SADC ToDAy Vol 21 No. 3 AprIl 2019

Southern Africa Today

POLICY 3

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 4-5

PARLIAMENT 6

ENERGY 7

WATER-ENERGY-FOOD 8-9

DISASTER RISK 10-11

CLIMATE RESILIENCE 12

GENDER 13

SOLIDARITY 14

EVENTS 15

HISTORY TODAY 16

SADC IS reviewing its regional develop-ment strategies and preparing a longerterm Vision 2050.

Chairperson of the SADC Council ofMinisters, Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndait-wah, said the review will be one of the toppriorities during 2019.

“The review of our flagship strategy, theRegional Indicative Strategic Develop-ment Plan (RISDP) is one of the waysthrough which the region would promotenew and better ways of accomplishing ourgoals and objectives,” said Nandi-Ndait-wah who is the Minister of InternationalRelations and Cooperation of Namibia,and Deputy Prime Minister.

Council has directed that the reviewprocess be informed by the need to max-imise synergies in the implementation ofthe two pillars of SADC activities – de-velopmental integration as covered bythe Revised Regional Indicative StrategicDevelopment Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020,and political and security cooperation asidentified under the Revised Strategic In-dicative Plan of the Organ on Politics,Defence and Security Cooperation(SIPO).

Review of regional strategyTowardSADC VISION 2050

This followed the decision by Council atits meeting in August 2018 to task the SADCSecretariat to review progress on the imple-mentation of the Revised RISDP (2015-2020)and Revised SIPO as well as to facilitate theSADC Vision 2050 to guide regional devel-opment over the next 30 years.

A team of consultants commissioned bythe SADC Secretariat commenced visits toMember States in April to seek the viewsof government officials and non-state ac-tors on the effectiveness, efficiency and rel-evance of interventions proposed.

The review will consider the resultsachieved in the implementation of the twoSADC strategic plans as well as the chal-lenges encountered and lessons learnt.

The assessment is expected to drawstrategic recommendations that will in-form the implementation of the remainingperiod of the plans as well as the SADCPost-2020 Agenda.

During the assessment, the consultantsare expected to review key SADC docu-ments, conduct physical consultations atregional and national levels, includingwith the 16 Member States and the SADCSecretariat.

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2 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

A regional validation work-shop is expected to be held dur-ing the course of the assessmentat which the officials of MemberStates and representatives ofthe SADC Secretariat and otherstakeholders will be invited toverify the findings.

The SADC Council of Minis-ters, which met in Windhoek,Namibia in March, agreed thatthe review of the Revised RISDP2015-2020 and the Revised SIPO,also known as SIPO II, should becompleted by mid-2020 in timefor approval by the Summit ofHeads of State and Governmentin August of that year.

It was noted that SIPOshould not be independent ofRISDP because the function ofdefence and security in the de-velopment process is to guaran-tee that the development plansbe realised in a climate of peaceand security.

SIPO is a five-year strategicdocument that establishesSADC’s institutional frameworkfor policy coordination and im-plementation in politics, defenceand security cooperation, andwas first developed in 2003 andrevised in 2012.

The core objective of SIPO isto create a peaceful and stablepolitical and security environ-ment through which the regionwill realise its objectives of socio-economic development, povertyeradication, and regional inte-gration.

The RISDP was first ap-proved by SADC leaders in 2003as a blueprint for regional socio-economic integration and devel-opment. It was revised in 2015 aspart of efforts to align the re-gion’s development agenda withnew realities and emergingglobal dynamics.

The review of the RISDP andSIPO is expected to lead to thedevelopment of a framework fora post-2020 regional strategy thattakes into account SADC valuesand principles such as the needfor sovereign equality and mu-tual benefit as well as continentaland global processes such asAgenda 2063 of the African

monitoring and assurancemechanisms to track progressin implementation of SADCprogrammes as well as compli-ance to protocols and legal in-struments.

Since the transformation ofSADC in 1992 from the SouthernAfrican Development Coordina-tion Conference (SADCC), atotal of 33 protocols have beensigned by member states to ad-vance the regional integrationagenda, and 26 of these protocolshave been ratified and enteredinto force to date.

The Ezwilini retreat called onthe SADC Secretariat to priori-tise programmes on infrastruc-ture development, industrial-isation and market integration,with peace and security as a pre-requisite for economic develop-ment.

The SADC Secretariat wasalso tasked to develop an effec-tive engagement mechanism tostrengthen participation of theprivate sector at all levels. Itwas noted that the lack of directinvolvement of the private sec-tor is a barrier to economic de-velopment. r

THE MAIN objective of theRevised Strategic IndicativePlan for the Organ on Poli-tics, Defence and SecurityCooperation is to create apeaceful and stable politicaland security environmentthrough which the regionwill realise its objectives ofsocio-economic develop-ment, poverty eradication,and regional integration. The SIPO is, therefore,not an end in itself butrather an enabling instru-ment for the implementa-tion of other regionaldocuments, including theProtocol on Politics, De-fence and Security Cooper-ation as well as the RevisedRISDP and the SADC In-dustrialization Strategy andRoadmap. SIPO is divided into fivesectors – Political; Defence;State Security; Public Secu-rity; and Police. r

SIPO II

Revised RISDP 2015-2020Union and the United NationsSustainable Development Goals.

The outcome of the ongoingreview process will be a strategicplan covering the period up to2030 to be called RISDP 2020-2030.

The review of the RevisedRISDP and SIPO II comes at atime when the Council of Minis-ters has directed the SADC Sec-retariat to expedite the process ofdeveloping the SADC Vision2050 to provide the frameworkfor a long-term vision for SADCas the region seeks to align withglobal and continental issuessuch as the aspirations of the AUAgenda 2063, climate change,and democratisation of the UN.

