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SADCC leaders signing Lusaka Declaration
Southern Africa: Toward Economic Liberation
“It must be accepted that this will no doubt be a more difficult task than
the political one.”
The Lusaka Summit was also attended by Robert Mugabe as the Prime
Minister-designate of independent Zimbabwe, and by Sam Nujoma, the
President of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), who re-
ceived guarantees of support for the liberation of Namibia, which was occu-
pied by South Africa although formally under UN mandate.
President Khama’s concluding statement during the founding Summit
at Lusaka’s iconic Mulungushi Hall was the embodiment of the foundation
upon which SADCC was built, when he said: “We move forward in unity, or
we perish.”
The host, President Kaunda, echoed the same sentiment when he said, “Af-
rican unity must be given economic substance, out of which the socio-cultural President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of United Republic of Tanzania
(left) and President Samora Machel of Mozambique (right)
fabric will grow so strong that our continent will no longer be vulnerable.”
This informed the vision of SADCC and later SADC, that of “a com-
mon future within a regional community that will ensure economic well-being,
improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social
justice and peace and security for the peoples of Southern Africa.”
President Sir Seretse Khama was already very ill although he remained
active to see the commencement of his vision, and he passed away a few weeks
later, in July 1980 at age 59. Mwalimu Nyerere, speaking in Gaborone in 1986
on the 20th anniversary of Botswana’s independence, said of his friend Sir
Seretse Khama, the first Chairperson of SADCC: 17
“One of his greatest contributions is that he initiated SADCC. The meet-
ing which formally took the decision to establish SADCC was held in Arusha,
Tanzania, that was merely a recognition of geographical realities. It was Presi-
dent Sir Seretse Khama who was responsible for that meeting being held; and President Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana
he gave the keynote speech in opening it. ...It was a great bequest to Africa,
and to the Third World.”

1.3.2 SADCC Framework and Priorities
The Summit of nine leaders of independent countries that launched SADCC,
chaired by President Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana, discussed practical
matters, the current situation in the region and the prospects for future devel-
opment. They issued the Lusaka Declaration Southern Africa: Toward
Economic Liberation stating their intention to work in harmony to “weave
a fabric of regional cooperation and development” in the context of their
strategy for economic liberation.
“Southern Africa is fragmented, grossly exploited and subject to econ-
omic manipulation by outsiders. Future development must aim at the reduc- President Dr Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia
tion of economic dependence,” the nine countries said in a closing
communiqué.
The first structure they established to achieve this goal was the Southern
African Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) based in Ma-
puto, Mozambique. They discussed food security and livestock disease, and
established a Regional Agricultural Research Centre specialising in drought-
prone areas. They discussed plans to harmonise their industrial development
and energy policies, sharing of national training facilities, and studies for a
Southern African Development Fund.
They requested the Government of Botswana to “examine the need for
institutional mechanisms for overall coordination of the programmes”, and
assigned to Botswana the responsibility for taking immediate follow-up action
until appropriate institutions could be established and operational. President José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola