SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY · DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 10 INDUSTRIALISATION 11 ELECTIONS 12-13 AFRICA 14 EVENTS 15 HISTORY TODAY 16 Beyond Revised RISDP SADC strategises on post-2020

SOUTHERN

AFRICA TODAYSADC ToDAy Vol 19 No. 4 JuNe 2017

by Joseph Ngwawi

SADC HAS commenced the process of for-mulating a new cooperation and regional in-tegration strategy to succeed the currentdevelopment blueprint that is expected toend in 2020.

The Revised Regional Indicative StrategicDevelopment Plan (RISDP), which was ap-proved in 2015, is expected to end in 2020 andthe wheels have already been set in motion tocraft a new development blueprint to shapesouthern Africa’s regional integration agendapost-2020.

To kick-start the process, the SADC Secre-tariat recently convened a Consultative Con-ference on the Post-2020 SADC DevelopmentCooperation and Integration Strategy in Jo-hannesburg, South Africa.

The purpose of the conference was to ob-tain expert assessments and analysis of theimplementation of the Revised RISDP and theblueprint governing SADC cooperation in thepolitical sector, the Revised Strategic Indica-

tive Plan for the Organ on Defence, Peace andSecurity Cooperation (SIPO).

The conference, which was attended bySADC officials, academia and researchers,provided the experts with an opportunity to“critically exercise the facilitative issues in re-gional cooperation and integration”, and toidentify priorities for past-2020 SADC re-gional development cooperation and integra-tion.

The consultative process is expected tolead to the development of a framework fora post-2020 regional strategy that takes intoaccount SADC Principles and Common Prin-ciples as well as global and continentalprocesses such as the African Union’s Agenda2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable De-velopment Goals.

The experts noted that there is need tomaximise synergies in the implementation ofthe two pillars of SADC activities – politicaland security cooperation as identified underSIPO, and developmental integration as cov-ered by the RISDP.

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POLICY 3

GENDER 4-5

ENERGY 6-7

FOUNDING FATHERS 8-9

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 10

INDUSTRIALISATION 11

ELECTIONS 12-13

AFRICA 14

EVENTS 15

HISTORY TODAY 16

Beyond Revised RISDPSADC strategises on post-2020 development agenda

Post-2020

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

SIPO is a five-year strategicdocument that establishesSADC`s institutional frameworkfor policy coordination and im-plementation in politics, defenceand security cooperation, andwas first developed in 2003.

The core objective of SIPO is tocreate a peaceful and stable polit-ical and security environmentthrough which the region will re-alise its objectives of socio-eco-nomic development, povertyeradication, and regional integra-tion.

The RISDP was first approvedby SADC leaders in 2003 as ablueprint for regional integrationand development.

It was revised in 2015 as partof efforts to realign the region’sdevelopment agenda in line withnew realities and emerging globaldynamics.

It is envisaged that the post-2020 SADC development cooper-ation Vision 2050 should providea framework for a long-term vi-sion for SADC as the region seeksto position itself in a context ofemerging global and continentalissues such as climate change, de-mocratisation of the United Na-tions and increasing financialinstability.

According to SADC chairper-son, King Mswati III of Swazi-land, the intention is to set inmotion a development agendathat takes into account the dy-namics of events and issues af-fecting not only the southernAfrican region, but also the rest ofthe world.

Such dynamics include cur-rent regional efforts to introducemeasures aimed at strengtheningimplementation of the integrationagenda and promoting inclusiveparticipation by citizens in re-gional programmes.

Among the measures agreedby the SADC Strategic MinisterialRetreat on the “SADC We Want”held in Ezulwini, Swaziland inMarch is the need to develop amechanism for improving imple-mentation of the regional integra-tion agenda.

“What is important at thisstage is to ensure that the conclu-sions of the Retreat assist in fur-ther defining the direction thatSADC should take after the ex-piry of the Revised RISDP in2020,” King Mswati said during avisit to the SADC Secretariat inMay.

“The time to start thinkingabout the future of SADC post-

Beyond Revised RISDPSADC strategises on post-2020 development agenda

2 SouTHeRN AfRiCA Today, June 2017

THe ReViSeD Strategic Plan of the Organ on Politics, Defenceand Security Cooperation (SIPO II) covers five key sectors ofpolitics, defence, state security, public security and police.Since it adoption in 2003, a number of achievements have beenrealised under the auspices of SIPO, and these include: • Facilitation of cooperation among SADC Member States in

various defence and security areas;• Enabling SADC to develop the SADC Mutual Defence Pact;• Strengthening of regional commitment towards collective

self-defence and the preservation of peace and security inthe region through the establishment of the SADC StandbyForce;

• Contributing immensely to the promotion and advance-ment of police cooperation in the region through the inte-gration of the Southern African Regional Police ChiefsCooperation Organisation into the Inter-State Defence andSecurity Committee;

• Enabling the establishment of Regional Early Warning Cen-tre, which is tasked with helping to anticipate, prevent andmanage conflicts; and

• Establishment of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council anda mediation unit, which are institutions dealing with polit-ical governance and the observation of elections. r

2020 is now, and this processshould be as consultative as pos-sible for both the Member Statesand the various relevant stake-holders,” he added.

The ministerial retreat directedthe SADC Secretariat to developeffective compliance, monitoringand assurance mechanisms totrack progress on implementationof SADC programmes as well ascompliance to protocols and legalinstruments.

Since the transformation ofSADC in 1992 from the SouthernAfrican Development Coordina-tion Conference, a total of 33 pro-tocols have been signed byMember States to push forwardthe regional integration agenda.

However, only 26 protocolshave been ratified and enteredinto force to date.

According to SADC legalstatutes, any signed regional pro-tocol must be ratified for it toenter into force as a legal entity.At least two-thirds of the memberstates (10 countries) are requiredto ratify a protocol for it to enterinto force.

The approval of a regionallegal instrument requires, first,signing, and then ratification – aprocess that differs from countryto country, with some requiringapproval of parliament.

The slow implementation ofstrategic documents by SADCcountries has affected regional in-tegration, resulting in most peo-ple in the region failing to fullyrealize maximum benefits of be-longing to a share community insouthern Africa.

The retreat called on the SADCSecretariat to prioritise pro-grammes by focusing on infra-structure development,industrialisation and market inte-gration, with peace and securityas a prerequisite for economic de-velopment.

The ministerial retreat calledon the Secretariat to undertake acomprehensive review of SADCorgans, including the Organ onPolitics, Defence and Security Co-operation, in order to rationaliseand streamline decision-makingand enhance effectiveness and ef-ficiency.

It was noted that the reviewshould propose delegation of de-cision-making to lower levels. Forexample, only key decisionsshould be taken to the Council ofMinisters and the Summit ofHeads of State and Governmentwhile other decision-makingshould be delegated to lower or-gans when it is cost-effective.

The retreat recommended thatthe SADC Secretariat should de-velop an effective engagementmechanism to strengthen partici-pation of the private sector at alllevels. It was noted that the lackof direct involvement by the pri-vate sector is a barrier to eco-nomic development. r

THe ReViSeD Regional In-dicative Strategic Develop-ment Plan identifies fourmain priorities to be pursuedby the region from 2015-2020.

Priority A seeks to pro-mote industrial developmentand market integrationthrough, among other things,strengthening the productivecompetitiveness and supplyside capacity of memberstates as well as improvingmovement of goods and facil-itating financial market inte-gration and monetarycooperation.

Priority B is on provisionand improvement of infra-structure support for regionalintegration.

Priority D is on promotionof special programmes of re-gional dimension under clus-ters such as education andhuman resource develop-ment; health, HIV and AIDSand other communicable dis-eases; food security and trans-boundary natural resources;environment; statistics; gen-der equality; and science,technology and innovationand research and develop-ment.

Priorities A, B and D areunderpinned by Priority C onthe promotion of peace andsecurity. r

SADC Administrative Tribunal operationalised

SADC to profile agro-processing sector

P O L I C Y

SouTHeRN AfRiCA Today 3

Hence, the operational-ization of the SADC Admin-istrative Tribunal (SADCAT)is regarded as a key mile-stone in providing commonand standardized legal serv-ices to the Secretariat and itsemployees.

The 35th SADC Summitheld in August 2015 inGaborone, Botswana “ap-proved the resolution on the es-tablishment of the SADCAT”,whose the sole mandate is to re-solve labour disputes betweenthe SADC Secretariat and itsstaff.