The intention is to establish adevelopment agenda that incor-porates the dynamics of eventsand issues affecting the southernAfrican region and the rest of thecontinent and the world.

The proposal to develop theSADC Vision 2050 was ap-proved by the Summit in Ma-puto, Mozambique in August2012, and the SADC Secretariathas convened a number of con-sultative meetings in recentyears to reflect on the future de-velopment trajectory for the re-gion.

One of these was a Consulta-tive Conference on the Post-2020SADC Development Coopera-tion and Integration Strategythat was held in Johannesburg,South Africa in early 2017.

The purpose of the confer-ence was to obtain expert assess-ments and analysis of theimplementation of the RevisedRISDP and the Revised SIPO.

Another consultative meetingwas the SADC Strategic Ministe-rial Retreat on the “SADC WeWant” held in Ezulwini, Eswa-tini in March 2017.

The retreat agreed on mea-sures to strengthen implementa-tion of the integration agendaand promote inclusive participa-tion by citizens in regional pro-grammes.

The ministerial retreat di-rected the SADC Secretariat todevelop effective compliance,

THE rEVISED Regional Indicative Strategic DevelopmentPlan (RISDP) 2015-2020 has four main priorities.

priority A seeks to promote industrial development andmarket integration through strengthening the productivecompetitiveness and supply-side capacity of member statesas well as improving the movement of goods and facilitatingfinancial market integration and monetary cooperation.

priority B is on provision and improvement of infrastruc-ture support for regional integration.

priority D is on promotion of special programmes of re-gional dimension under clusters such as education and humanresource development; health, HIV and AIDS and other com-municable diseases; food security and transboundary naturalresources; environment; statistics; gender equality; science,technology and innovation; and research and development.

priority C on the promotion of peace and security under-pins the Priorities A, B and D.

It is envisaged that the post-2020 SADC development co-operation should provide a framework for a long-term vi-sion for SADC as the region seeks to position itself in thecontext of emerging global and continental issues such asclimate change, democratisation of the United Nations andincreasing financial instability. r

SADC aims to address drug abuse among youth

P O L I C Y

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 3

powerment and Participa-tion for Sustainable Devel-opment;

o SADC Declaration for Ac-celerating Youth Empower-ment and Participation forSustainable Development;and,

SADC IS developing a regionalstrategy that will guide the con-servation and utilization of ani-mal genetic resources.

Animal genetic resourcesrefer to the genetic resources ofbird and animal species suchas poultry, cattle and sheep,which are used for food andagricultural purposes.

According to the SADC Sec-retariat, the region has an esti-mated 64 million cattle, 39million sheep, 38 million goats,7 million pigs, 1 million horsesand 380 million domestic fowlsuch as chickens, turkeys, ducksand geese, making it one of themost endowed regions on thecontinent in terms of livestockresources.

These animal genetic re-sources are a valuable andstrategically important assetfor food, financial security andsocio-cultural benefits toSADC since these are uniqueand particular to the region.

However, due to a rising de-mand for food of animal originin most SADC Member States,there has been a push towardsimproving productivity per an-imal and per unit area of landby introducing high-yieldingexotic breeds or cross-breeding.

This practise has put theindigenous animal genetic re-sources at risk from the high-yielding exotic breeds.

Cross-breeding with exoticbreeds without a long-termplan on how to maintain a suit-able level of “upgrading” andhow to maintain the pure in-digenous breeds for future may

lead to extinction of somebreeds.

To protect and sustain therich terrestrial and aquatic an-imal genetic resources in theregion, SADC has embarkedon a process to develop a re-gional strategy that will guidethe conservation and utiliza-tion of such resources.

The strategy will identifypriorities and strategic inter-vention areas for conservationand utilization of relevance tothe SADC region in terms ofanimal genetic resources andthe environment, and proposemanagement structures forconservation and utilization ofanimal resources in the region.

The strategy will seek toachieve the following objec-tives:• Harmonise the national

conservation and utiliza-tion strategies for animalgenetic resources:

• Address key factors caus-ing threats to animal ge-netic resources, thedynamics of threats andhow to address them; and,

• Establish information andknowledge managementfor information sharing.Once approved, the strat-

egy will allow the region tofully utilize and safeguard itsanimal genetic resources forsustainable development.r

o SADC Regional Industrial-ization Strategy.SADC leaders have encour-

aged the participation of youthin advancing the SADC inte-gration agenda, and the themefor the 38th SADC Summitheld in Windhoek, Namibia in

August 2018 was “PromotingInfrastructure Developmentand Youth Empowerment forSustainable Development.”

However, the successfulimplementation of these strate-gies requires the participationof sober youth. r

THE EXTENT and status ofdrug abuse among the youth isthe subject of a regional studyas SADC moves to identifymethods to curb the practise.

SADC has an estimatedpopulation of 350 million peo-ple of which more than 76 per-cent are young people agedbelow 35 years.

The prevalence and abuseof drugs in schools, collegesand universities is a major con-cern in most SADC countries,and has affected youth partici-pation in various regional activ-ities, programmes and projects.

Poverty, unemployment aswell as underemployment andinequality are considered keydrivers of illicit drug produc-tion, drug trafficking, drug andsubstance use in the SADC re-gion; and the region is facingthese social challenges at signif-icant levels.

Drug abuse has contributedsignificantly to problems suchas the spread of disease, includ-ing HIV and AIDS, crime andprostitution.

