eco-nomic cooperation to help bothachieve stable growth andadvance the global economy.

China-SADC trade vol-umes are increasing andreached US$61.5 billion in2010, accounting for about 48

(2011-2015) and the SADC’sjoining of the programme onenlarging the transportationnetwork in Africa will offernew opportunities for coop-eration,” Wang said.

“The two should nowenhance the cooperation intrade, investment, finance,energy, resources and infra-structure.”

He urged Chinese enter-prises to invest in southern

percent of trade betweenChina and Africa.

China is now the largesttrading partner of the SADCregion.

By the end of February,China’s investment in SADCMember States had accumulat-ed to about US10 billion,including close to US$5 billionnon-financial investment.

“China’s launching ofits 12th Five-Year Plan

AFRICA AND India havepledged to further strengthentheir cooperation in regionaland global peace and security,as well as economic and tradeareas.

In the fields of economiccooperation, the two sidesunderlined the importance ofsupporting stable, long-termcapital flows to developingcountries to stimulate invest-ment.

They envisaged a widen-ing of the partnership to areassuch as civil society and gov-ernance, science and technol-ogy, social development,health, culture, tourism,sports, infrastructure andmedia and communications,in order to achieve inclusivegrowth, social-economicdevelopment and self-reliance.

This forms part of theacceleration of cooperationagreed at the second Africa-India Forum Summit, held inAddis Ababa, Ethiopia

According to the AddisAbaba Declaration, India and

Africa also committed to dealwith a number of politicalissues, including piracy offthe coast of Somalia, terror-ism and UN reform.

Specifically, the summitemphasized the need forcountries to exert utmosteffort on UN Security Councilreform during the current ses-sion of the UN GeneralAssembly.

The two sides underscoredthe need for urgent and com-prehensive reforms, sayingthey must reflect contempo-rary realities.

India supports Africa’sclaims for permanent mem-bership of Security Council.On its part, Africa backsIndia’s claim to a permanentseat with full rights in anexpanded Security Council.

Amid growing regionaland international concernsabout the conflict in Libya,where NATO has intensifiedits bombing campaign inrecent days, India joinedAfrica in calling for an imme-diate ceasefire and for a nego-

tiated end to the violencethere.

The declaration tooknote of the UN resolu-tions under whichNATO is using militaryforce against Libya andstressed that efforts toimplement them should bewithin the spirit and letter ofthose resolutions.

They urged parties in theconflict to strive for a politicalsolution through peacefulmeans and dialogue.

India and the 15 Africangovernments that took partin the summit, includingSouth Africa and Libya, alsoexpressed their support forthe African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committeeinitiative and the AUroadmap for the peacefuland consensual resolution ofthe conflict.

Both sides called on allcountries to ensure that actsof cross-border terrorism donot occur and that their terri-tories are not made a base forterrorists.

T h e yunequivocally

condemned terror-ism in all its forms

and manifestations,saying that an act of

terrorism anywhere is a threatto the entire internationalcommunity.

“We recognize the need tofurther strengthen internation-al cooperation to combat globalterrorism and for complianceof all member states with allinternational terrorism conven-tions and related protocolsand United Nations SecurityCouncil’s resolution on count-er-terrorism,” the declarationsaid.

Taking note of the Africanposition on the condemnationof the payments of ransom toterror groups, the leaderscalled for the urgent need toaddress the issue. The nextAfrica-India summit will beheld in New Delhi in 2014. r

Africa and help the region toachieve sustainable develop-ment.

The Namibian President,Hifikepunye Pohamba, whois the current SADC chairper-son, called for more coopera-tion between the two.

“The message that I wantto send is that the SADC isopen for business, and welook forward to you (Chinesecompanies) joining us toboost the development of ourregion. We encourage invest-ment from China,” he said

He said Chinese invest-ment in the region mainlycovers infrastructure, mining,energy and agriculture. ChinaDaily r

China to increase regional trade and investment

S O U T H - S O U T H

Africa, India aim to strengthen collaboration



The head of the SADCGender Unit, MagdelineMathiba-Madibela, says theProtocol provides “concrete,time-bound targets to achievegender equality in the SADCregion.

“This milestone marks theend of an era of commitmentsto an era of implementation inthe SADC region.”

However, the final stages ofenforcing this regional law areperhaps the most challenging,as this requires action atnational level to “domesticate”the law and then implementa-tion of the law.

According to the commu-niqué of their meeting inWindhoek, Namibia, theMinisters congratulatedMember States that have rati-fied the Protocol and “urgedthose who have not yetsigned or ratified to facilitatethe signing and ratificationprocess.”

They noted progress madeby Member States onwomen’s representation inpolitics and decision-makingpositions, and expressed con-cern with retrogression insome countries that held elec-tions recently.

The Ministers urged coun-tries to safeguard achieve-ments already made in gen-der parity and to developinnovative measures to fasttrack the equal representationof women.

Only four SADC MemberStates have reached the origi-nal target of 30 percent repre-sentation of women inParliament (by 2005) andnone has reached the 50 per-cent threshold.

South Africa has the high-est proportional representa-tion of women in parliamentat 45 percent, followed byMozambique at 39.2 percent,and Angola and Tanzania

(from DRC) for being the firstwoman ever appointed at topmanagement level in theSecretariat.

They noted progress madein the regional gender main-streaming initiative, especial-ly on capacity building ofgender mainstreaming train-ers, and emphasised theimportance of mainstreaminggender into climate changepolicies and strategies.

They also noted progressin developing the SADCStrategy to address sexualviolence against women andgirls, particularly in conflictand post-conflict situations.

The Ministers approved theSADC Advocacy Strategy onInformal Cross Border Tradewhich provides clear policyand legislative action areas tocreate an enabling environ-ment for women in trade.

They received a report onthe 2010 Women in BusinessTrade Fair and InvestmentForum held in Windhoek lastyear, noting the positive resultsthat included new businessopportunities, expanded mar-kets, new business connectionsand capacity building forwomen in business.

The 2011 edition of theWomen in Business Trade Fairand Investment Forum willbe hosted by Angola inNovember this year, afterAngola becomes SADC chair.

The ministers and officialswitnessed the launch of theAfrican Women’s Decade(2010-2020) for the SADCRegion and the NamibianChapter, and the SADCLaunch of the campaign“Africa United to End Violenceagainst Women and Children”.

The SADC Ministersresponsible for gender/women’s affairs will meetagain in June next year inAngola. sardc.net r

WOMEN IN southern Africawill soon move a step closerto having equal rights andopportunities with men whena regional gender protocol isratified by the required two-thirds of the Member States inthe coming months.

Ministers responsible forGender/Women’s Affairs inthe region, meeting on 2 June,endorsed a roadmap to opera-tionalize the SADC Protocolon Gender and Developmentand enable a systematicapproach to implementationat both regional and nationallevels.

Half of SADC’s 15 MemberStates have ratified theProtocol, meaning that theins t rument has beenapproved by the nationallegal mechanism, usuallythrough parliament.

The Ministers noted that 13Member States have signedthe Protocol, while seven sig-natories have depositedinstruments of ratificationwith the SADC Secretariat.

These are Angola, Lesotho,Mozambique, Namibia,Seychelles, United Republicof Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The Democratic Republic ofCongo, South Africa andZambia are expected to ratifythe Protocol in the comingmonths.

Most SADC leaders signedthe protocol in 2008, althoughBotswana and Mauritius con-tinue to refuse to sign, sayingthat they have reservations orcannot meet the targets.

The process of approval ofa regional legal instrumentrequires, first, signing, andthen ratification. The protocol“enters into force” followingratification by two-thirds ofSADC member states. Thisadvances the regional lawfrom being a stated intentionto actual application.

G E N D E R

Women to have equal rights and opportunities with menwith 38.6 percent and 36 per-cent respectively.

These countries have elec-toral systems or balancingmechanisms that encourageparticipation by women, andthe minimum 30 percent rep-resentation is a constitutionalrequirement in Tanzania.

The objectives of the SADCProtocol on Gender andDevelopment are to providefor the empowerment ofwomen, eliminate discrimina-tion, and achieve gender quali-ty and equity through gender-responsive legislation, policies,programmes and projects.

The Protocol addresses thefollowing critical issues thataffect women in the region: • constitutional and legal

rights; • governance; education

and training; • productive resources and

employment; • gender-based violence; • health and HIV and

AIDS; • peace-building and con-

flict resolution; and• media, information and

communication.

The targets include, amongothers, the achievement of 50percent representation bywomen and men in politicsand decision-making by 2015,in line with the decision of theAfrican Union.

