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1.4 SADC Treaty and Transformation
Namibia gained independence on 21 March 1990 following protracted international negoti-
ations for a ceasefire and elections. The elected Constituent Assembly sat for the first two
years after independence to develop a national Constitution, under the guidance of the chair,
Dr Hage Gottfried Geingob, who later served as Prime Minister and now President of Nami-
bia since 2015.
On 17 August 1992, at the first Summit held in independent Namibia, in the capital
Windhoek, and hosted by the founding President, Dr Samuel Shafiishuna Nujoma, the
SADCC Heads of State and Government signed the SADC Declaration and Treaty that
transformed the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) into the
Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Declaration and Treaty were
signed by the leaders or representatives of the 10 Member States – Angola, Botswana, Leso-
tho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland (Eswatini), United Republic of Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Windhoek Declaration and the SADC Treaty set out the organisation`s objectives,
institutions, operational systems, areas of cooperation and the modalities for regional cooper-
ation, and transformed the way in which the regional organisation operates. However, the
period before 1992 is important in understanding the dynamics of the region`s shared past,
and thus its present and future. Going forward, the SADC Common Agenda contained in Ar-
ticle 5 of the SADC Treaty, expresses the determination to “strengthen and consolidate the
longstanding historical, social and cultural affinities and links among the people of the region.”

22 Signatories to the Windhoek Declaration and Treaty establishing SADC
From second left,
Zambia: H.E. Frederick Chiluba, President
Mozambique: H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President
Namibia: H.E. Dr Samuel Shafiishuna Nujoma, President
Botswana: H.E. Sir Quett Ketumile Joni Masire, President
Zimbabwe: H.E. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President
Tanzania: H.E. Ali Hassan Mwinyi, President
The Prime Ministers of,
Eswatini: The Rt. Hon. Obed Mfanyana Dlamini (at left), and
Angola: The Rt. Hon. Dr. Fernando José de França Dias Van­Dúnem (second right)
And top ministerial representatives from
Lesotho: Hon. A.L. Thoahlane, Minister of Finance and Planning, Economic and Manpower Development
Malawi: Hon. L.J. Chimango, Minister of Finance
Other delegations in attendance were led by
Pan Africanist Congress: Mr. Clarence Makwetu, President
African National Congress: Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, Secretary General
The Namibian, Tuesday 18 August 1992

The Namibian, Tuesday 18 August 1992