In order to address thegrowing problem of drug pro-duction, trafficking and use bycitizens of the community,SADC is conducting a scopingstudy to establish the extentand status of illicit drug pro-duction, drug trafficking, illicitdrugs and substance useamong the youth in SADCcountries; and provide recom-mendation for a comprehen-sive response to the identifiedchallenges.

The study will assess theextent to which the implemen-tation of strategic and policyframeworks for youth empow-erment and development areaffected by illicit drug produc-tion, drug trafficking, illicitdrug and substance use amongthe youth. Some of these initia-tives are:o SADC Strategy and Busi-

ness Plan on Youth Em-

Strategy for the conservation of animal genetic resources

Aligning national strategies to regional industrialization strategyTHE SADC Secretariat is assist-ing Member States to align theirnational industrialization strate-gies to the SADC Industrializa-tion Strategy and Roadmap. Alignment of nationalstrategies to the regional strat-egy is critical to ensuring thesmooth implementation ofagreed activities and pro-grammes, thereby promotingsocio-economic developmentand deeper integration. Director for Industrial Devel-opment and Trade, TapiwaSamanga told a capacity build-ing workshop on aligning theindustrialisation strategies heldin Johannesburg, South Africain March that it is important for

Member States to have nationalpolicies that are outward-look-ing and collaborative. He said another capacitybuilding workshop would beheld soon involving other stake-holders such as the private sector. The Industrialization Strategyand Roadmap (2015-2063) wasapproved by the SADC Extra-Or-dinary Summit held in April 2015in Harare, Zimbabwe. The strategy aims to acceler-ate the momentum towardsstrengthening the comparativeand competitive advantages ofthe economies of the region, andis anchored on three pillars, in-dustrialization, competitivenessand regional integration. r

4 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

The centres of excellence willhelp to build capacity for re-gional training institutions tooffer education and training pro-grammes in critical and spe-cialised areas and therebyincrease the stock of trained per-sonnel in the region without nec-essarily having to create a newuniversity. The establishment of re-gional centres of excellence willtake into consideration the keyeconomic activity of each coun-try. For example, a centre of ex-cellence in Botswana could focuson diamond mining and cattleranching, while one in Zim-babwe could specialise on agri-culture. The idea is to ensure that thecentres will be spread across theregion so that SADC is able toexploit its comparative advan-tage in resource intensive indus-tries through beneficiation andvalue addition. The transition towards thefull operationalization of theSADC University of Transforma-tion will thus be done in phases.

The SADC University ofTransformation will, therefore,adopt a more transformativeapproach for rapid regionalindustrialization, rather thanthe current set-up where mosttertiary education in the re-gion is structured to equip stu-dents with skills to fit the jobmarket. One of the quick spin-offsof this structured educationwill be the transfer of techno-logical knowledge created bythe university to the industry. Over time, education willbe aligned to the developmentneeds and goals of SADC,thereby allowing the region tofully harness its human capitalfor sustainable growth. With respect to funding,the SADC University of Trans-formation will initially be sus-tained by contributions fromMember States. As the univer-sity expands, financial supportwill be sourced from regional,continental and internationalpartners, including institutionsand various public-privatepartnerships. r

In the initial stages, a specialadministrative committee willbe established to steer imple-mentation and to design and de-velop the curricula as well asidentify institutions that willserve as Centres of Excellence. So far at least 12 priorityareas that fall under the SADCIndustrialization Strategy andRoadmap adopted in 2015 willform the focus of curricula forthe university. The SADC IndustrializationStrategy and Roadmap seeks toengender a major economic andtechnological transformation atthe national and regional levelswithin the context of deeper re-gional integration. In its formative stages theSADC University of Transfor-mation will focus on four degreeprogrammes while other pro-grammes will be considered inthe future in line with SADC In-dustrialization Strategy andRoadmap. The four degree pro-grammes are Mining, Agricul-ture, Pharmacy andEngineering.

THE CouNCIl of Ministersapproved a request by theKingdom of Eswatini to hostthe Administration Office ofthe SADC University of Trans-formation. Operationalization of theSADC University of Transfor-mation was approved bySADC Heads of State and Gov-ernment at their 38th Summitheld in August 2018 in Wind-hoek, Namibia. An initiative of KingMswati III of Eswatini, the uni-versity will adopt a virtualmodel to ensure that as manypeople as possible have the op-portunity to benefit from theinstitution. As a virtual university, theSADC University of Transfor-mation will use the internet todeliver classes and seminars –a trend that most institutionsare now adopting. However, virtualizationdoes not necessarily mean thatthe university will not have anadministrative office or a phys-ical location where certain ac-tivities are conducted. The Administration Officeto be located in Eswatini willfacilitate the development anddesign of curricula in close col-laboration with industry andpartner institutions; identifynew degree programmes inline with the requirements ofthe region; and negotiate part-nerships with industry in linewith the agenda of regional de-velopment through rapid in-dustrialization. Another important compo-nent of the SADC University ofTransformation is that it willpartner with other universitiesthat are based in the 16 MemberStates so that existing infrastruc-ture is used for the establish-ment of centres of excellence.

C O U N C I L O F M I N I S T E R S

THE SADC Council of Ministers was held in Windhoek, Namibia on 15-16 March. The Council isresponsible for supervising and monitoring the functions and development of SADC, and ensuringthat policies are properly implemented to advance regional integration. It is mostly made up of min-isters responsible for foreign affairs and international cooperation, finance and economic develop-ment, state security and home affairs in the Member States. The Council meets twice a year aroundFebruary/March and August/September to discuss the work programme of the SADC Secretariat.This edition of Southern Africa Today presents some of the key issues discussed by the Council meet-ing in Windhoek.