SADC expects that non-state actors including the pri-vate sector and non-govern-mental organizations, amongothers, will take note of thiscommitment by governmentsand advance the role ofwomen in their organizations.

The meeting of SADCMinisters responsible forGender/Women’s Affairscongratulated the SADCDeputy Executive Secretary,Ms. Emilie Mushobekwa


THE CONCLUSION of anagreement by political partiesin Lesotho after lengthy nego-tiations paves the way fornational elections scheduledfor next year.

The Southern AfricanDevelopment Community(SADC) concluded its suc-cessful mediation efforts inLesotho in April followingmore than two years of talksaimed at finding a lastingsolution to the political chal-lenges in the country.

Post-electoral dissatisfac-tion emerged in Lesotho afterthe 2007 elections as theopposition party refused toaccept the results, plungingthe country into a crisis.

This resulted in a negotiat-ing team comprising heads ofchurches in Lesotho and facil-itators from the SADC Troikabeing put in place by south-ern African leaders to addressthe situation.

A statement released bythe negotiating team says alot has been achieved sincethe dialogue began twoyears ago, hence the decisionto formally conclude thetalks.

“On 28 April 2011, thestakeholders to the ongoingmediation process on the 2007political dialogue agreed thatthe mediation be formallyconcluded. The stakeholdersagreed that all the issues tothe dialogue had been dealtwith, thus paving the way forthe next elections,” the state-ment said.

Stakeholders to the medi-tation process includedthe Independent ElectoralCommission of Lesotho, theruling Lesotho Congress forDemocracy, opposition par-ties and the government.

The stakeholders agreed toamend the Lesotho Electoral

Andry Rajoelina seizedpower from President MarcRavalomanana in a publicdemonstration backed bythe military, similar tothe method used byRavalomanana when heseized power a few years ear-lier from his predecessor,Didier Ratsiraka.

SADC-led mediationefforts have seen Madagascanleaders agree to set up a tran-sitional government to gov-ern the country until freshelections are held this year.However, implementation ofthis agreement continues tobe a challenge.

SADC, together withother partners has pledgedto intensify its efforts toensure the resolution ofpolitical disputes in theregion. sardc.net r

PRESIDENT JAMESMichel has been re-elect-ed for another five-yearterm in office after win-ning about 55 percent ofthe vote in the May 19-21presidential election.

According to theelection commission,Wavel Ramkalawan ofthe Seychelles NationalParty garnered about 42percent while Philip Boulle,an Independent Candidate,and Ralph Volcere of the NewDemocratic Party collectedabout two percent and onepercent respectively.

Speaking soon after theannouncement of the results,Michel described his victoryas a new era for all the peopleof the islands.

He pledged to lead thecountry to prosperity, urgingall Seychellois to work

Due to the distancesacross the archipelago,voting was held overthree days with theouter islands castingtheir ballot on 19 and20 May to allow theexercise to be complet-ed in time and the bal-lots delivered back tothe main island ofMahe.

In the last presidential elec-tions held in July 2006,President Michel defeatedRamkalawan and Boule bygarnering about 54 percentagainst 46 percent and lessthan one percent collected byRamkalawan and Boulerespectively.

In Seychelles the presidentis elected by an absolutemajority vote through a two-round system to serve a five-year term. r

E L E C T I O N S

The inclusive governmentled by President RobertM u g a b e w i t h f o r m e ropposition leader MorganTsvangirai as Prime Ministerhas been credited for address-ing some of the country’spolitical challenges.

However, the economicsanctions imposed onZimbabwe by the UnitedStates, United Kingdom, andthe European Union havederailed the country’s eco-nomic turnaround pro-gramme.

For Madagascar, SADCa p p o i n t e d t h e f o r m e rMozambican Pres identJoaquim Chissano to mediatea dialogue to address thepolitical situation

Madagascar slid into polit-ical turmoil in March 2009after opposition leader

Law in preparation for thenext elections, resulting in thepresentation of the NationalAssembly Electoral Bill 2011and the 6th Amendment tothe Constitution to theParliament in March.

The two-year politicaldialogue has allowed stake-holders to share andexchange ideas, providinglessons for future nationalengagements.

The successful conclusionof talks in Lesotho is anotherexample of practical commit-ment by southern Africa tofind lasting solutions to thepolitical and security chal-lenges in the region.

In September 2008, SADCbrokered an agreement inZimbabwe that saw the for-mation of an inclusive gov-ernment in February 2009.

