Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0421/04213.txt

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$Unique_ID{COW04213}
$Pretitle{275}
$Title{Zambia
Southern African Development Coordination Conference a Handbook}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Southern African Development Coordination Conference}
$Affiliation{Southern African Development Coordination Conference}
$Subject{sadcc
africa
economic
states
southern
cooperation
south
conference
council
development}
$Date{1988}
$Log{}
Country:     Zambia
Book:        Southern African Development Coordination Conference a Handbook
Author:      Southern African Development Coordination Conference
Affiliation: Southern African Development Coordination Conference
Date:        1988

Southern African Development Coordination Conference a Handbook

Introduction

     Although to the Governments of the region and to our international
cooperating partners SADCC is now a familiar name and concept, there are still
many people who ask what it is, how it began and where it is going.

     In the founding Declaration issued at Lusaka on 1 April 1980 the Heads of
State and Government expressed their desire to "offer this declaration to our
own peoples, to the peoples and Governments of the many countries who are
interested in promoting popular welfare, justice and peace in Southern Africa
and to the international agencies who share this interest".

     His Majesty King Moshoeshoe II told delegates to the Maseru Conference in
1983 that "It is our hope that the spirit of SADCC will inspire the initiative
of our farmers; that it will motivate the positive responses of our teachers
and the youth; that it will give a sense of purpose and full participation to
our workers; that it will encourage the responsible progressive creativity of
investors in relation to equitable distribution of the fruits of such
investments".

     Without knowledge and understanding of SADCC and its programmes, this
cannot happen. Through this booklet it is hoped to explain how and why SADCC
was established, what it is and what it is intended to achieve. It is vital
that the people of this region should be informed about, understand and
participate in SADCC programmes and projects. I hope that this booklet will
encourage such participation by our peoples and lead to better understanding
of our objectives among the members of the international community.

Q.K.J. Masire
President of the Republic of Botswana and Chairman of SADCC

What is SADCC?

     The Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) is an
association of the nine majority-ruled states of Southern Africa. Through
regional cooperation SADCC works to accelerate economic growth in order to
improve the living conditions of the peoples of Southern Africa. SADCC also
aims to reduce the dependence of its member States on South Africa.

Who is SADCC?

     The Member States of SADCC are

     Angola

     Botswana

     Lesotho

     Malawi

     Mozambique

     Swaziland

     Tanzania

     Zambia

     Zimbabwe

     The Southern African liberation movements recognised by the OAU are
invited to SADCC Summit meetings as observers. These are the South West Africa
People's Organisation (SWAPO), the African National Congress of South Africa
(ANC) and the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC).

What are the objectives of SADCC?

     "Our unity of effort in the struggle for economic independence for our
peoples becomes the necessary condition to guarantee our own sovereignty and
security ... The successes which SADCC can achieve constitute a great
contribution to the struggle of the peoples of Southern Africa against
oppression, exploitation and discrimination".

H.E. President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos

Maputo 11 July 1983

     1. The reduction of economic dependence, particularly, but not only, on
the Republic of South Africa;

     2. The forging of links to create a genuine and equitable regional
integration;

     3. The mobilisation of resources to promote the implementation of
national, interstate and regional policies;

     4. Concerted action to secure international cooperation within the
framework of our strategy for economic liberation.

     "... our goal is to achieve economic liberation and to reduce our
economic dependence on the Republic of South Africa. We seek to overcome the
fragmentation of our economies and, by coordinating our national development
efforts, to strengthen them. The basis of our cooperation, built on concrete
projects and specific programmes rather than on grandiose schemes and massive
bureaucratic institutions, must be the assured mutual advantage of all
participating States".

H.E. President Sir Seretse Khama
Lusaka 1 April 1980

Roots of SADDC

     During the 1960s Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania and
US$Zambia achieved their independence.