SADC IS preparing a regional Mining Vision andAction Plan to maximize the developmental im-pact of the vast mineral resources in the region. Working with the United Nations EconomicCommission for Africa, the SADC Secretariat is fi-nalising a draft SADC Regional Mining Vision andAction Plan whose objective is to maximize the de-velopmental impact of mineral resources extrac-tion within the context of the African MiningVision and the SADC industrialization Strategy. SADC Executive Secretary, Dr StergomenaLawrence Tax, said work on the development ofthe mining vision has reached an advancedstage, with the document now under review byMember States. “We believe that, come next Council, the min-ing vision will be approved,” Dr Tax told the post-Council media briefing in Windhoek.

She said a mining vision is critical as theSADC region takes steps to transform itselffrom a resource-based economy to a technol-ogy-driven economy. “This is in view of the fact that mineral ben-eficiation is critical for industrialization and forus to be able to achieve that, we need to have amining vision as a region,” Dr Tax said. The Draft Mining Vision was presented tothe private sector in September 2018 for inputand following revisions, it has now been sub-mitted to Member States for final comments be-fore consideration by the Ministerial Task Forceon Regional Economic Integration. The vision is expected to provide a high-level framework to guide increased mineralbeneficiation as outlined in the Industrializa-tion Strategy. r

Regional mining vision and action plan

SADC University of Transformation to spread Centres of Excellence across the regionEswatini to host SADC university administration

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 5

C O U N C I L O F M I N I S T E R S

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 5

CouNCIl ENDorSED therecommendation from the Min-isters of Information and Com-munication Technologies andPublic Information for MemberStates to introduce the singing ofthe SADC anthem together withnational anthems during SADCmeetings.

The recommendation by theministers included a decisionthat Member States should hoistthe SADC flag alongside na-tional flags during all SADCmeetings and national events inorder to strengthen awareness ofthe SADC identity, brand, andcommunity-building symbols.

Council called on the Secre-tariat to explore other ways ofpopularising SADC and bring-ing SADC to SADC citizens. r

SADC anthem at allregional events

THE INAuGurAl AfricanUnion-RECS CoordinationMeeting is set for July in Nigeras the continental body and itsbuilding blocks review progressin the implementation of thecontinental integration agenda. The coordination meeting ispart of the broader AfricanUnion (AU) institutional reformagenda adopted in January 2017and further refined during the11th Extraordinary Session of theAU Assembly held in November2018. Among the outcomes of theextraordinary session was a de-cision to have only one summitof AU heads of state and govern-ment per year, usually in Jan-uary/February. The traditional second AUSummit, which was usually heldbetween May and July, would bereplaced by a meeting of the AUCommission and the RegionalEconomic Communities (RECs). The AU-RECs CoordinationMeeting, scheduled for 7-8 Julyin the capital Niamey, will focuson the economic integrationagenda and will bring togetherthe Bureau of the AU Assembly,REC chairpersons and chief ex-ecutives or executive secretaries,as well as the African Develop-ment Bank and the UN Eco-nomic Commission for Africa. The meeting is expected toprovide an opportunity for theAU Commission and RECs to as-sess progress towards theAfrican continental integrationagenda as outlined in the Treatyestablishing the African Eco-nomic Community (the AbujaTreaty).

SADC and other RECs areexpected to present reports onthe status of integration in theirrespective regions. The report on the Status ofIntegration in the SADC Regionwas approved by the Council ofMinisters meeting in Windhoek,Namibia in March. The report outlines the keyachievements/successes madeby SADC in the area of regionalintegration, as well as the chal-lenges encountered. The reports by the differentRECs are expected to feed intothe AU Commission report onthe status of integration on thecontinent. Motivated by a desire totransform its vast economic po-tential into reality, Africa hasover the past few decades aimedto unleash its economic mightthrough a coordinated develop-ment approach modelled aroundRECs. SADC is one of the eightrecognised AU RECs. Others arethe Arab Maghreb Union, Com-mon Market for Eastern andSouthern Africa (COMESA),Community of Sahel-SaharanStates, East African Community(EAC), Economic Community ofCentral African States, EconomicCommunity of West AfricanStates, and the Inter-Governmen-tal Authority for Development. One of the challenges is torationalise the operations of theeconomic communities to avoidoverlaps and conflict of interest.Most of the RECs have identicalsectoral programmes while sev-eral member states belong tomore than one economic bloc.

The AU has embarked on aprogramme to rationalise andharmonise programmes andcommitments of the RECs. Theprogramme will ensure thatthere are uniform commitmentsby all RECs and try to eliminatethe challenges of dual member-ship, and some of the RECs havealready embarked on a processto harmonise their integrationagendas. In one such case, COMESA-EAC-SADC have agreed to es-tablish an integrated marketcovering more than half of thecountries in Africa. Commonly known as theTripartite Free Trade Area(TFTA), the integrated marketcomprises 27 countries from thethree RECs. When operational, the en-larged market is expected to dis-mantle the trade barriersbetween African countries butalso deepen integration throughimproved infrastructure devel-opment, investment flows, andenhanced competition. The establishment of theTFTA is a decisive step toachieve the African vision of es-tablishing the African EconomicCommunity, including theAfrican Continental Free TradeArea, which aims to facilitate thesmooth movement of goods andservices across borders, as wellas allowing member states toharmonize regional trade poli-cies to promote equal competi-tion. The RECs are the essentialbuilding blocks of the AfricanEconomic Community (AEC)whose overall objective is to pro-

mote economic developmentand integration, social and cul-tural development as well as toincrease self-sufficiency. The AEC further aims topromote cooperation and devel-opment in all aspects of humanactivity, with a view to raisingthe standard of living of Africa’speople, maintaining economicstability and establishing a closeand peaceful relationshipamong member states. The AEC Treaty, also knownas the Abuja Treaty, came intoforce after the requisite numberof ratifications in May 1994. r

Annual AU coordination meeting for Regional Economic Communities

6 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

SADC CouNCIl of Ministershas directed the Secretariat toestablish a task force to carryout an analysis of the proposedtransformation of the SADCParliamentary Forum into a re-gional Parliament.