Seven Judges were ap-pointed by the SADC Councilof Ministers that met in Marchin Mbabane, Swaziland. Theseare:• Justice Ivy Kamanga – High

Court judge from Malawi;

• Justice Pedro Nhatitima –Supreme Court judge fromMozambique;

• Justice Kuto Van Niekerk –retired High Court judgefrom Namibia;

• Justice Mbutfo Mamba –High Court judge fromSwaziland;

• Justice Regina Rweyemamu– retired High Court judgefrom the United Republic ofTanzania;

• Justice Fulgency Chisanga –judge of the Court of Appealin Zambia; and

• Justice Francis Bere – HighCourt judge from Zimbabwe.

Speaking during the swear-ing-in ceremony held on 9 Mayin Gaborone, Botswana, SADCchairperson King Mswati III ofSwaziland said the SADCAT isan important regional institu-

SouTHeRN AfRiCA hasbegun the process of profilingits agro-processing sector in abid to provide a comprehen-sive description of the sectorand the related agri-businessindustry in the region. This exercise is in accor-dance with the revised Re-gional Indicative StrategicDevelopment Plan (RISDP)Implementation Framework,which calls for the develop-ment and implementation ofagricultural value chains. For the period of 2015-2020,the SADC Secretariat has beentasked to develop three profil-ing studies for the pharmaceu-tical, mining beneficiation andagro-processing sectors. The Secretariat is now inthe process of engaging a con-sultant to profile the agro-pro-cessing sector.

The main aim of the profil-ing is to provide a comprehen-sive description of the SADCagro-processing industry, fo-cusing on the relevant com-modity groups and theselected representatives com-modities, containing some ofthe following descriptions:• The potential for agricul-

ture and agri-businessgiven the agro-ecologicalzones in the SADC region;

• The current production andconsumption levels and theestimated post-harvest loss;

• The geographical andphysical aspects of agricul-tural production systems,such as the distribution ofland use by different formsof agri-businesses;

• The most relevant ele-ments of farming systemsand practices such as irri-

gation and infrastructure,storage, handling, andmarketing, as they relate tobarriers to developingagro-processing industries;

• Trade within and from theregion by volumes, mainexport and import marketsand main commodities,and the geography of sup-ply and demand by prod-uct; and;

• Investment flows foragribusiness by countryand product/function.

The profile is expected to bedeveloped through a desk-study analyzing primary datafrom databases such as thosemaintained by the Food andAgricultural Organization, andprimary data available di-rectly from the SADC MemberStates and secondary data fromexisting studies. r

tion in integration agenda ofsouthern Africa.

“We wish to congratulatethe judges on their appoint-ment to these important posi-tions,” King Mswati III said.

“Their role is critical to thesuccessful execution of SADCinitiatives, so they deserve ourfull support and cooperation.”

SADC Executive Secretary,Dr. Lawrence Stergomena Taxconcurred, saying the opera-tionalization of the SADCATwill go a long way in provid-ing SADC staff with the re-quired appeal mechanism.

She said together with theestablishment of the Staff Asso-ciation of SADC Secretariat thatwas launched in August 2016,the SADCAT “will contributepositively to the productivity,tranquillity and welfare of staffof organization.”

The SADCAT judges weresworn-in by the Acting ChiefJustice, Justice LakhvinderSingh Walia of Botswana.

The SADCAT will workindependently from the pend-ing SADC Tribunal which wasdisbanded in 2010.

The new Protocol on theSADC Tribunal, which wasadopted by the 34th SADCSummit held in Victoria Falls,Zimbabwe directed thatthe SADC Tribunal’s role willconfined only to an advisoryrole and interpretation of theSADC Treaty and any protocolsthat may be negotiated amongMember States.

This is different to the pre-vious mandate that allowedindividuals to approach thecourt with their cases againsttheir governments.

The SADC Tribunal isbased in Windhoek,Namibia. r

THe ReCeNT appointmentof regional judges to resolvelabour issues between theSADC Secretariat and its staffsignifies an important step increating a conducive environ-ment for the regional organi-zation to effectivelycoordinate and implement re-gional programmes aimed atpromoting sustainable devel-opment.

Since the suspension of theSADC Tribunal in 2010, labourdisputes between the SADCSecretariat and its employeeswere heard by different na-tional courts.

This situation presented itsown challenges as the nationalcourts settled the cases in termsof their local laws, and at timescame up with different judge-ments for similar cases.

riers need to be eliminated inorder for women to be able toparticipate fully in society andequally in the world of work.

In southern Africa, genderinequalities are manifested inthe world of work as gendergaps in labour force participa-tion and pay, occupational seg-regation, unequal workingconditions and women’s bur-den of unpaid domestic andcare work, which characterizeboth the formal and informaleconomies.

According to the SADC Gen-der and Development Monitor2016 launched at 36th SADCSummit held in August 2016in Swaziland, the economicempowerment of women is pre-requisite for sustainable devel-opment and requires soundpublic policies, a holistic ap-proach and long-term commit-ment.

Gender inequality in thelabour market has cost sub-Sa-haran Africa about US$ 95 bil-

lion annually between 2010 and2014, peaking at US$ 105 billionin 2014, according to the AfricaHuman Development Report 2016.

Thus, persistent discrimina-tion against women can sub-stantially hinder developmentand could slow the pace of eco-nomic growth.

In southern Africa as else-where in the world, mostwomen manage multiple roleresponsibilities, includingwoman, wife, mother and paidworker.

Results confirm that Africais failing to achieve its fullgrowth potential because asizeable portion of its growthreserve –women – is not fullyutilized.

Accelerating genderequality is a core function ofgovernment, involving multi-sectoral efforts that include na-tional and local governmententities, non-governmental ac-tors, civil society organiza-tions, men and women. r


by Nyarai Kampilipili

THe GloBAl communitycontinues to make progress inpromoting gender equality andwomen’s empowerment as akey factor in sustainable devel-opment.

However, a number of chal-lenges still hamper efforts bymost countries to fully advancegender empowerment in allspheres of development in-cluding political, economic andsocial.

The 61st session of theCommission on the Status ofWomen (CSW61) held in NewYork in March acknowledgedsome of the challenges andsaid there is urgent need toaddress them to ensure sus-tainable socio-economic devel-opment.

The CSW61 noted that mostof the structural barriers thathinder gender parity andequality are usually found atthe work place.

These barriers include un-balanced terms and conditionsof employment, recruitment,retention, re-entry, promotionand progression to senior man-agement positions and the re-tirement and dismissal ofwomen.

Although access to decent,good quality paid work is crit-ical for women’s economic em-powerment, gender gaps atwork remain persistent andpervasive across all regions in-cluding southern Africa.

The economic empower-ment of women is fundamen-tally dependent on theempowerment opportunities inboth the private and publicsector, and the terms and con-ditions of paid and unpaidwork.

The CSW61 recognised thatdespite some positive trends inclosing gender gaps and im-proving labour conditions for

women over the past fewdecades, gender inequalities inlabour markets prevail world-wide and inhibit women’s eco-nomic empowerment.

These gender gaps requirepolicy action to strengthen op-portunities and outcomes forwomen.

The commission said thereis need to address the contra-diction between legal provi-sions and practice in genderlaws; breaking down harmfulsocial norms and transformingdiscriminatory institutionalsettings; and securing women’seconomic, social and polit i -cal participation.

T h e c o m m i s s i o nacknowledged that structuralbarriers to gender equalitya n d g e n d e r - b a s e d dis-crimination persist in labourmarkets worldwide, whichimpose greater constraints onwomen in balancing workand family responsibilitiesand that these structural bar-

Empowerment of women vital to sustainable development

G E N D E R

THe SADC Secretariat commemorated the International Girls in ICT Day, which was heldunder the theme, “Expand Horizons, Change Attitudes.” The commemoration was held on 27 April in Gaborone, Botswana, where SADCheadquarters is located. The International Girls in ICT Day is an International Telecommunications Unioninitiative that aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls andyoung women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs, enabling girls and technologycompanies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT Sector. International Girls in ICT Day is celebrated on 4 in April every year. Botswana Assistant Minister of Basic Education, Moiseraele Goya said there was gendergap between boys and girls regarding accessing the ICTs. He encouraged the learners to take the opportunity provided to them through thesevarious initiatives by government to become distinct cohorts in development of policy andinnovations in the ICT industry in Botswana. SADC Senior Programme Officer for Communications and ICT, Cecilia Mamelodi–Onyadile urged learners not to shy away from ICTs and technologies. The celebrations also included a panel discussion from leading women in ICT andmotivational talks under a panel discussion entitled “Empowering the Girl Child in theDigital Era.” The panellists were drawn from Policy makers, operators, the CommunicationsRegulators Association of Southern Africa and young motivational speakers. sadc.int r

SADC commemorates “Girls in ICT Day”


G E N D E R

by Nyarai Kampilipili

A ToTAl of 14 countries insouthern Africa out of the 15have now signed a regionalprotocol that aims to advancegender equality and equity.