James Michel has been re-elected to bePresident in Seychelles.

Lesotho ends political dialogue, ready for elections

President Michel re-elected in Seychelles polls

together for the good of thenation.

“We will create Seychellestogether, in peace and harmo-ny, respectful of the diversityof opinions, and we will putour differences aside, andbuild the country together.”

He added that “my armswill remain open and mydoors will remain open. I willwork for the wellbeing of allSeychellois, without excep-tion.”


E V E N T S

EVENTS DIARY June 2011

June11 June 2nd SADC-COMESA-EAC Tripartite Summit

Heads of State and Government from the three regionsconvene for their second summit to discuss ways topromote deeper integration among Member States.The highlight will be the formal launch of negotiationsto establish the Tripartite Free Trade Area encompass-ing 26 countries in southern and eastern Africa by2012.

14-16, France Africa Energy ForumEnergy experts will explore ways on how Africa as oneof the fastest emerging markets in the world can meetthe increased demand for energy to ensure sustainabledevelopment.

20-23, Africa Investment ConferenceSouth Africa The conference will provide opportunities for the con-

tinent to look at ways of attracting investment in vari-ous sectors such as energy, infrastructure, mining andagriculture.

23 June-1 July, African Union SummitEquatorial Guinea The Summit will discuss ways to deepen regional and

continental integration, and issues related to thetheme “Accelerating Youth Empowerment forSustainable Development”.

28-29, Swaziland 5th Multi-Stakeholders Water DialogueUnder the theme “Watering Development in SADC:Financing Water for Climate Change Resilience toEnsure Regional Security from Disasters” the dialogueaims to raise awareness and understanding of climatechange funding opportunities in the water sector.

July6-7, Tunisia ADEA conference

The Association for the Development of Education inAfrica meets to discuss ways of improving educationin the continent.

18-22, Banking Outlook Africa 2011South Africa Stakeholders meet to assess the status of banking in

Africa with solutions for key challenges faced byAfrica’s emerging banks.

19, South Africa Africa Mining CongressAfrica’s premier mining and investment conferenceseeks to offer solutions in the mining industry.

August4-5, South Africa African Renaissance Conference

The conference will examine issues related to redefiningand rebuilding the African continent through accessingand developing its own socio-economic resources.

11-18, Angola SADC Summit of Heads of State and GovernmentSADC leaders meet to discuss issues aimed at promot-ing regional integration and development. The Summitis preceded by meetings of senior officials andCouncil of Ministers.

29 August- 37th SAPP Meeting 2 September, The meeting is expected to review the power situationSouth Africa in the region. The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)

is the management centre for 12 electricity utilities in SADC.

SADC TODAY Vol 13 No 4 June 2011

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAYis produced as a reference source of activities and

opportunities in the Southern African Development Community, and a guide for decision-makers at all levels of

national and regional development.

Southern African Development CommunitySADC Secretariat, SADC House, Private Bag 0095, Gaborone, Botswana

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SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is published six times a year by the Southern AfricanResearch and Documentation Centre (SARDC) for the SADC Secretariat inGaborone, Botswana, as a reliable knowledge source on regional development.Articles may be reproduced freely in the media and elsewhere, with attribution.

EDITORMunetsi Madakufamba

EDITORIAL COMMITTEEKizito Sikuka, Joseph Ngwawi, Egline Tauya, Leonissah Abwino-Munjoma,

Neto Nengomasha, Phyllis Johnson, Agatha Njanike, Patience Ziramba.

EDITORIAL ADVISORHead of Corporate Communications Unit, SADC

Leefa Penehupifo Martin

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of ForeignAffairs, in support of the SADC Energy Thematic Group of InternationalCooperating Partners, which is chaired by Norway.

© SADC, SARDC, 2011SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY welcomes contributions from individuals andorganizations within the SADC region in form of articles, photographs, newsitems and comments, and also relevant articles from outside the region. Thepublishers reserve the right to select or reject items, and to edit to fit the spaceavailable. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official positions or opin-ions of SADC or SARDC.