The Chairperson of Council,Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwahsaid the task force will com-prise members of the DoubleTroika who will be supportedby officials from the Secretariatand the SADC ParliamentaryForum (SADC PF).

“The Secretariat will pre-sent progress to Council in Au-gust 2019,” saidNandi-Ndaitwah, who is theDeputy Prime Minister ofNamibia and Minister of Inter-national Relations and Cooper-ation.

The SADC ParliamentaryForum is an autonomous insti-tution of SADC established in1997 as a regional inter-parlia-mentary body made up of 14national parliaments, repre-senting over 3,500 parliamen-tarians in southern Africa.

The member parliamentsare from Angola, Botswana,Democratic Republic of Congo,Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi,Mauritius, Mozambique,Namibia, Seychelles, SouthAfrica, the United Republic ofTanzania, Zambia and Zim-babwe.

The parliamentary forumhas, however, not been able tofully contribute to policy mak-ing that is important for re-gional integration because itsformal role on SADC mattershas not been realized.

This has seen the forum em-barking on a process over theyears to develop a working re-lationship with the SADC Sec-retariat to create space forparliamentarians to participatemore formally in regional inte-gration processes.

Speaking during the 38thSADC Summit held in Wind-hoek, Namibia in August 2018,President Hage Geingob ofNamibia strongly support theproposed transformation of theSADC PF into a regional parlia-ment, saying this will further“entrench democracy in the re-gion.”

He said the establishment ofa regional parliament willbridge the gap between citi-zens of southern Africa and re-gional integration processes.

“We believe that the SADCParliament will not only helpto buttress the governance ar-chitecture of the region, butwill also be a key driver of ourintegration and developmentefforts.”

This was supported by theoutgoing SADC Chair, Presi-dent Cyril Ramaphosa of SouthAfrica who told the 2018 Sum-mit that, “Parliamentarydemocracy is at the centre ofour collective mission to giveexpression to the will of thepeople. The establishment of aSADC Parliament is, therefore,a matter to which we need togive due consideration.”

South Africa is host to thePan-African Parliament.

In its proposal for transfor-mation, the SADC PF hasargued that the establishment

ber States since the SADC Par-liamentary Forum is alreadyoperational as an assemblymodelled on a parliament.

However, some MemberStates argue that it is prematureto have such a body at thisstage of the SADC regional in-tegration agenda as the estab-lishment of a regionalparliament within the frame-work of a Regional Commu-nity is the last stage ofintegration under the linear ap-proach in which the region hasbeen targeting to move from aFree Trade Area (FTA) to a Cus-toms Union, followed by aCommon Market and a Mone-tary Union.

Although it achieved FTAstatus in 2008, SADC has notpursued this stepped approachto regional integration. Ratherseeking first to consolidate theFTA, SADC has pursued a de-velopmental approach to inte-gration that focuses on sectoralcooperation, industrialisationand infrastructure develop-ment.

To this effect, SADC has beenimplementing programmes andprojects across all the stages ofregional integration.

The task force is expected to“advise on, among others, thegoverning legal framework;structure; functions and pow-ers; inter- and intra-relation-ships with other branches ofSADC, like Summit and SADCAdministrative Tribunal, na-tional Parliaments and the PanAfrican Parliament; interna-tional law obligations; and fi-nancing arrangement.” r

P A R L I A M E N T

Towards a Regional ParliamentTask force to look into proposed transformation of SADC PF

of a SADC Regional Parlia-ment would facilitate more ex-tensive debate on regionalissues and thus accelerate theimplementation of SADC pro-tocols that need to be ratifiedand domesticated into nationallegislation.

The proposed regional par-liament would be expected tofacilitate the ratification anddomestication of SADC proto-cols and other legal instru-ments as well as continentaland international treaties oragreements.

However, the proposed re-gional Parliament will respectthe sovereignty of member par-liaments and structurally willfall under the SADC Organ onPolitics, Defence and SecurityCooperation, which will main-tain formal and legal relationswith other SADC institutionsunder the authority of the Sum-mit of Heads of State and Gov-ernment.

The argument is that the re-gional parliament will not im-pede on the sovereignty ofMember States as SADC bodiesdo not have autonomous pow-ers to legislate on matters thatdo not have prior consent ofthe Member States.

The regional parliamentwill have an advisory functionand limited mandate, with itsdeliberations being presentedas recommendations that arenon-binding on MemberStates.

On funding of the regionalparliament, the argument bythe forum is that it will have nofinancial implications for Mem-

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SADC C Renewable Enenergy Secctor SouTHErN AfrICA Today 7

Access to energy information is key to regional integration

BRICS bank supportsEskom renewableenergy project

ACCESS To reliable and accu-rate information on the energysector is critical to regional de-velopment and integration as itallows policymakers, investorsand other stakeholders to comeup with appropriate and neces-sary interventions aimed at en-suring that energy suppliescontinue to meet demand.

