by Munetsi Madakufamba and Chengetai Madziwa – SANF 04 no 114
The year 2004 is ending the way it started with southern Africa enjoying unparalleled peace, political stability and security, while poverty reduction remains top of the agenda for the region.
Poverty in southern Africa has a cyclical relationship to drought and floods, conflicts, and HIV and AIDS, as well as malaria and other communicable diseases. These challenges have contributed to southern Africa lagging behind in the achievement of the targets under the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The political leadership in southern Africa has stressed their commitment to the achievement of these targets. At several forums, including the UN 59th Session of the General Assembly in September, the leaders called for assistance in unlocking the resource and capacity constraints that have contributed to the lack of progress towards the millennium targets.
In pursuit of these targets, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched in March its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), which is a blueprint for poverty eradication. The RISDP is the regional adaptation of the African Union’s development programme, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the MDGs.
Speaking at the launch of the RISDP, Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa stressed the need to further the development agenda in southern Africa in the key areas including food security, gender equality, HIV and AIDS, and sustainable development.
At the SADC Summit in Mauritius, he reminded western countries that southern Africa’s democracy had come of age and its member states were capable of handling their own affairs. The successful elections in South Africa in April, Malawi in May, Botswana in October, Namibia in November, and Mozambique in December, have demonstrated the region’s well-entrenched universal suffrage, sustained in a culture of political pluralism.
The unanimous adoption at the August Summit of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections by the region’s leaders further strengthened the democratisation process in the region.
Central to the 2004 elections was the transition of political leadership which characterised the elections in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia.
The Malawi poll resulted in the election of economist and diplomat Bingu wa Mutharika as president, taking over from Bakili Muluzi.
Botswana’s incumbent President Festus Mogae was easily re-elected in general elections held on 30 October, but the question of who will succeed him when he steps down in 2008 simmered during the campaign. This was the first post-election issue to be dealt with by party and parliament, with the endorsement of Ian Khama Seretse Khama, the party vice-president, as Vice-President of the country.
In Mozambique, President Joaquim Chissano is stepping down after 18 years in office. Frelimo candidate, Armando Guebuza, was elected Chissano’s successor during the 1-2 December poll, shrugging off challenge from former rebel leader Afonso Dhlakama.
The leadership transition in Namibia is from President Sam Nujoma, who led the country to independence in 1990 and will retire from government in March 2005. His successor is Hifikepunye Pohamba, the current Minister of Lands, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, who was Swapo’s presidential candidate in elections held on 15 and 16 November.
While the elections were generally free and fair, the performance by member states on gender targets was largely disappointing. Only South Africa surpassed the SADC target of reaching a 30 percent women representation in positions of decision-making by 2005. One-third of the parliamentarians elected on 14 April were women while 43 percent are in cabinet.
In Botswana, the number of elected women MPs dropped from seven in the previous assembly to only four. There was an improvement in Malawi from 8 to 17 percent, but still far short of the 2005 target. Namibia regressed from 29 percent women MPs in 1999 to 25 percent in the 2004 election.
Hopefully Mozambique will better its 31 percent attained in 1999, which would make it one of two countries in the SADC region to have attained the gender target in terms of representation in parliament.
Instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has cast a shadow on the elections scheduled for June 2005. However, the summit on the Great Lakes Region convened in Tanzania in November at which 15 African leaders signed a Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development gave a fresh impetus to the peace process.
Regarding food security in southern Africa, the situation has improved over the year with a reduction in cereal deficit from 2.96 million tonnes last year to 1.93 million tonnes this year. This is due to increased cereal production in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Food Security in May 2004 was a milestone in ensuring that southern Africa’s endemic food shortages do not recur in future. The declaration contains short and long term strategies that if implemented will guarantee the region sustainable food security.
Mkapa summed up the determination when he said, “unless we, of SADC, feel ashamed of having to beg for food – sometimes receiving it with all manner of conditions – we cannot bring honour to our countries. Let us work together to bring honour, not shame to independent southern Africa.”
As for economic development, there are countries that recorded significant growth rates, notably Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. However, sluggish growth in South Africa, southern Africa’s largest economy, combined with the knock on effect from constant fluctuations in the world oil prices due to a number of factors including the US-led war on Iraq, resulted in a subdued overall economic growth rate for the region.
In the last 3-4 years, the SADC gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate has averaged between 3-4 percent. This disappointing growth rate has left the region in an almost impossible position to attain the poverty MDG.
In his end of year briefing, SADC Executive Secretary Prega Ramsamy conceded that the region may not attain millennium goals when he said, “As you know, one of the sine qua non for achieving the MDGs is an economic growth rate of 6-7 percent. It is not happening. If this situation is not reversed very quickly it is hard to see how SADC is going to meet the MDGs.”
Regarding environment and water resources, the launch of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission in July marked a significant advance towards closer cooperation for sustainable management, protection and utilisation of shared watercourses in southern Africa. The Zambezi Basin is shared by eight reparian states.
At the continental level, the AU economic framework, NEPAD, marked the end of its three-year formative phase. In line with the NEPAD thrust of rallying financial support for the African continent, SADC submitted no less than 25 short term projects to the NEPAD Secretariat on behalf of its member states. The projects are mainly in the area of infrastructure development.
Another notable development was the decision to grant South Africa the right to host the AU Pan African Parliament. In September, the parliament held its first regular assembly in Mid Rand with its 265 members from all over Africa.
The parliament discussed the legalities, rules and establishment of committees that will guide its response to the challenges on the continent.
For many southern Africans, the Christmas present came as early as 15 May when the international soccer governing body FIFA granted South Africa the right to host the 2010 World Cup, the largest single-event sporting activity in the world.
The SADC region expects enormous direct and indirect benefits through increased investment and tourism as well as strengthening of the South African economy. (SARDC)
