Page 31 - 40th Summit Brochure 2020
P. 31

SADC@40
                           1980-2020
                                                                              Southern African Development Community since 1980




     “SADCC is our major instrument for self-reliant development in
     this part of Africa.” President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere opening SADCC
     Summit in Arusha, 9 August 1985


        “We need to gain mastery of our own destiny... and we can
        only succeed within the framework of a united Southern
        African community.... I am calling for cooperation and unity
        of purpose so that we can together plan for our future and
        the future of our children... President Sir Seretse Khama opening
        SADCC conception conference in Arusha, 2 July 1979


       “What is it from our past experience that hinders reaching the goals? What is it in our
       present that hinders reaching the goals? What needs to be done to improve things?”
       Dr Kenneth Kaunda address to UNDP MDGs Forum in Johannesburg, 2 July 2003



      T e  Southern  African  Development  Coordination  Conference
      (SADCC) was born in conf ict and it is not an overstatement to say
      that SADCC and its Member States brought peace to Southern Africa,
      its greatest achievement of the 1980s. But the visionary leaders who
      created SADCC were already articulating the next goal, even as the re-
      gion was negotiating peace, they were thinking about unity, economic
                development and regional integration.
                     It was a miracle, this vision of a united and inte-
      28        grated region with a shared future, but the f rst steps did-
                n’t happen by chance, it took vision and courage, and the
                support of the continent and the diaspora, with interna-
      tional solidarity, to succeed -- and the loss of too many of the conti-
      nent’s people, mainly youth. T at should never be forgotten....
               T ese leaders took risks, with their lives and with their economies,
      delaying national development by investing their resources in the fu-  “Among the good, but generally unreported things of Africa, is the
      ture. Some had found their way to independence and others were still  Southern African Development Community, SADC.”
      f ghting colonial rule and racism and apartheid, but their shared ex-
      perience told them that their independence would not be complete            “During its twelve years of existence (1980-1992), the
      without the independence of their neighbours.      coordination conference gave greatest priority to the building up
               T ere can be no doubt of the commitment of SADC Member  of a sub-regional infrastructure, so that all its members become
      States to human rights and democracy, as they have been there, they  linked together by road, railways, telecommunications, civil
      know what it is, they fought for it together, and they won. T ey used  aviation, and a shared electricity grid. Much remains to be done,
      weapons and sabotage, and took defensive action, but mostly they  but it is now possible to drive from Tanzania to Angola or
      used strategy, diplomacy, determination, and solidarity.        Namibia, as well as to South Africa. I am not saying it will always
                                                         be comfortable, or quick, but t it can be done, whereas previously,
                                                         it was virtually impossible.
                                                                   “Also, despite the destructions of war in the two countries, it
       SADC, SARDC partner to document SADC@40
                                                         is now, or soon will be, possible to telephone from Maputo in
       THE  SOUTHERN African  Research  and  Documentation  Centre  Mozambique to Luanda in Angola without passing through
       (SARDC) is partnering SADC to document the road that SADC has trav-  Portugal. T ere were no such links before SADC. T e railway
       elled as it commemorates its 40th anniversary this year. Based on SADC  network leaves many great areas unconnected by rail but when a
       documents and SARDC’s extensive library of the period, an illustrated his-  secure peace has been established in Angola, so that the Benguela
       tory of SADC will be presented with key achievements and milestones  railway can be repaired along its length, each of eleven mainland  Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere was
                                                                                                        the first recipient of the Seretse
       since the SADCC was formed in 1980 and since the transformation to  countries will be connected by rail to all others, however, devious  Khama SADC Medal
       SADC in 1992.
                  T e publication – SADC@40: T e Southern African Development  the route at present. T e improved communications links facilitate the planned
       Community 1980-2020 – traces the milestones and achievements as well  expansion of intra-SADC trade, and then develop into a common market.
       as the challenges encountered. T is is a commemorative publication in-            “Also, cooperation on agricultural research is fast being organized. I am told
       tended to present and celebrate the achievements of unity and integration  that some new seeds, suitable for ecological conditions of the community have been
       in the regional community, ef ective practices and lessons learned, toward  developed and spread in member states, under the auspices of the coordination
       a shared future. T e publication will be accessible in print and online, in  conference and, lately, of the community. T is scientif c cooperation is just a part of
       three of  cial languages of SADC.                 the total ongoing movement towards the organization of food security, on a
                  SARDC is an independent regional knowledge resource centre es-  Southern African basis.”
       tablished in 1985 with Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere as founding patron, to  Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, the late Chairman of the Frontline States and a founder of SADC,
       strengthen regional policy perspectives and track implementation on a  at a conference in New Delhi, India on Understanding Contemporary Africa, February 1996
       range of issues in southern Africa.
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