On 10 May Botswana be-came the latest SADC memberstate to sign the Revised SADCProtocol on Gender and Devel-opment.

President Seretse KhamaIan Khama signed and ac-ceded to the revised protocolat a ceremony in Gaboronewitnessed by the SADC Exec-utive Secretary, Dr Stergom-ena Lawrence Tax.

Mauritius is now the onlySADC member state yet to ap-pend its signature to the pro-tocol.

The Revised SADC Proto-col on Gender and Develop-ment provides for theempowerment of women,elimination of discrimination,and the promotion of genderequality and equity throughgender-responsive legislation,policies, programmes andprojects.

The protocol was revisedlast year so that its objectivesare aligned to various globaltargets and emerging issues.

Some of the new global tar-gets are contained in thepost-2015 UN Sustainable De-velopment Goals (SDGs) andthe African Union (AU)Agenda 2063. The protocol wasalready aligned to the BeijingDeclaration and Platform forAction.

SDG 5 deals with the Pro-motion of Gender Equality andEmpowerment of all Womenand Girls, and sets nine targetsto be met by 2030.

These include ending allforms of discrimination againstwomen and girls; eliminationof all forms of violence againstwomen and girls in the public

and private spheres, includingtrafficking and sexual andother types of exploitation;elimination of all harmfulpractices, such as child, earlyand forced marriage, and fe-male genital mutilation; andensuring the full and effectiveparticipation of women andequal opportunities for leader-ship at all levels of decision-making in political, economicand public life.

Other SDG 5 targets in-clude universal access to sex-ual and reproductive healthand reproductive rights in ac-cordance with the Pro-gramme of Action of theInternational Conference onPopulation and Developmentand the Beijing Platform forAction, and the outcome doc-uments of their review con-ferences; and a committee toundertake reforms to givewomen equal rights to eco-nomic resources, as well asaccess to ownership and con-trol over land and other formsof property, financial services,inheritance and natural re-sources, in accordance withnational laws.

The revised protocol cap-tures emerging issues such asclimate change and child mar-riages. Child marriages are oneof the contributing factors tothe slow progress in the reduc-

tion of maternal mortality, butthe definition of a child by ageremains controversial.

The revised protocol thatwas approved by the 36thSADC Summit held in Swazi-land in August 2016 sought toalign the protocol with provi-sions of other instrumentssuch as those relating to sus-tainable management of theenvironment, and the SADCIndustrialisation Strategy andRoadmap.

Speaking at the signing cer-emony, the Permanent Secre-tary in the Ministry ofNationality Immigration andGender Affairs, BannyMolosiwa said it took time tosign the protocol as the coun-try was engaged in variousconsultations on some clausesof the Protocol.

“I can only thank theSADC member states foragreeing with us, after engag-ing them with regard to thereservations we were having,’’she said.

Despite not being a partyto the protocol, the Govern-ment of Botswana remainedcommitted and has been im-plementing a number of com-mitments contained in thelegal instrument.

According to the SADCGender and Development Moni-tor 2016, the country has made

significant strides towards ad-vancing women in decision-making positions.

In the region, Botswana isamong the SADC memberstates with the highest numberof women occupying leader-ship positions in central gov-ernment, with womencomprising 31.2 percent of per-manent secretaries, 40.4 per-cent of deputy permanentsecretaries, 40 percent of direc-tors and 76.2 percent of headsof department as of 2016.

Dr Tax said the signing ofthe protocol by Botswana is atestimony that the country iscommitted to gender empow-erment and equality. She calledupon member states to abideby the requirements of the pro-tocol.

The SADC Protocol onGender and Development en-tered into force in 2013 follow-ing the ratification of theinstrument by the requisitetwo-thirds of member states.

A total of 11 member statesratified the protocol – Angola,Lesotho, Malawi, Mozam-bique, Namibia, Seychelles,South Africa, Swaziland,United Republic of Tanzania,Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Democratic Republicof Congo and Madagascarsigned the protocol but are yetto accede.

The process of approval ofa regional legal instrument re-quires, first, signing, and thenratification, a process that dif-fers from country to country.

A protocol “enters intoforce” following ratification bytwo-thirds of SADC memberstates (at least 10 countries).This advances the regional lawfrom being a stated intentionto actual application.

Those member states thatjoin after a protocol has enteredinto force are said to “accede”to the protocol. sardc.net r

Botswana signs revised SADC gender protocol

President Ian Khama signing the Revised SADC Protocol on Gender and De-velopment, witnessed by SADC Executive Secretary, Dr StergomenaLawrence Tax

construction works on some of the sectionsof the project; the Kenya-Tanzania sectionwas fully financed and construction work isongoing.

On the Zambian side, construction of a300km 330 kilovolt (kV) line connectingKabwe and Pensulo is expected to begin in2018 at a cost of US$132 million. The samewill apply to the 200km-long 330kVKasama-Nakonde section that is expected tocost US$288 million.

The ZTK interconnector is a high-voltagepower transmission line connectingZambia, the United Republic of Tanzaniaand Kenya.

It is a COMESA-SADC-EAC TripartitePriority project as well as a NEPADproject under the Programme forInfrastructure, Development in Africa(PIDA) and the Africa Power Vision whichhave been endorsed by the AfricanUnion Heads of State and GovernmentAssembly. r

Priority power transmission projectsinclude the construction of the ZiZaBoNaInterconnector Project linking Zimbabwe,Zambia, Botswana and Namibia, as well asthe establishment of the Angola-Namibiainterconnector that will connect the formerto SAPP.

SAPP said in its monthly report forMarch 2017 that it has “secured fundingfrom DBSA (Development Bank ofSouthern Africa), Government of Norwayand Sida (Swedish InternationalDevelopment Cooperation Agency) fortransaction advisory services for the project

ZTK interconnector report due in July

SAPP steps up efforts to l scoping and preparation of the Angola-Namibia Interconnector.”

It said South African engineering, projectmanagement and consulting firm Aureconhas now been appointed as transactionadvisors.

The proposed interconnector involves theconstruction of power transmission linesfrom the proposed Baynes HydropowerPlant in Lower Kunene, Namibia, to link tothe national power grid of Angola. Thisproject involves the section in Angola.

The objective of the project is to evacuatepower from the Baynes Hydropower Plantin Namibia to Angola and the SAPP grid.

Once completed, the new interconnectorsare expected to promote regional powertrade, enhance security of electricity supplyand foster regional trade.

They are expected to decongest existingtransmission corridors and provide anotherwheeling path that will fully integrate allmainland SADC countries to the regionalpower grid.

To facilitate the interconnection betweenits power grid and that of the Eastern AfricaPower Pool (EAPP), SAPP is in the processof commissioning studies to assess thetechnical impact of connecting the EAPP andSAPP.

EAPP is made up of seven countries ineastern Africa and central Africa – Burundi,DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda andSudan. Its secretariat is based in Ethiopia.

SAPP Coordination Centre actingmanager Alison Chikova told the recentSouthern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) Energy ThematicGroup meeting in Botswana in March thatthe SAPP-EAPP Transmission IntegrationStudies will also assess the stability of


by Joseph Ngwawi

SouTHeRN AfRiCA has stepped upefforts to ensure electricity grids of allmainland countries are interconnected andthat the regional power network taps intothe East African network.

The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)is making strides in ensuring that the powergrids of all its 12 member states areinterconnected to allow utilities in thesecountries to trade in electricity.

All mainland SADC countries, with theexception of Angola, Malawi and the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania, are interconnected tothe regional grid through SAPP, allowingthem to trade in electricity.

New generation capacity installed in anyof the three non-participating countries is,therefore, not accessible to the nine othermembers of SAPP – Botswana, DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique,Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambiaand Zimbabwe.

SAPP has embarked on 10 transmissionprojects aimed at ensuring that all itsmembers are interconnected by 2020 andthat the regional grid is strengthened tofacilitate greater power trading by 2024.

THe fiNAl draft report of the feasibilitystudy for the 2,300km power line connectingZambia, Tanzania and Kenya (ZTK) isexpected to be ready by July.

Consultants working on the studyrevealed during a progress review meetingrecently that most of the work has been doneand a report will soon be issued in order topush the project forward.