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is published in English, Portuguese and French, andis available electronically at www.sardc.net Knowledge for Development, linkedto www.sadc.int

DESIGN & LAYOUTTonely Ngwenya

PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONSP1 environmentgreen.com; P1, 5, 7, 8, 11 Phyllis Johnson; P1, 11 SARDC; P2 telegraph.co.uk, flickr.com, news.bbc.co.uk; P4 Nippon Koei Co.Ltd &

Oriental Consultants Co. Ltd; P5 Sheila Chikulo; P6 Manuel Malaze; P8 Agatha Njanike; P8, 9, 10 renewableenergy.com; P11 simplytravel.co.za,Conservation Corporation Africa, Kristin Mosher; P14 seychellesweekly.com;

P16 worldpress.com

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South Africa remembers Soweto ON 16 June 1976 an incident happened inSouth Africa that changed the face of southernAfrica’s struggle for political freedom andemancipation when a protest march by blackAfrican children in Soweto ended with policefiring guns at them.

The then apartheid government put the deathtoll at 95 but the figure is believed to be muchhigher.

The incident grabbed international head-lines and galvanised the resolve of SouthAfrica’s majority black population to fight forfreedom.

The picture of Mbuyisa Makhubo carryingthe body of his 13-year-old friend, HectorPetersen, became an iconic image symbolisingthe struggle of the youth of South Africa – andthe beginning of the end of apartheid.

The photograph, taken by Sam Nzima of TheWorld newspaper, appeared in newspapers andon television channels all over the world,sparking outrage and a new awareness thathardened opposition within and outside SouthAfrica to the brutality of the apartheid authori-ties.

On that day, more than 20,000 Sowetoschoolchildren staged a peaceful protest againthe imposition of Afrikaans as the language ofinstruction for black pupils and against the dis-crimination they suffered under the inferior“Bantu education” curriculum.

The Bantu education system, which hadbeen enforced for black South Africans since1953, was characterised by separate schoolsand universities, poor facilities, overcrowdedclassrooms and inadequately trained teachers.

The courage of the Soweto students in June1976 is today commemorated by a national hol-iday in South Africa, Youth Day, which honoursall the young people who lost their lives in thestruggle against apartheid and Bantu education.

Thirty five years on, South Africa recognisesthe courage of the youth who helped to bringan end to apartheid.

The 16 June student uprising epitomises therole played by young people in the struggle tounshackle southern Africa from colonial rule.

The youth were at the forefront in the strug-gle for independence in all countries in south-ern Africa.

1June International Children’s Day Angola5 June Liberation Day Seychelles16 June Youth Day South Africa18 June National Day Seychelles25 June Independence Day Mozambique26 June Independence Day Madagascar29 June Independence Day Seychelles30 June Independence Day DRC

1 July Sir Seretse Khama day Botswana4 July Heroes Day Zambia 5 July Unity Day Zambia 6 July Independence Day Malawi 7 July International Trade Fair

Saba Saba Tanzania 17 July King’s Birthday Lesotho 18 July President Day Botswana19 July Public Holiday Botswana22 July Public Holiday Swaziland

1 August Farmers Day Zambia 1 August Parents Day DRC 8 August Peasant Day Tanzania8 August Heroes Day Zimbabwe 9 August Defence Forces Day Zimbabwe 9 August National Women’s Day South Africa 15 August Assumption Day Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles 26 August Heroes Day Namibia 30/31 August Eid-El-Fitri* Tanzania

Eid-Ul-Fitr* Mauritius

*Depends on sighting of the new moon

A shared future within a regional community

H I S T O R Y T O D A Y

2010 World Cup - One year onJUNE 11 is a special day in the history of sport in Africa. Itmarks the day when the continent hosted its first ever FIFAWorld Cup on home soil.

The 2010 World Cup was held in South Africa and has since beenhailed as one of the best ever finals in the history of the tournament.

The 2010 Local Organising Committee chairperson Danny Jordaan said a cele-bratory event would be held in July to commemorate one year since Africa held thefinals.

He said while the finals showcased the warmth of South Africa, the event alsohighlighted that Africa has the capacity to host bigger events.

“The 2010 FIFA World Cup was a time when South Africadispelled doubt in its ability and invited the worldto witness the reality, rather than believe the percep-

tions of what they thought South Africa was reallyabout,” he said.

A match is planned laterthis year between reign-ing European and worldchampions, Spain and anAfrican Select XI in hon-our of football support-ers and the organisersof the tournament.

35years35 years

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADCJune-August 2011

Documents

FREE TRADE AREA - SARDCof contribution to total GDP. The establishment of so-called “Grand” Free Trade Area is expected to bolster intra-regional trade by creating a wider market,