To contribute to the provisionof energy knowledge and infor-mation in southern Africa,the Southern African Researchand Documentation Centre(SARDC) through its RegionalEconomic Development Insti-tute has been implementing theCommunicating Energy Projectin Southern Africa to raise re-gional awareness among stake-holders about key regionalenergy issues.

This intervention, sup-ported by the Austrian Devel-opment Agency/Austrian

THE NEW Development Bankhas signed a US$180 millionloan agreement with SouthAfrican power utility Eskom tosupport a project to integratepower generated at renewableenergy plants into the nationalgrid.

The New DevelopmentBank’s Project Finance Facility(PFF) will be used to supportthe development of grid con-nection infrastructure, which isvital for the development of re-newable energy projects.

According to NDB, the pro-ject will integrate a total of 670megawatts of renewable energyinto the Eskom grid as well as toaugment the power utility’stransmission infrastructure.

Modern grid connection in-frastructure will be used for re-newable energy projects andaugmentation of the Eskomtransmission network to theidentified areas.

The project will also help in-crease electricity supply to thetargeted areas for sustainabledevelopment.

In addition, the PFF will sup-port renewable energy develop-ment and reduce South Africa’sreliance on fossil fuels. Morethan 70 percent of the powergenerated by South Africa isfrom coal-fired plants.

The NDB was establishedby Brazil, Russia, India, Chinaand South Africa (BRICS) in2014 to mobilize resources forinfrastructure and sustainabledevelopment projects in BRICSand other emerging economiesand developing countries.

To fulfill its purpose, theNDB supports public or pri-vate projects through loans,guarantees, equity participa-tion and other financial instru-ments. r

Development Cooperation(ADA/ADC) since 2014, hasresulted in the production ofvarious communication toolswith a very positive responsefrom users.

These publications pro-duced with the SADC Secre-tariat, include: F SADC Energy Monitor 2018

that highlights some of thechanges in the legal and in-stitutional environment, aswell as other developmentstaking place in the energysector;

F SADC Energy InvestmentYearbook 2018, which cap-tures the current range of in-vestments in the variousenergy sub-sectors duringthe past year;

F Efforts and Benefits of Main-streaming Gender in theSADC Renewable Energy Sec-tor, which addresses the in-

clusion of women in themanagement of energy re-sources, and the benefits;and,

F Several policy briefs andfactsheets on related issues. In addition to this, SARDC

has initiated a SADC EnergyPortal that is maintained toprovide a platform for infor-mation and knowledge-shar-ing among various partnersinvolved in the energy sector,such as the SADC Energy The-matic Group (ETG), to pro-mote coordinated approachesto bilateral and multilateralsupport for energy activities,programmes and projects insouthern African.

The SADC ETG consists ofrepresentatives of the SADCSecretariat, SADC subsidiaryorganisations, International Co-operating Partners, and SARDCas knowledge partner. r

Harnessing energy efficiency, innovation topromote industrialization

8 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

By Egline Tauya

AS SouTHErN Africa braces for looming water, energy andfood shortages, the region has made significant progress to-wards an integrated, or Nexus, approach to unlock the fullpotential of the region’s resources in order to address thesechallenges.

In line with the SADC Council decision in August 2018,which called for stronger collaboration between the Water, En-ergy and Food (WEF) sectors, a governance framework thatwill guide implementation of the Nexus approach is being de-veloped by the Secretariat.

The framework is expected to demonstrate the linkages be-tween the sectors of water, energy and food. As the three sec-tors are inextricably linked, uncoordinated development andmanagement in one area has the capacity to negatively impacton others.

Food production requires water and energy. Food can beused to produce energy in the case of sugar cane, while waterextraction and distribution require energy, and energy pro-duction requires water.

This water, energy and food security Nexus therefore de-mands that Member States should develop innovative and in-tegrated approaches to the management of these sectors tooptimize the use of resources, manage the competing de-mands, and maximise the benefits.

The region has realised that any strategy that focuses onone part of the water-energy-food Nexus without consideringits interconnections can cause serious, unintended conse-quences that can impact most seriously on the youth.

In this context, the 9th Water Dialogue, held Johannes-burg, South Africa in March, focused on the involvement andempowerment of youth in strengthening water security, en-ergy security and food security in the SADC region.

This is imperative considering that the region has a youngpopulation, who make up more than 60 percent of the totalpopulation, without sufficient opportunities for employmentand livelihoods.

The focus of the dialogue was anchored on the 38th SADCSummit theme of “Promoting Infrastructure Developmentand Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.”

The development of frameworks for collaboration toguide the achievement of water security, energy security

W A T E R - E N E R G Y - F O O D

and food security while maintaining the integrity of the en-vironment is based on this premise – that youth empower-ment and involvement should be at the centre to increaseownership and address generational challenges.

SADC has embarked on a process to develop a frameworkfor Nexus governance and investments to provide criticalguidance to regional planning.

Other processes taking place in the region include coun-try assessments to identify existing and potential applica-tions of the WEF Nexus approach.

Reports so far indicate that most of the potential areas ofapplication are in multi-purpose projects that include theretrofitting of existing dams such as Kariba on the border be-tween Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as in the planned proj-ects for Inga Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo, theirrigation and hydropower project in the Shire River Basin,and the Batoka Dam along the Zambezi River.

The recent dialogue noted the need to promote a WEFNexus at all levels, including small-scale projects.

Chipendeke micro-hydro and irrigation scheme, which isbeing driven by communities in Zimbabwe, is a good exam-ple that should be replicated. In this intervention the commu-nities are able to balance the competing demands of water forirrigation that is allocated during the day and for hydropowergeneration which is allocated during the evening.

The Dialogue called for a coordinated and holistic approachto balance the competing demands and address the existingchallenges of water, energy and food insecurity in some partsof the region.