The meeting was organized by theCommon Market for Eastern and SouthernAfrica (COMESA) and the New EconomicPartnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD) in Livingstone, Zambia on 20-21April for purposes of planning andreviewing the status of the project.

The meeting agreed that mobilization offinancing for the remainder of the projectwill begin once the study report is done. Tothis effect, a financiers’ roundtable isplanned for August.

At the Livingstone meeting, Zambia andKenya gave updates on the ongoing

connecting the EAPP and SAPP tradingmechanisms.

SAPP operates number of power tradingplatforms such as the Day Ahead Market(DAM) and the Intra-Day Market (IDM).

DAM is an auction-type market thatallows power utilities in the SAPP to weightheir options and ensure that they buy fromthe market when it is cheaper to get powerthan to generate.

This helps SAPP members to bid on andsell electricity a day before transactions aremade.

The IDM came into force in 2016 with theaim of offering the utilities more flexibility interms of the availability of trading options.

This trading platform offers monthly,weekly and hourly trading options inaddition to the day ahead option.

Chikova said funding for the SAPP-EAPPTransmission Studies has been secured fromthe World Bank and that contractnegotiations have been completed betweenthe two power pools.

The studies are expected to take 12months to complete. sardc.net r

SouTHeRN AfRiCA should brace for massive electricity tariffincreases as power utilities in the region gear up for the 2019 cost-reflective tariffs deadline.

A cost-reflective tariff is one which reflects the true cost ofsupplying electricity and removes the reliance on state governmentsubsidies to cover the variance between the current tariff and thetrue cost of supply of electricity.

Currently, most power utilities arerelying on government subsidies to stayafloat but a collective decision made bySADC Energy Ministers encouragedutilities to have cost reflective tariffs by2013, a deadline which was later pushedforward to 2019.

Power utilities in SADC are nowworking towards meeting the newdeadline and are approaching theirrespective energy regulatory bodies toapprove new electricity tariffs.

In Zambia, the Energy Regulation Board(ERB) has approved a 75 percent increasecommencing this year.

ERB acting chairperson Francis Yambasaid the increase will be effected in phases,with 50 percent taking effect on 15 May,and the remaining 25 percent on 1September 2017. Eskom of South Africa is proposing a 20-percent increase in 2018.

In Namibia, the Electricity ControlBoard has already rejected a bulk tariffincrease of 31.24 percent for the 2016/17financial year, instead slashing that to 16.71percent. The Botswana Power Corporation hasincreased its tariffs by 7.5 percent.The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmissionand Distribution Company had itsproposal to hike the tariffs in 2016 rejectedby the Zimbabwe Energy RegulatoryAuthority (ZERA).

However, Energy and PowerDevelopment Minister Dr SamuelUndenge told the Senate in February thatthe decision by ZERA to refuse anelectricity tariff increase ought to berevisited. Southern Times r

Southern Africa braces for powertariff hikes

ink up SADC


PlANS To host a regional energy conference aimed at attracting investment in thesector are progressing well.

The hosting of the conference was approved by the SADC Extraordinary Summitheld in March in Swaziland.

The conference, which will be jointly held with a ministerial workshop inSwaziland in July, is intended to showcase investment opportunities in the energysector in SADC and is expected to open up opportunities for investment in the energysector as well as leverage additional resources, focusing on specific flagship projects.

Most of the energy projects to be presented are contained in the SADC RegionalInfrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP) approved by SADC leaders attheir 32nd Ordinary Summit held in August 2012 in Maputo.

The Energy Sector Plan of the RIDMP estimates the total cost of additionalelectricity generation capacity for the region to be in the range of US$114 billion toUS$233 billion.

The related transmission investment costs to support new generation capacity areabout US$540 million. This transmission investment does not, however, includeplanned transmission interconnectors and national backbone lines.

The Energy Sector Plan identifies 89 energy infrastructure projects, some of whichwill be showcased during the planned High-Level Ministerial Workshop andRegional Investors’ Conference on Regional Energy Projects. r

SADC to attract energy investment


lowing access and support for trained cadresof the African National Congress, passingfrom Mozambique to South Africa.

“SADC as a regional body was estab-lished with a solid foundation because of thevision that our founding members had toliberate the peoples of the region and offerthem sustainable peace, stability, prosperityand sustainable development,” King MswatiIII said.

“In this regard, we cannot let down thefounding fathers. We have a greater respon-sibility, more than ever, to ensure that thefoundation pillars of this organization aresustained and we are able to deliver beyondwhat was initially expected.”

King Mswati III said while significantprogress has been made to consolidate thegains of independence, it was also critical forSADC member states to continue to renderfull support to the Secretariat and ensure thatthe region remains a reference point for re-gional cooperation, integration and prosperity.

The SADC Secretariat is the principal ex-ecutive institution of SADC, responsible forstrategic planning, facilitation and coordina-tion and management of all regional activi-ties, programmes and projects.

by Kizito Sikuka

SouTHeRN AfRiCA has come a long wayand the region should continue to upholdthe ideals of the founding fathers for the ben-efit of future generations.

This was said by King Mswati III ofSwaziland, the current chairperson of SADC,during his familiarization tour of the SADCSecretariat in Gaborone, Botswana.

This golden generation of selfless leadersincludes the founding Presidents of Tanza-nia, Zambia and Botswana, respectivelyJulius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda and SeretseKhama, who sacrificed the economic free-dom of their countries to ensure that the restof the region achieved political independ-ence. They formed the core leadership of theFrontline States

Nyerere had to bear the greatest burdenof freeing Africa by hosting the LiberationCommittee of the Organisation of AfricanUnity (OAU) and accommodating liberationfighters in his country, providing them withlogistics, training and diplomatic support.

The Founding Fathers of SADC, namelyleaders of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, theUnited Republic of Tanzania, Zambia andZimbabwe met in Lusaka, Zambia on 1 April1980 to establish the Southern African Devel-opment Coordination Conference (SADCC)– precursor to SADC – after a series of con-sultations by representatives of the FrontlineStates to forge closer alliance.

Since its establishment, SADC hasachieved a number of milestones aimed atadvancing political and economic freedom.

Speaking during a tour of the SADC Secre-tariat on 9 May, King Mswati III said it is im-portant for SADC to uphold the aspirations ofthe founding fathers of the organisation whobelieved in a united region where all the citi-zens enjoy high living standards and peace.

King Mswati III’s father, King Sobhuza II,was a strong supporter of liberation, andquietly fought the apartheid system in hisgiant neighbour, South Africa, through al-

The integration agenda of southern Africa,therefore, depends on the effectiveness of theSADC Secretariat to coordinate and imple-ment regional programmes aimed at promot-ing sustainable development.

“As leaders we urge you (SADC Secre-tariat) to continue with the selfless and hard-working spirit in executing the SADCprogrammes and activities in unity so that allthe dreams and goals of SADC are realised,”King Mswati III said.

The SADC Secretariat is headed by an Ex-ecutive Secretary with two deputies – one forRegional Integration and another for Financeand Administration – and is made up of eightdirectorates and eight stand-alone Units re-sponsible for cross-cutting issues.

The Secretariat is currently undergoing re-forms that involve the restructuring of its or-ganisational set-up.

SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergom-ena Lawrence Tax said the Secretariat is com-mitted to delivering and implementingregional programmes in its quest to deepenintegration and development.

“I would like to assure, Your Majesty, thatthe management is committed to operational-ize these reforms diligently and profession-

“Legacy of SADC Founding Fathers should be

SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, takes King Mswati III of Swaziland on a tour during his visitat the SADC Secritariat in Botswana


P O L I C Y

Although the founding President of Namibia, Dr Sam Nujoma, was not yetin government when the Southern Africa Development Coordination

Conference (SADCC) was formed in 1980, because Namibia was not yetindependent, his country hosted the Summit that transformed SADCC into

the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Windhoek in1992, two years after independence. This article illustrates just one example

of how the founding fathers can be honoured in their lifetime.

Diamond exploration ship launched MV SS NUJOMATHe “WoRlD’S largest and most advanced diamond exploration and sampling vessel”has been launched to explore diamond deposits in the waters off the coast of Namibia,and named after the founding father and first President of Namibia, Dr Sam ShafishunaNujoma. The $157 million vessel is owned by Debmarine Namibia, a 50-50 joint venturebetween the Government of Namibia and the De Beers Group, and the only com-pany in the world to mine diamonds offshore (since 2002). Debmarine says the mining of Namibia’s diamonds takes place at 120 to 140metres below sea level, and the advancedexploration capability of the MV SS Nujomais expected to increase resource develop-ment for the mining fleet. Dr Nujoma was present at the launch inmid-June at Walvis Bay, Namibia, withPrime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amad-hila and the Minister of Mines and Energy,Obeth Kandjoze. Forbes r

ally in order to ensure that the transition doesnot have adverse effects on the delivery of theSecretariat and welfare of staff,” she said.