1974

     With independence for Mozambique and Angola in sight after a protracted
armed struggle, President Kaunda of Zambia already had a vision of a
"transcontinental belt of independent and economically powerful nations, from
Dar es Salaam and Maputo on the Indian Ocean to Luanda on the Atlantic".

(Dar es Salaam 7 July 1974)

1975

     Angola and Mozambique achieved independence.

     During the period of illegal independence in Rhodesia, bilateral economic
cooperation agreements were made between the independent countries of Southern
Africa such as Zambia and Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and Botswana;
Mozambique and Swaziland and Tanzania.

     The Front Line States - Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and
Zambia - coordinated their efforts to support the struggle for political
liberation in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

     "... we must be humble in our immediate objectives and ambitious in our
long-term objectives. We must be conscious of the fact that we are not at
present in a condition to create an economic community of the region, but we
can from this moment take firm steps in some areas already identified;
agriculture, industry, trade and energy.

     "In the initial phase it is necessary that we carry out concrete actions,
that we gain experience in order to define the modalities and areas of
cooperation. it is not through the creation of institutions that we will
develop multilateral cooperation.

     "Some of us have experience of the inefficiency of the creation of heavy
and expensive structures which contribute little or nothing to the main
objectives that were achieved. The institutions should appear in order to
respond to the objective needs and not conceived as an end in themselves".

H.E. President Samora Machel
Lusaka 1 April 1980

May 1979

     Foreign Ministers of the Front Line States met in Gaborone to discuss
economic cooperation. They agreed to convene a conference in Arusha with donor
Governments and International Development Institutions to discuss a regional
programme of economic development in Southern Africa.

July 1979

     Arusha Conference - The conference, which was opened by the late
President of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama and chaired by the Vice President of
Botswana, Q.K.J. Masire, provided SADDC with an opportunity to explain to
potential international cooperating partners the main parameters of such
cooperation and the policy assumptions on which it was being constructed. At
the same time it allowed external Governments and Agencies to give useful
advice to SADCC on how such a programme might most rapidly be implemented with
the backing of the international community.

     At Arusha it was agreed that the other majority-ruled countries of
Southern Africa should be invited to participate in the drawing up of the
Lusaka Declaration on Southern African Development Coordination. Consultations
were accordingly held with Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland.

     The Lancaster House negotiations later that year ended with agreement on
constitutional arrangements for an independent Zimbabwe.

April 1980

     Lusaka Summit - The nine majority-ruled countries of Southern Africa met
and declared their commitment "to pursue policies aimed at economic liberation
and integrated development of our national economies". The Summit adopted the
Lusaka Declaration entitled Southern Africa: Toward Economic Liberation as
well as Programme of Action covering Food and Agriculture, Industry, Manpower
Development and Energy. The Heads of State identified Transport and
Communications as the main priority for SADCC cooperation.

How does SADCC work?

     The basic policy framework for SADCC is the Lusaka Declaration: Southern
Africa; Toward Economic Liberation; and the legal instrument establishing
SADCC and its institutions, is the Memorandum of Understanding.

     SADCC is made up to the following institutions;

     The Summit of Heads of State and Government.

     The Council of Ministers

     The Standing Committee of officials

     Sectoral committees/Commissions

     The Secretariat

     The Annual Consultative Conference.

The Summit

     Consisting of the Heads of State and Government of all Member States, the
Summit is the supreme institution of SADCC and is responsible for the general
direction and control of the functions of SADCC and the achievement of its
objectives. The liberation movements of Southern Africa (ANC, PAC and SWAPO)
attend meetings of the Summit as observers.

     The Summit meets at least once a year.

The Council of Ministers

     Consisting of one Minister from each of the Member States, the council is
responsible for the overall policy of SADCC, its general coordination, the
supervision of its institutions and the supervision of the execution of its
programmes. Members of Council are Ministers responsible for economic affairs
in their own governments.

     The Council meets at least two times a year, once before the Annual
Consultative Conference, and again before the Summit.