Member States were urged to avoid the “sectoral silos”thinking and adopt a multi-sectoral Nexus approach that canbring more benefits to developmental interventions.

The approach promotes sustainable patterns of production,investment and consumption together with enhanced resourceefficiency, and reduction of waste, food losses and pollution.

The Dialogue noted the need to broaden awareness on theWEF Nexus approach as well as ensuring the mainstreamingof women, men boys and girls in management and decision-making, including the physically disadvantaged groups.

More sensitization on the Nexus thinking required, and ca-pacity-building for Nexus analysis.

Water Energy Food Nexus

Water, Energy and Food Security are Key Priority Areas for SADC

The SADC WEF Nexus Operational Framework is expected to provide overall guidance andtools to make decisions, coordinate between different sectors and facilitate Nexusinvestments in the SADC region.

SADC moves to address interconnecteddevelopmental issues

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 9

The past four SADC Water Dialogues and the MinistersMeetings Responsible for Water Energy and Food Security havedeliberated on the Nexus approach.

These deliberations and expert studies have informed theSADC conclusion that Member States could achieve short- andlong-term benefits through integrated and coordinated opera-tions of existing and planned hydropower facilities, coopera-tive flood management, and irrigation development.

With full cooperation of the Member States, a reasonable bal-ance between hydropower and irrigation investment can resultin firm energy generation of some 30,000 Gigawatt hours peryear and 774,000 hectares of irrigated land.

The overall hydropower potential in SADC region is esti-mated at about 1,080 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/year) butthe capacity being utilised at present is just under 31TWh/year.

As for agriculture, the potential arable land for irrigation isestimated at 20.2 million ha at regional level. Of this total po-tential land only 6.7 million ha is already equipped for irriga-tion, leaving 13.4 million ha to rain-fed agriculture.

The water, energy and food security challenges are linkedto reduced rainfall that has lowered the water levels in reser-voirs, the changing climate and the increasing demand due tothe growing population and desires for higher living standards.

Predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) indicate a decrease in annual precipitation asmuch as 20 percent by 2080 in most parts of the region whilethe duration of the rainy season will shorten.

About 70 percent of the population in SADC depends onrain-fed agriculture for crop production, and large segments ofrural population are engaged in subsistence farming, livestockherding and artisanal fishing.

Demand for water, food and energy in the region is expectedto rise by 30-50 percent in the next two decades.

For example, current available total operating generation ca-pacity for the region stands at 46,959 Megawatt (MW) againstdemand of 52,542 MW. This gives a regional capacity shortfallof 5,593 MW.

Regional energy demand is expected to rise to more than77,000 MW by 2020 and to over 115,000 MW in 2030, with aneconomic growth rate of eight percent per annum.

Water withdrawals for irrigation are projected to increase by10 percent by 2050, while 60 percent more food will be needed

W A T E R - E N E R G Y - F O O D

SADC WEF Nexus

Conceptual Framework

to feed the region in 2050. This is expected to increase the de-mand for energy and water.

With the build-up of the Nexus approach and knowledgefrom the water dialogues as far back as 2013, as well as specialmeetings of Joint Ministers of Water, Energy and Food Security,it was confirmed that a long-lasting solution in addressing thechallenges can only be realized when the related sectors find atruly collaborative arrangement.

The 6th Water Dialogue held in Lusaka, Zambia in 2013 ini-tiated the WEF Nexus approach for regional development. Thedialogue noted that the Nexus approach can increase water, en-ergy and food security by increasing efficiency in productionsystems, reducing trade-offs, building synergies and improvinggovernance.

The 7th Dialogue held in Windhoek, Namibia in 2015 fo-cussed on the central role of water in driving industrialization,with the realisation that water attains its true value when it hasoptimised the contribution to other productive sectors of thevarious industrial value chains, such as energy and agro-foodprocessing.

The 8th Water Dialogue held in Boksburg, South Africa in2017 focused on fostering regional value chains and job creationthrough the Water-Energy-Food Nexus approaches.

These processes contribute to the implementation of theSADC Regional Strategic Action Plan on Integrated Water Re-sources Development and Management Phase Four (RSAP IV)2016-2020, which has the Nexus approach as one of its mainprogrammes. r

D I S A S T E R R I S K

10 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

SADC MEMBEr States re-acted swiftly in providing sup-port to Malawi, Mozambiqueand Zimbabwe after the threecountries were hit by a TropicalCyclone that left devastationand disaster in its wake.

Tropical Cyclone Idai, whichwas accompanied by heavyrain, winds and storms, killedhundreds of people and dis-placed thousands of others inthe three affected countries andcould be ranked as one of theworst disasters to affect south-ern Africa.

The tropical cyclone has lefta trail of destruction to landand infrastructure, affecting ac-cessibility and provision ofhealth care, food and welfare tothe affected communities.

According to a report re-leased by the National Instituteof Disaster Management inMozambique, more than 1.5million people had been af-fected by the cyclone and atleast 602 people had been con-firmed dead as of 7 April.

In Malawi, the Departmentof Disaster Management Affairsputs the number of people af-fected at more than 850,000 andat least 60 deaths have beenrecorded.

Preliminary assessments inZimbabwe indicate that at least250,000 people have been af-fected while more than 260deaths have been confirmed.

The cyclone affected south-ern Malawi, central Mozam-bique and eastern Zimbabwe,which all rely on the port of

Beira in Mozambique as a traderoute.

Although Beira is vulnera-ble to floods that occur almostevery year, the situation thistime is worse compared to pre-vious years as most of thedeaths in Mozambique tookplace in Beira, with 90 percentof the city destroyed.

