SADC has committed to embark on radical measures to strengthen infrastructure development and speed up the process of implementing its regional integration programme.
At the 27th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Lusaka, Zambia from 16-17 August, southern African leaders expressed concern at the slow pace of implementing goals and targets to achieve regional integration and eradicate poverty.
Outgoing chairperson of SADC, Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho said the region must accelerate implementation of its commitments so that the 240 million SADC citizens can begin to enjoy the benefits of regional integration.
The Summit directed relevant officials at the national level to concretize and harmonize efforts in their activities to revamp infrastructure development and speed up implementation of regional integration.
SADC’s goals and targets for regional integration are outlined in its blueprints, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (SIPO).
Launched in March 2004, the RISDP is a 15-year regional integration development framework, with priorities, policies and strategies for achieving the long-term goals of SADC.
The RISDP is intended to guide member states, SADC institutions, regional stakeholders and international cooperating partners in the process of deepening integration to turn the SADC’s vision into reality. It is designed to address the challenges and opportunities facing the cooperation and integration prospects of SADC.
Among others, the RISDP targets to attain annual economic growth rates of at least seven percent, necessary to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015.
According to SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomão, the region’s annual economic growth is currently averaging five percent.
Incoming SADC chairperson president Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia said regional integration is hampered by inadequate infrastructure in the key sectors of energy, transport, communication, water and tourism.
SADC is currently facing a crippling energy shortage. Electricity generation capacity in SADC at present is only 52,743 MW of which 41,000 MW is secured capacity available for distribution to consumers against demand of 42,000 MW.
The mismatch between demand and supply is a result of a number of factors including lack of investment over the last 10 years and growing population as well as expanding industries.
The existing road and rail transport infrastructure in SADC needs rehabilitation to meet the region’s current objectives of deeper regional integration. This includes increased intra-regional trade in line with the economic targets of a Free Trade Area by 2008, Customs Union in 2010 and Common Market by 2015.
In response to the acknowledged urgent need for suitable infrastructure and services as the region moves closer to deeper regional integration levels, the southern African leaders held a brainstorming session on Regional Economic Integration and Accelerating Implementation of Infrastructure Development during the Summit.
This was in line with the summit theme, “Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration”.
According to Mosisili, SADC lacks financial capacity to rehabilitate regional infrastructure and fund new projects, despite the regional body being well placed to receive long term investment necessary for infrastructure development given the peaceful environment that it is currently enjoying.
“With the Democratic Republic of Congo moving towards sustained stability, the African Union, for example, singles out SADC as the most peaceful region in Africa,” Mosisili said.
“We have deliberated on measures to enhance financing of regional infrastructure to support Free Trade Area, Customs Union and Common Market,” Mwanawasa told at a post Summit media briefing.
The Summit called for financial support from the private sector and the international community to complement regional efforts.
On the implementation of SIPO, outgoing chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation President Jakaya Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania reported that the human resources requirements are now in place to facilitate a faster pace in implementation.
The Summit elected president José Eduado dos Santos of Angola and King Mswati III of Swaziland as chairperson and deputy of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation respectively.
President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa is the new deputy chairperson of SADC and his country will host the 2008 Summit.