Dr Tax paid tribute to the leadership ofKing Mswati III, saying a lot of achievementshave been made since he became SADC chairat the 36th SADC Summit held in Swazilandin August 2016.

These achievements include the approvalof a Costed Action Plan for the SADC Indus-trialization Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063during SADC Extra Ordinary Summit thattook place in March, also in Swaziland.

The action plan seeks to establish a coher-ent and synergistic implementation schemecontaining strategic options and general poli-cies towards the progressive attainment oftime-bound targets set out in the strategy androadmap.

The plan will focus on the first 15 years ofthe strategy timeframe, and aims to create anenabling environment for sustaining industrialdevelopment as a driver of economic transfor-mation; and establish an enduring alliance forindustrialisation consisting of the public andprivate sectors as well as strategic partners.

The SADC Industrialisation Strategy andRoadmap was developed as an inclusivelong-term plan for modernisation and eco-nomic transformation that should enablesubstantial and sustained economic develop-ment to raise living standards.

It is anchored on three interdependentstrategic pillars: industrialisation, as a cham-pion of economic transformation; enhancedcompetitiveness; and, deeper regional inte-gration.

Strategic interventions for each of thesepillars are proposed in the action plan.

Other major achievements include theconvening of a ministerial retreat to reviewthe pace and level of the implementation ofthe SADC integration agenda and the cre-ation of a “SADC We Want” that ensures thatthe people of the region fully enjoy the bene-fits and opportunities and benefits of belong-ing to a shared community in southernAfrica. sardc.net r

e maintained” SADC PlANS to establish a mechanism tohonour the legacy of the founding fathers, asagreed by SADC leaders at their 2015 Sum-mit in Botswana. The Interstate Politics and DiplomacyCommittee (ISPDC) of the SADC Organ onPolitics, Defence and Security Cooperation,meeting in February at the Julius Nyerere In-ternational Convention Centre in Dar esSalaam, United Republic of Tanzania, consid-ered proposals to operationalize the mecha-

nism to honour the Founding Fathers ofSADC. The Committee reviewed a number of

SADC policy instruments that will furtherstrengthen its capacity to resolve conflicts andconsolidate democracy, and considered, amongother issues, the establishment of a date for thecommemoration of Southern Africa LiberationDay to celebrate the attainment of independ-ence in SADC Mem-ber States. r

Asante sana, Thank You, MwalimuJULIUS NYERERE

SADC to honour Founding Fathers

D I S A S T E R R I S K R E D U C T I O N


SADC disaster fund on the cards• establishment of a Regional

Disaster Preparedness and Re-sponse Fund.

According to the implementa-tion plan for the response strat-egy, SADC has set a deadline of2020 to agree and operationalizethe use of standardized earlywarning symbols that are under-stood by all Member States andcommunities that are at risk ofnatural disasters. It is envisaged that by end of

2017 SADC Member States willhave put in place a simple and ac-cessible early warning system inthe three official languages – Eng-lish, French and Portuguese. Furthermore, SADC plans to

develop and operationalize bythe end of next year a regionaldatabase to record losses fromdisasters, with regular updates. Apart from the Disaster Pre-

paredness and Response Strategy,the SADC region has proposed anumber of projects aimed atstrengthening regional prepared-ness to respond natural disasters. Some of the projects are con-

tained in the SADC Regional In-frastructure Development MasterPlan and aim to strengthen the re-gional weather observation sys-tem as well as improve themeteorological early warning sys-tem. Southern Africa has suffered

from extensive droughts in 1967-73, 1981-82, 1986-87, 1991-92,1994-95, 2001-03, 2004-05 and inthe 2014-16 agricultural seasons.For example, a series of droughtsthat occurred from 1981 to 1992caused water levels in KaribaDam between Zambia and Zim-babwe to drop by 11.6 metres, af-fecting the dam’s capacity togenerate electricity. In the 2015/16 agriculture sea-

son, an estimated 40 million peo-ple were left food-insecure in dueto a drought that continued to af-fect southern Africa. Floods and cyclones have had

serious impacts in southernAfrica. For example, the1999/2000 and 2000/2001 rainfall

seasons were dominated by cy-clonic activity which caused con-siderable human suffering acrossparts of the region, with CycloneEline having the most devastat-ing effects during this period.

In Mozambique alone, Cy-clone Eline affected 150,000 fam-ilies, resulting in physicaldamage valued at US$273 mil-lion, and a loss of agriculturalproduction valued at US$295million. More recently, torrential rains

caused by Cyclone Dineo duringthe 2016/17 agricultural seasoncaused floods in Mozambique,resulting in an estimated loss ofmore than 29,000 hectares ofcrops including maize, ground-nuts, cassava and beans. In Madagascar, floods caused

by Cyclone Enawo devastatedthe country during the 2016/17season, leaving more than 50people dead and almost 329,000people homeless. The increasing frequency of

earthquakes has become anotherissue of concern in the region. Southern Africa was this year

hit by a strong earthquake with amagnitude of 6.5 on Richterscale. That earthquake on 3 Aprilhad its epicentre in Botswanaand was felt as far as SouthAfrica, Mozambique, Swazilandand Zimbabwe. Southern African countries

often have many small tremorsannually that are recorded by themeteorological services but gounnoticed by the general popula-tion. Major earthquakes in the re-

gion are believed to result fromthe movement of tectonic platesin the East African Rift System,large-scale mining, and changesin the water level in large damssuch as Kariba. The East African Rift system

is a 50-60 km wide zone of activevolcanic and faulting that ex-tends north–south in easternAfrica for more than 3,000kmfrom Ethiopia to central Mozam-bique in the south. r

SADC PlANS to establish afund that can support regional ef-forts to rapidly respond to natu-ral disasters and otheremergencies. The proposed SADC Disaster

Preparedness and ResponseFund is expected to create a poolof resources from which the re-gion can rapidly mobilise fundsin the event that the MemberStates experience a natural disas-ter or emergency situation. The fund is expected to be

functional by the end of 2019; themodalities of how it will workare still being developed. The regional fund is intended

to complement the budgets ofMember State for disaster pre-paredness and response as na-tional governments remain thefirst-line responders to localemergency situations. Taking adequate measures to

prevent, reduce and respond tothe impact of disasters has be-come a critical issue for southernAfrica following an increase inthe number of natural hazards af-fecting the region. Natural hazards such as

droughts, floods, cyclones andoccasional earthquakes occur insouthern Africa and the impactscontinue to threaten livelihoodsand socio-economic develop-ment. To address increasing vulner-

ability, the region has approvedthe SADC Disaster Preparednessand Response Strategy 2016-2030. The strategy is aimed at

strengthening the preparednessand response mechanism forearly warning as well as recoveryfrom disasters in the region by2030.Through the strategy, southernAfrica will focus on three mainpriority areas:• improvement of risk and dis-

aster management informa-tion systems;

• strengthening of disaster pre-paredness and response plan-ning; and,


PoliCy iMPleMeNTATioNis a challenge confronting mostof the SADC region, and one ofthe factors impacting on the ef-fective implementation of re-gional projects andprogrammes is a lack of com-munication.

If a particular policy or pro-gramme is not well understoodby stakeholders, then it is likelythere will be obstacles in thepolicy implementation. In thisregard, communication is anessential ingredient for effec-tive implementation of regionalpolicy.

As a result, Member Statesare expected to take an activerole in communicating theSADC Industrialization Strat-egy and Roadmap that wasadopted by the SADC Extraor-dinary Summit held in 2015 inHarare, Zimbabwe.

The SADC IndustrializationStrategy and Roadmap aims toaccelerate the momentum to-wards strengthening the com-parative and competitiveadvantages of economies of theregion.

The Industrialization Strat-egy was developed as an inclu-sive long-term plan formodernisation and economictransformation that should en-able substantial and sustainedeconomic development to raiseliving standards.

It is anchored on three pillars-- industrialization, competitive-ness and regional integration.Strategic interventions for eachof these pillars are proposed inthe action plan.

These include an improvedpolicy environment for indus-trial development, increasedvolume and efficiency of publicand private sector investmentsin the SADC economy, creationof regional value chains andparticipation in related globalprocesses, as well as increasedvalue addition for agricultural

and non-agricultural prod-ucts and services.