     The council is responsible for approving programmes and projects for
SADCC and designating Member States to coordinate activities in the various
sectors, and for appointing Ministerial Committees for programmes in sectoral
areas. Such Committees report to the council.

     The council is responsible for convening the Annual Consultative
Conference with external cooperating Governments and Agencies.

The Standing Committee of Officials

     Made up of the senior officials of the Member States, the Standing
Committee is responsible to, and advises the Council of Ministers.

     The Committee may appoint sub-committees of officials for programmes in
functional areas; such sub-committees report to the Committee.

     The Committee usually meets to prepare for meetings of the Council of
Ministers.

     "Let us now face the economic challenge. Let us form a powerful front
against poverty and all of its off-shoots of hunger, ignorance, disease, crime
and exploitation of man by man. Let us form an African Movement to wage a
militant struggle against poverty. Let this summit be our workshop for
sharpening our tools, forging new weapons, working out a new strategy and
tactics for fighting poverty and improving the quality of life of our
peoples".

H.E. President Kenneth Kaunda

Lusaka 1 April 1980

     "Ours is not a begging bowl. We know that the region is rich in resources
which the industrialised world needs. We also know that, as a result of
recession, many enterprises in the industrialised world are not working to
capacity and are in need of contracts. We are willing to come to an agreement
by which our resources can be made available provided that this happens in a
way consistent with our development objectives. The attitude of the SADCC
States to international cooperation is based on the recognition of overlapping
interests and agreements freely negotiated between equals".

Hon. Prime Minister Robert Mugabe

Harare 20 July 1981

The Sectoral Committees and Commissions

     Sectoral programme activities are directed by a Sectoral Committee of
Ministers. The Minister representing the sector coordinating country is
Chairman of the Sectoral Committee of Ministers.

     Sectoral Commissions may be established by the Council of Ministers as
and when necessary, through a convention or other instrument approved by the
Council and ratified by the member States.

     At present only two "Commissions" have been set up, viz:- the Southern
Africa Transport and Communications Commission (SATCC) based in Maputo,
Mozambique and the Southern African Centre for Cooperation in Agricultural
Research based in Gaborone, Botswana.

     Commissions are regional institutions, supported by all Member States and
recruitment of staff is regional; whereas Sector Coordinating Units are parts
of national governments staffed mainly by citizens of the sector coordinating
country.

     The Sectoral Committees and Commissions report to the Council.

Sector Coordinators

     SADCC allocates responsibility to its member States to coordinate
activities in the different sectors of the Programme of Action. The sector
coordinating country designates a relevant ministry in its Government, and the
ministry sets up a Sector Coordinating Unit, to coordinate the sectoral
programme.

     In this way the administrative burden of coordination is shared without
the creation of formal and large institutions. To implement their sectoral
responsibilities, member States normally convene sectoral meetings to discuss
sectoral policies and programmes, consider possible regional projects and
programmes for presentation to the Council of Ministers, discuss future
coordination, and to share information on their national programmes.

The Secretariat

     A small Secretariat has been established in Gaborone, Botswana, which is
responsible for overall coordination of the execution of the tasks of SADCC
and liaison with other SADCC institutions. It is especially responsible for
servicing the Council of Ministers and the Summit of Heads of State and
Government, including overseeing the implementation of their decisions.

     The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Secretary appointed by the
Summit.

The Annual Consultative Conference

     Having established its priorities and agreed objectives, SADCC seeks
cooperation from the international community in the implementation of its
regional programme. To this end, SADDC holds an Annual Consultative Conference
with cooperating Governments and International Agencies. The conference
"provides a mechanism for surveying results, evaluating performance,
identifying strengths and weakness and agreeing on future plans". (Lusaka
Declaration). At the Conference, cooperating partners are updated on progress
in regional cooperation, projects are presented for support; and problems and
bottlenecks are ironed out. It is a chance for frank discussion and exchange
of information and views.

     The format is flexible, providing for plenary sessions, and sectoral
working groups; but the aim is to maintain a constant dialogue between the
SADCC member States and their international cooperating partners.

