Page 29 - 40th Summit Brochure 2020

SADC HISTORY

What they said at launch of SADCC, 40 years ago

TOWARDS ECONOMIC LIBERATION

THE SOUTHERN African Development Coordination Conference
was of cially launched at the Mulungushi Conference Centre in
Lusaka, Zambia on 1 April 1980.
On that day, the leaders of the Frontline States (Angola,
Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, and United Republic of Tanzania)
were joined by representatives of the leaders of Lesotho, Malawi,
Swaziland (now Eswatini) and the Prime Minister-designate of
newly liberated Zimbabwe, in appending their signatures to the
Lusaka Declaration.
T ey were inspired by a common vision, said Seretse Khama,
the founding President of Botswana, who chaired the meeting.
“With mutual trust and the common vision of a brighter
future which brought us here today, we shall not fail,” he said.
T is was reinforced by President Samora Machel of
Mozambique, who referred to the common denominator that
bound the majority-ruled countries of southern Africa, leading
to the formation of the group.
As one of the speakers on the day, President Machel talked
of “our common identity and common determination in the f ght
for liberation of our region and our continent from colonialism, from racism, T e dependence on South Africa was largely visible in the areas of transport
from oppression, dependency and exploitation.” and communication, with the country being a major exporter of goods and ser-
When SADCC was formed, the precursor to the Southern African De- vices, and importer of goods and cheap labour.
26 velopment Community (SADC), its core objective was economic development According to Khama, southern African countries, therefore, wanted to
and the reduction of economic dependence of the Member States on then have a wider choice of transportation routes, markets, sources of energy, and
apartheid South Africa, which was impeding development through economic investment partners.
and military destabilization of the region. It was inconceivable that Southern Africa’s majority-ruled countries would
“We all know that our economies are to a very large extent, albeit to oil the economic wheels of the apartheid regime by being dependent on its econ-
varying degrees, dependent on the economy of South Africa,” President Khama omy, yet they deeply despised South Africa’s racial segregation policies.
told his compatriots. President Machel was even more emphatic in his assertion that SADCC
“What we seek is the ability to exercise some degree of choice, which Member States would succeed in reducing dependence on South Africa only
insures us against domination by one powerful partner,” he added. through cooperation.
T is was underscored in the “To increase our cooperation among States of the region signif es reducing
Lusaka Declaration, aptly titled dependency on South Africa and, consequently, on imperialism,” he said.
Southern Africa: Towards Economic President Kaunda advised his peers that there was a lot at stake and this
Liberation, where the nine founding was dependent on the success of the newly formed SADCC, particularly as
Member States committed that “fu- the economic emancipation of the countries attending the summit would have
ture development must aim at the “an epoch-making impact within South Africa, and deal a mortal blow to the
reduction of economic dependence policy of apartheid.
not only on the Republic of South “Our success is important to the people of South Africa and, therefore,
Africa, but also on any single exter- to the liberation of the entire continent,” he added.
nal State or group of States.” While the objective of launching SADCC was premised on achieving eco-
nomic emancipation, it did not mean that its Member
States were abandoning their political liberation de-
sires that had shaped the approach of the Frontline
States.
Rather, economic emancipation was a continua-
tion of the struggle, with political liberation providing
a solid foundation for economic prosperity.
Presidents Khama and Machel both stressed
that the political struggle would continue until
Namibia and South Africa were fully liberated.
President Khama said the struggle would con-
tinue “until all of us in the region can freely enjoy all
the rights to which we are entitled and are able to de-
termine our future and wellbeing.”