To publicise the strategy,SADC and its Member Statesare holding various nationaland regional meetings that areaimed at educating variousstakeholders on the strategy.

For example, Zim-babwe held a nationalmeeting in April withthe private sector, re-search institutions andacademia on theSADC Industrializa-tion Strategy andRoadmap.

The SADC Secre-tariat held a meetingin May with the media inBotswana to raise awarenessand build partnerships on theimplementation of the SADC In-dustrialization Strategy andRoadmap.

The acting SADC Directorfor Industrial Developmentand Trade, Dr. LomkhosiMkhonta-Gama said, withproper understanding of the In-dustrialization Strategy, themedia can play an importantrole in raising awareness aboutthe strategy.

“We consider the media as acritical stakeholder in movingthe industrialization pro-grammes in the SADC regionforward,” she said, adding thatthe engagement with the mediais meant to ensure that journal-ists are “more knowledgeable’about the industrializationagenda.

To further publicise thestrategy, SADC, in collabora-tion with the Southern AfricaBusiness Forum, will host aSADC Industrialization Week.This is set for 10-14 July in Jo-hannesburg, South Africa.

According to a statement, theindustrialization week will be aprelude to the SADC Summit,“bringing together public andprivate sector representatives

from the 15 SADC MemberStates to accelerate regional inte-gration, enhance intra-Africantrade and increase levels of in-vestment.”

The first-ever SADC Indus-trialization Week was held inAugust 2016 on the margins ofthe 36th SADC Summit ofHeads of State and Govern-ment in Mbabane, Swaziland.

The objective is to popular-ize the strategy and identify in-dustrialization projects that canbe implemented jointly by pub-lic and private sector withinSADC Member States.

Such projects include infra-structure development, regionaltrade and industrial capacity.

The main focus is on threespheres -- Strengthening ValueChains, Corridor Developmentand Enhancing Infrastructure.

Regarding value chain proj-ects, priority is placed on min-ing and mineral beneficiation,agro-processing and pharma-ceuticals.

Corridor development in-volves various enabling factorssuch as standards and qualityinfrastructure, trade facilitationand transport infrastructure.

With regards to infrastructuredevelopment, special focus is onwater and energy projects. r

To PRoMoTe the smoothimplementation of the In-dustrialization Strategy andRoadmap, SADC approveda Costed Action Plan, whichwas adopted by the SADCExtraordinary Summit heldin Mbabane, Swaziland inMarch.

Implementation of the ac-tion plan is estimated to costUS$103 million at regionallevel over the first 15 yearsof the strategy timeframe.

Member States are ex-pected to develop their ownimplementation cost esti-mates by the end of June2017.

The action plan seeks toestablish a coherent and syn-ergistic implementationscheme containing strategicoptions and general policiestowards the progressive at-tainment of time-bound tar-gets set out in the strategyand roadmap.

It aims to create an en-abling environment forsustaining industrial devel-opment as a driver of eco-nomic transformation; andestablish an enduring al-liance for industrialisationconsisting of the public andprivate sectors as well asstrategic partners. r

Profiling the SADC industrialisation strategy

I N D U S T R I A L I S A T I O N


GeNeRAl eleCTioNS willbe held in Angola on 23 Augustto choose members of the Na-tional Assembly for the next fiveyears. Angola uses a single con-stituency electoral system ofFirst-Past-The-Post and theparty or coalition with the mostseats in the National Assembly

Angola prepares for general elections in Augustoffice, having served the countryas President since 1979, followingthe death of the country’s found-ing father and first President, Dr.Agostinho Neto. The August election willthus produce the third presidentsince independence in 1975. The People's Movement forthe Liberation of Angola(MPLA), which has been inpower since independence, haschosen João Lourenço, the cur-rent defence minister, as itspresidential candidate. Lourenço will contest for thepresidency against four othercandidates from the NationalUnion for the Total Independ-ence of Angola (Unita); the Na-tional Liberation Front ofAngola (FNLA); Social Renova-

tion Party (PRS); and NationalPatriotic Alliance (APN). Unita will field IsaíasSamakuva as its presidentialcandidate, while Lucas Ngondawill represent FNLA and PRSwill be represented by EduardoKuangana. António QuintinoMoreira will be APN’s presiden-tial candidate. The Angolan Parliament has

220 seats, plus two for the Presi-dent and Vice President. In the last elections held in

2012, the MPLA won 175 seats,followed by Unita with 32 seatsand the Broad Convergence forAngola's Salvation-ElectoralCoalition (CASA-CE) with eight.The remaining seats went to PRSand FNLA with three and twoseats respectively. r

then chooses the President, usu-ally the leader of that party orcoalition. Before the Constitutionwas amended in 2010, the Pres-ident was directly elected bythe voters. President José Eduardo dos

Santos has announced that hewill not seek another term in

E L E C T I O N S

Kabila names coalition government, no poll date yet THe PReSiDeNT of the Dem-ocratic Republic of Congo(DRC), Joseph Kabila, named anew coalition government inApril following a multi-partyagreement, in preparation fornational elections scheduled forlater this year. According to Agence Congo-laise de Presse, the new govern-ment led by Prime MinisterBruno Tshibala consists of threedeputy prime ministers, 32 min-isters, two ministers of state and10 deputy ministers. The deputy premiers are

Evariste Boshab, who also servesas Minister of Interior and Secu-rity; Thomas Luhaka, also theMinister of Post and Telecommu-nications; and Willy Makiashi theMinister of Employment, Labourand Social Welfare. Boshab belongs to the Peo-ple's Party for Reconstructionand Democracy led by Kabilawhile Luhaka is secretary general ofthe opposition Congolese Liber-ation Movement and Makiashi isa member of the opposition Uni-fied Lumumbist Party.

sassination of his father,Laurent Kabila. Under his leader-ship, the DRC hasemerged from the darkestyears of war, although internalconflict continues in the easternpart of the country. Kabila led a transitional gov-ernment that in 2006 oversawfirst democratic elections inmore than 40 years, which hewon. He was re-elected in 2011. With support from fellowSADC Member States, DRC gov-ernment forces have managed tocontain rebels who had takenover some sectors in the easternpart of the country in 2012. At their extraordinary sum-

mit held in Swaziland in March,SADC Heads of State and Gov-ernment called upon the Interna-tional Community to support theDRC in the electoral processesthat are expected to facilitatepeaceful and successful elections. The Communiqué of the

Extra Ordinary Summit of SADCHeads of State and Governmentheld at Lozitha Palace (Mand-vulo) Kingdom Of Swaziland on

18 March 2017 statedthat, “Summit com-mended the President

of the DRC, H.E. JosephKabila Kabange, the Gov-

ernment of the DRC, CENCO,political parties and other stake-holders for the continued effortsin addressing the political and se-curity challenges.” The Interstate Politics andDiplomacy Committee (ISPDC)of the SADC Organ on PoliticsDefence and Security Coopera-tion which met in February inDar es Salaam, chaired by theUnited Republic of Tanzania asthe current chair of the SADCOrgan Troika, received a reporton the political and security sit-uation in DRC. In his opening remarks, Hon.Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, who isthe Minister of Foreign Affairs ofTanzania, commended the DRCfor the agreement that facilitatedthe signing of the Political Agree-ment on 31 December 2016. Hesaid that it is only through peace-ful co-existence and stability thatwe can achieve all the goals of thecommunity. r

Another opposition leaderincluded in the coalition gov-ernment is Michel Bongongoof the Union of Forces forChange. Only three of the 35 full min-isters are women, which is lessthan nine percent of the cabinet,far below the representationspecified by the relevant SADCProtocol. The three are Bijou Katwho is Minister of Gender, Fam-ily and Children; Trade MinisterKudianga Bayokisa; and LouiseMunga Mesozi, Minister with-out Portfolio. President Kabila appointedTshibala, a former member ofthe largest UDPS as Prime Min-ister. Tshibala was expelledfrom the UDPS in March afterhe contested the designation ofsuccessors for veteran leaderEtienne Tshisekedi, who died inFebruary. According to the DRC Consti-tution, presidential and legisla-tive elections should have beenheld in 2016 when the secondand final term of the currentPresident ended. Kabila came topower in 2001 following the as-


SPeAkeR AfTeR speakerspoke from the same script at theinauguration of Thomas Tha-bane as the new Prime Ministerof the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The message was that it istime for Lesotho to find a last-ing solution to its political in-stability and ensure that thecountry focuses on socio-eco-nomic development.