     "But if we are to succeed in persuading other countries outside Africa to
help us, we must help ourselves first. And we must be seen to be helping
ourselves first. We must not ask others outside Africa to help us, with our
arms folded. Those whom we ask for assistance, financial and technical, must
be convinced that we are helping ourselves first, before we ask them to help
us."

H.E. President Ngwazi H. Kamuzu Banda

Blantyre 24 May 1984

     SADCC has benefited considerably from its decision to develop an open and
friendly dialogue with those members of the international community willing to
assist in its programme of regional economic reconstruction and development.

     International recognition of SADCC was granted by the United Nations
General Assembly in its Resolution 37/248 adopted on 21 December 1982.

     "... there is neither help nor charity and we do not want them. What
exist are interests ... It is economic interests which move different
countries. They are going to Angola because they want oil, diamonds and
coffee. In Zimbabwe they want chrome and gold. In Swaziland they want iron
and coal. Our natural resources are targets and, therefore, they are also
tools for cooperation and not for aid. Therefore, we should not wait for aid,
but rather for cooperation."

H.E. President Samora Moises Machel

Lusaka 1 April 1980

SADCC - Political or Economic

     SADCC is primarily an economic grouping. It is made up of nine states
with a variety of ideologies, and which have relations with countries from all
parts of the globe. It seeks cooperation with the international community as a
whole - from East and West, North and South, industrialised and
industrialising.

     "We of SADCC have close friendships with States in every grouping and
which span the ideological divide. All these friends are invited to
participate in this movement toward a new economic order in Southern Africa.
The basis of SADCC cooperation is respect for the sovereignty and integrity of
each of the countries of the region and a commitment to build a community of
interest that is not in contradiction with, but is in fact complementary to,
the healthy diversity that constitutes our region.

     "We are, however, non-aligned. We reject the automatism and subservience
of formal alliance relationships with any of the existing power blocs. We
reject the cold war concept that those who may be our friends should choose
our enemies for us or dictate the parameters of that friendship. As sovereign
independent states we define our own policies and determine the nature of our
relationships with others. We do not hesitate to speak forcefully on matters
of concern to us even if others would have us maintain the silence of
condonation and complicity."

H.E. President Robert Mugabe (while Prime Minister).

Harare, 20 July 1981

SADCC and South Africa

     Although SADCC's objectives include the reduction of dependence on South
Africa, SADCC has not been formed as a specifically `anti-South Africa'
organisation. The present extent of economic dependence on South Africa by
many of the SADCC Member States would be undesirable whatever the political
character of that country. Coordination of transport, animal health, industry,
etc. is a logical step aimed at the strengthening of the individual economies
of the SADCC Member States and the economy of the region as a whole.

     At present most of the countries of the region are vulnerable to economic
sabotage because of their excessive dependence on South Africa for imports and
transport facilities. Such vulnerability can only be minimised by the
reduction of the dependence.

     "... our purposes are not simply greater independence from South Africa.
If South Africa's apartheid rule ended tomorrow, there would still be need for
the states of Southern Africa to cooperate, to coordinate their transport
systems, to fight foot and mouth disease together, to rationalise their
industrial development ..."

H.E. President Julius Nyerere

Harare 20 July 1981

     "Some people have tended to think that we are forming this economic
grouping purely to face South Africa. In our view, this regional grouping is
being established despite and not merely because of South Africa and her
concept of a regional constellation of states ... Our task is to link up our
economies in order to strengthen ourselves. Of course, this is important in
the strategy for self-defence against possible attempts by South Africa to
undermine the independence of various countries in the region.

     "The economic success of the countries represented ... will have an epoch
making impact within South Africa and will certainly deal a mortal blow to the
policy of apartheid. Our success is important to the people of South Africa
and, therefore, to the liberation of the entire content."

H.E. President Kenneth Kaunda

Lusaka 1 April 1980