Lesotho has experienced re-curring political instabilitysince 2012, and has held threenational elections within fiveyears.

The elections wereprompted by votes of no-confi-dence passed on the respectivePrime Ministers by the Parlia-ment.

Speaking soon after beingsworn in as the new PrimeMinister on 16 June, Thabanesaid the recent election shouldfinally promote cooperationamong all Basotho to find alasting solution to the chal-lenges facing the country.

“We need to rescue Lesothofrom the current downwardspiral into lawlessness, conflict,political instability, stagnation,and degradation of democracy,to work for lasting peace andstability of the nation; and tolead the nation on the path ofreconciliation and unity.

“Let us all support this gov-ernment to create an enablingenvironment for Lesotho to be-come a lawful country,” hesaid, adding that no Basothowill be left out in the rebuildingprocess.

He assured the country thathis government “will be for Ba-sotho without any form of dis-crimination, a government thatis committed to rule of law, re-building and strengthening ofthe pillars of democracy, and ab-hors corruption in all its forms.”

The SADC Chairperson,King Mswati III of Swazilandconcurred, saying peace and se-

curity are cornerstones forregional integration and devel-opment.

“There is need for economicreforms, not only in Lesothobut by the whole SADC regionin order to improve the lives ofour people,” King Mswati saidin a speech read on his behalfby the Swazi Prime MinisterBarnabas Dlamini.

The SADC chair paid tributeto the critical role played by theregion in mediating in theLesotho political situationthrough the Oversight Com-mittee and the Facilitator, theSouth African Deputy Presi-dent, Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Zambian PresidentEdgar Lungu, who was alsopresent at the inauguration cer-emony, said the destiny ofLesotho can only be trulyachieved if Basotho take an ac-tive role in shaping their ownfuture.

“Democracy is a very expen-sive game, but I will leave it upto you the people of Lesotho todecide how best to make democ-racy a bit cheaper so that you canfocus resources to develop thiscountry,” Lungu said.

Thabane was elected PrimeMinister after his All BasothoConvention (ABC) won a totalof 48 seats compared to 30 seatsfor the Democratic Congress(DC) led by immediate pastPremier, Pakalitha Mosisili.

According to final results re-leased by the Lesotho Inde-

pendent Electoral Commission,the Lesotho Congress forDemocracy won 11 seats, Al-liance of Democrats (9), Move-ment for Economic Change (6),Basotho National Party (5), andthe Popular Front for Democ-racy (3).

The Reformed Congress ofLesotho, National IndependentParty, Democratic Party ofLesotho, Marematlou FreedomParty and the Basutoland Con-gress Party all got one seateach.

Lesotho has a bicameral Par-liament consisting of a Senatewith 33 seats and a NationalAssembly with 120 seats, andas per the Constitution, a win-ning party should attain at least61 seats to form a government.In this regard, the ABC formeda coalition government withthe Alliance of Democrats, Ba-sotho National Party and theReformed Congress of Lesotho.

The coalition by the fourparties has reversed the resultof an election held in 2015when the DC ousted the ABCby uniting with smaller partiesto pass a vote of no-confidencein Thabane.

Most election observers, in-cluding the SADC Election Ob-server Mission (SEOM) andAfrican Union Election Obser-vation Mission, said Lesotho’snational parliamentary electionsheld on 3 June were in conform-ity with regional and continen-tal standards and principles.

The elected Mem-bers of Parliament are expectedto serve a five-year term. How-ever, Mosisili has raised con-cern over the way the electionswere conducted, claiming thatthe electoral process was riggedin favour of Thabane.

He has called for the inter-vention of SADC to carry out aforensic audit of the electionsand subsequently facilitate theestablishment of a unity gov-ernment.

Members of the Lesotho Na-tional Assembly are elected bydirect popular vote using themixed member proportionalsystem.

Under this system, 80 parlia-mentarians are chosen in sin-gle-member constituenciesusing the First-Past-The-Postsystem while the remaining 40are elected from one nationalconstituency using party-listProportional Representation.

The latter is used to deter-mine the number of seats eachparty would receive if the sys-tem was fully proportional.

The total number of votescast on the party ballot is di-vided by the 120 seats at stakein the National Assembly to de-termine how many seats eachparty deserves to receive.

This number is then com-pared to the seats a party wonin the constituency list to deter-mine how many seats shouldbe awarded in the party list.sardc.net r

Lesotho – Time to address political instability

Prime Minister Thomas Thabane taking his oath of office; outgoing Premier Phakalitha Mosisili; and SADC Facilitator, South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa

E L E C T I O N S

Five years later– on 25 May 1963 –another historicmeeting took placein Ethiopia, aftermany morecountries hadgained politicalindependence.

Leaders of 32independentAfrican states metin Addis Ababa,Ethiopia on thathistoric day on 25May 1963 to formthe OAU, which isnow the AU.

At this historic meeting,the date of Africa FreedomDay was changed from 15April to 25 May andAfrica Freedom Day wasdeclared African LiberationDay, now celebrated acrossthe continent as Africa Day.

The founding President ofthe United Republic ofTanzania, Julius Nyerere, whois a symbol of freedom inAfrica was instrumentaltogether with other Africanleaders in the formation of theOAU.

Nyerere played a criticalrole in supporting theliberation of the continentfrom colonial rule as Tanzaniahosted the LiberationCommittee of OAU thatprovided diplomatic supportand materials to the liberation

movements, who now governseveral independent countriesin Africa.

At his country's ownindependence in December1961, Nyerere was ready todelay the independence untilthe neighbouring countries ofKenya and Uganda could gainindependence at the sametime, but they reached thisgoal a few years later.

As the continent celebratesAfrica Day, what does it meanfor the present and futuregenerations?

The commemorationprovides a platform forremembering African history,from the rich pre-colonialdevelopment period throughthe dark days of slavery andcolonialism right up to theliberation of southern Africaand the end of the apartheidsystem in South Africa in May1994, more than 30 years afterthe formation of the OAU andits Liberation Committee.

It also presents anopportunity for Africa to takestock of its achievements andchallenges to ensure that itsaspirations are reality.

Africa’s longstandingvision is a united, prosperousand integrated continent.Significant progress is beingmade to achieve these goals.sardc.net r

A F R I C A


and should be rememberedwith respect and vision.

The day traces its origin tothe first-ever conference ofindependent African stateshosted by the foundingPresident of Ghana, KwameNkrumah on 15 April 1958.

This was the first Pan-African conference held onAfrican soil, representingthe collective expression ofAfrican resistance tocolonialism, and was hosted bythe first sub-Saharan Africancountry to gain independencefrom a colonial power inMarch 1957.

The First Conference ofIndependent African Stateswas attended by eight Africanleaders from Egypt, Ethiopia,Liberia, Libya, Morocco,Sudan Tunisia and Ghana,who comprised the totalrepresentation for Africa at theUnited Nations.

Representatives of theNational Liberation Front ofAlgeria and the Union ofCameroonian Peoples alsoattended.

The conference called forthe founding of AfricanFreedom Day, a day to “markeach year the onward progressof the liberation movement,and to symbolise thedetermination of the people ofAfrica to free themselves fromforeign domination andexploitation.”

“ouR liBeRTy ismeaningless unless allAfricans are free. Our brothersin Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe),in Mozambique, in Angola, inSouth Africa cry out inanguish for our support andassistance.”

“We must urge on theirbehalf their peaceful accessionto independence. We mustalign and identify ourselveswith all aspects of theirstruggle.”

These words were said byHis Imperial Majesty HaileSelassie, the Emperor ofEthiopia, on 25 May 1963 atthe historic launch of theOrganisation of African Unity(OAU) – precursor to theAfrican Union (AU).

Selassie was the firstPresident of the OAU, whichwas established to rid thecontinent of the remainingvestiges of colonizationand apartheid, as well asto promote unity andsolidarity among Africancountries.

At its inception, the AU hada total of 32 independentcountries, and today there are55 sovereign member states.

To celebrate the Africannarratives of the past, presentand future, the continent hasset aside 25 May each year asAfrica Day.

The day is an importantpart of the continent’s heritage

Global Fund Board, Dr Tedroshas the technical expertise andthe breadth of perspective tolead WHO in the era ofSustainable DevelopmentGoals,” SADC ExecutiveSecretary, Dr. StergomenaLawrence Tax said in astatement.

She said as a region that ishighly affected by the HIV andAIDS epidemic, tuberculosis

SADC HAS congratulated Dr.Tedros Ghebreyesus for beingelected the first Africandirector-general of the UnitedNations World HealthOrganization.

“With his vast experience atnational level as EthiopianFederal Minister of Health andsubsequently ForeignMinister, and at internationallevel as Chairperson of the

An African to lead World Health Organization

Africa Day - Towards a united continent

and malaria, SADC is“optimistic and withunwavering confidence, thatour Regional IndicativeStrategic Development Planwill attract the attention ofWHO as we embark on theIndustrialization Programmethat has a Multi-sectoralapproach to poverty alleviationand elimination of TB, Malariaand HIV by 2030”. r


June – August 2017

June 3, Lesotho Lesotho Parliamentary Elections

The people of Lesotho will vote in national parliamentary elections, thethird in five years, following another vote of no-confidence in the sittingPrime Minister.

7-9, Denmark Africa Energy Forum 2017The forum brings together representatives of governments, powerutilities and other major players in the energy sector to discuss ways ofimproving the delivery of power infrastructure projects in Africa.

21-22, Ethiopia Africa-China High-Level Dialogue and Think Tank ForumThis forum co-hosted by the African Union Leadership Academy andZhejiang Normal University of China is intended to facilitate thesharing of experience in poverty alleviation and development,exchange cooperation ideas, deepen Africa-China strategic andcooperative partnership, and support implementation of the outcomesof the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation(FOCAC).

26-28, SADC Gender Ministers MeetingSwaziland SADC ministers responsible for gender and women affairs meet to

review progress on implementation of policies intended to achievegender equality and equity in the region as agreed in the Revised SADCProtocol on Gender and Development.

27 June-4 July, 29th African Union Summit Ethiopia The 29th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union will be

held under the theme “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend throughInvestments in Youth”. African heads of state and government are expectedto discuss the development agenda for the continent, including progresstowards the establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area.

July10-16, SADC Industrialization WeekSouth Africa The week-long event aims to popularize the SADC Industrialization

Strategy and Roadmap approved in 2015. Now in its second year, theannual event comprises a high-level conference to discuss ways ofaccelerating the SADC industrialisation agenda as well as an exhibitionby governments, companies, research institutions and other stakeholders.

TBA, Swaziland SADC Energy Investors ConferenceThe High Level Ministerial Workshop and Regional InvestorsConference on Regional Energy Projects is intended to showcaseinvestment opportunities in the energy sector in SADC. Convening ofthe conference is one of the outcomes of the SADC ExtraordinarySummit held in Swaziland in March.

August9-20, 37th SADC Summit of Heads of State and GovernmentSouth Africa SADC Leaders will meet for their annual Summit to discuss issues

aimed at advancing regional integration and development. The Summit,set for 18-19 August is preceded by meetings of senior officials andCouncil of Ministers. President Jacob Zuma of South Africa will assumethe SADC chair from King Mswati III of Swaziland. The theme of theSummit is “Partnering with the private sector in developing industryand regional value-chains”.

23, Angola General Elections in Angola Angolan voters will go to the polls on 23 August to choose theirleadership for the next five years. Incumbent president, Jose Eduardodos Santos, has announced that he will not seek another term in office.

TBA Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum Climate experts from SADC Member States meet to review the regionalclimate outlook, using indicators of seasonal rainfall to produce aregional forecast for the 2017/18 rainfall season.

E V E N T SSOUTHERN

AFRICA TODAY

SADC TODAY VOL 19 NO 4 JUNE 2017

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAYis produced as a reference source of

activities and opportunities in theSouthern African Development Community, and a guide for

decision-makers at all levels of national and regional development.

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EDITORMunetsi Madakufamba

EDITORIAL COMMITTEEJoseph Ngwawi, Kizito Sikuka, Egline Tauya, Admire Ndhlovu,

Phyllis Johnson, Danai Majaha, Anesu Ngadya , Tariro Sasa,Nyarai Kampilipili, Tanaka Chitsa, Dean Mutata

EDITORIAL ADVISOR

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is supported by the Austrian Development Agency, insupport of the SADC Energy Thematic Group of International Cooperating Partners,

which is co-chaired by Austria.

© SADC, SARDC, 2017

SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY welcomes contributions from individuals andorganizations within the SADC region in form of articles, photographs, news itemsand comments, and also relevant articles from outside the region. The publishersreserve the right to select or reject items, and to edit to fit the space available. The

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1 June International Children’s Day Angola5 June Liberation Day Seychelles15 June Corpus Christi Seychelles16 June Youth Day South Africa18 June National Day Seychelles25 June Eid Ul Fitr** Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania

Independence Day Mozambique26 June Independence Day Madagascar29 June Independence Day Seychelles30 June Independence Day DRC

1 July Sir Seretse Khama Day Botswana3 July Heroes Day* Zambia 4 July Unity Day* Zambia 6 July Independence Day Malawi 7 July Saba Saba Industry Day Tanzania17 July King’s Birthday Lesotho 17July President’s Day* Botswana18 July Public Holiday* Botswana22 July Birthday of late King Sobhuza Swaziland

1 August Parents Day DRC7 August Farmers Day* Zambia 8 August Nane Nane Peasant Day Tanzania9 August National Women’s Day South Africa 14 August Heroes Day* Zimbabwe15 August Defence Forces Day* Zimbabwe 15 August Assumption Day Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles 17 August SADC Day** * All26 August Heroes Day Namibia 29 August Umhlanga Reed Dance* Swaziland

NB. Some dates change from year to year as indicated by the stars*Exact date depends on the year’s calendar** Exact date depends on sighting of the new moon*** SADC Day is not a public holiday but a commemoration of signing the SADC Treaty on 17 August

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADCJune-August 2017

A shared future within a regional community

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

THiS yeAR marks 55 years since the formation of the Front for the Libera-tion of Mozambique (FRELIMO), the national liberation movement thatwon independence from Portuguese colonial rule. FRELIMO was founded in Dar es Salaam in then Tanganyika in June 1962when three nationalist organisations merged into one broad-based liberationmovement under the leadership of Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane. The party launched the armed struggle for independence from Portugaltwo years later, on 25 September 1964, when cadres trained in Algeria wentinto action for the first time in the northern province of Cabo Delgado afterinfiltrating across the border from Tanganyika (which had united with Zanz-ibar a few months earlier to form the United Republic of Tanzania). By 1965, the military action against the Portuguese colonial army hadbeen extended to neighbouring Niassa province, and FRELIMO was ableto open fronts in the Tete region two years later. In response, Portugal committed more and more troops, military sup-plies, and military aid funds to the territory. Mondlane was assassinated on 3 February 1969 by a parcel bomb sent tohim in Dar es Salaam by the Portuguese security police, the PIDE. Samora Machel became president of FRELIMO in 1970 and directed theliberation struggle to its completion, through negotiations, transition andindependence on 25 June 1975, becoming the first President of Mozambique. He affirmed Mozambique's support for the liberation movements in An-gola, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and his FRELIMO governmentprovided a rear base and other facilities, especially for neighbouring Zim-babwe and South Africa. His unrelenting support for liberation of neighbouring countries causedhim to be a target of apartheid South Africa, and he was killed when hisplane crashed just across the South African border on 19 October 1986, be-lieved to have been drawn off course by a false beacon. FRELIMO and the other liberation movements received support fromthe Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Liberation Committee based inTanzania, which coordinated international financial and material support. A turning point in the struggle for Mozambique’s independence was thecoup d’etat in Portugal on 25 April 1974 when the Portuguese Movementof the Armed Forces overthrew the military regime in Lisbon. This was caused in part by the discontent of conscripts sent to fight inPortugal’s “overseas territories” in Africa, particularly because they werelosing the war against FRELIMO in Mozambique. Negotiations between Portuguese and FRELIMO representatives led tothe conclusion of an independence agreement signed in Zambia on 7 Sep-tember 1974, now commemorated as Victory Day, marking the start of atransition headed by then Prime Minister Joaquim Chissano, who was laterPresident from 1986 to 2005. H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, now President of Mozambique, was broughtup in the national liberation movement where both his parents were veter-ans of the war. r

SiR SeReTSe Khama Day is a national holiday offi-cially designated to honour Botswana’s first president.This is celebrated on the birthday of Seretse Khamawho was born on 1 July 1921 and became the firstleader of Botswana at independence on 30 September1966. He died of pancreatic cancer on 13 July 1980.Seretse Khama was father to the current President,Seretse Khama Ian Khama, and he was one of thefounding fathers of the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity.

Remembering Seretse Khama

SINCE FORMATION OF FRELIMO

55years

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