The SADC Chairperson,President Hage Geingob ofNamibia expressed his appreci-ation to Member States for thesupport they have provided toMalawi, Mozambique andZimbabwe.

“SADC appreciates theoverwhelming support ex-tended to the communities bysome Member States, cooperat-ing partners, and most impor-tantly by citizens of the threecountries who combined effortsto assist their fellow nationals,”he said.

President Geingob furtherrevealed that SADC has so farcontributed a total ofUS$500,000 for humanitarianassistance, with US$200,000going to Mozambique;US$150,000 to Malawi; andUS$150,000 to Zimbabwe.

Most of the assistance fromMember States was provided incash or in kind, with supportgiven to each of the three coun-tries depending on the need.

The United Republic of Tan-zania, for example, was amongthe first to send a plane to Zim-babwe carrying a donated con-signment of drugs and medicalsupplies, while Malawi re-

ceived 200 metric tonnes ofmaize and medical supplies toassist communities in thesouthern part of the country.

Commenting on the assis-tance provided by Tanzania,the Deputy Director of the Dis-aster Management Affairs ofMalawi, Levi Manda said thehumanitarian donation “is aclear manifestation of thestrong cordial relations thatexist between the two countrieswhich share a lot in common.”

The Ministry of Agriculturein Malawi said “around 420,000metric tonnes of maize had beenlost, representing roughly 12percent of the country’s forecastoutput of 3.3 million metric tonsin the 2018/19 farming season.”

The government ofBotswana, through its Ministryof International Affairs and Co-operation, announced that thecountry will provide emer-gency humanitarian relief assis-tance to the three countries inthe form of water purifying so-lutions, non-perishable food-stuffs and blankets.

As part of its contribution,President Geingob saidNamibia will provide fish to as-sist communities affected bythe tropical cyclone in all thethree countries.

The government of Angolaextended support to Mozam-bique through the provision offood items and medicines, inaddition to sending its militaryand medical teams to assist insearch and rescue efforts aswell as fighting the possible

outbreak of waterborne dis-eases.

South Africa extended sup-port to the three countries invarious ways, including the de-ployment of the army to allthree countries to manage theunfolding crisis.

The South African Depart-ment of International Relationsand Cooperation indicated thatit has so far sent out donationsthat include financial assistance,clothes, water purifiers, non-per-ishable food items and blanketsto the affected countries.

Zimbabwe received R75 mil-lion from South Africa to assistcommunities affected by Cy-clone Idai in Chipinge and Chi-manimani in Manicalandprovince as well as in parts ofMasvingo.

South Africa also providedZimbabwe with police snifferdogs and handlers to help searchfor those who are missing andothers presumed dead.

Support for Cyclone Idai-af-fected countries has not onlycome from the SADC region butfrom other parts of the world.

In addition to financial assis-tance rendered to the three coun-tries, the Chinese governmenthas offered to assist in the recon-struction of infrastructure suchas schools and clinics that werebadly damaged by the cyclone.

The United Nations haslaunched a humanitarian assis-tance appeal to raise funds toassist the three SADC MemberStates to recover from the ef-fects of the cyclone. r

SADC response to Cyclone Idai

D I S A S T E R R I S K

we were able to overcome thechallenges,” he said.

“It is for this reason that I amlaunching the SADC Appeal forHumanitarian Assistance tosave lives and alleviate humansuffering of all the affected com-munities.”

President Geingob urged theinternational community tocontinue to assist in rebuildingthe livelihoods of the affectedcommunities in Malawi,Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The SADC Executive Secre-tary, Dr Stergomena LawrenceTax agreed, saying a collectiveapproach to addressing the im-pacts of Cyclone Idai will yieldpositive results.

“Allow me to thank MemberStates and our international co-operating partners for render-ing support to alleviate thesuffering of the affected com-munities during the floods andthe period immediately after,until now,” Dr Tax said.

“Your support has gone along way in saving lives andlivelihoods, and will be remem-bered by the affected communi-ties for a long time to come.”

She said that in the past fewyears the region has experi-enced extreme weather condi-tions and events, including theincreased frequency of floods,cyclones, and droughts thathave had devastating impactson SADC.

Therefore, it is critical for theregion to develop viable and in-novative measures to enableMember States to adapt and

cope with the challenges posedby climate change.

“There is a revelation that asclimate change intensifies, Cy-clone Idai will be rememberedas a relatively insignificantweather event,” she said,adding that “the era of super-storms and cyclones is justaround the corner.”

“Therefore, the earlier weundertake measures to reduceglobal warming, lessen the im-pacts of climate change andvariability, and be better pre-pared for the impending disas-ters, the better.”

She said the region’s re-sponse to the impacts of Cy-clone Idai had highlighted

SADC HAS launched an inter-national appeal to support theaffected Member States to copewith the impact of Tropical Cy-clone Idai that hit parts ofMalawi, Mozambique and Zim-babwe in March.

An estimated three millionpeople in the three countrieswere affected by Cyclone Idai,which has been recorded as oneof the worst tropical storms toaffect Africa and the southernhemisphere.

The cyclone claimed hun-dreds of lives and left a trail ofdestruction in the three coun-tries, including key infrastruc-ture such as roads, bridges,schools and clinics.

To support the humanitarianneeds and disaster response forrecovery of the affected coun-tries, the SADC Chairperson,President Hage Geingob ofNamibia launched an appealfor US$3.2 million on 11 April.The appeal is expected to com-plement the efforts at regionaland national levels to addressthe situation.

Speaking at the launch of theappeal held in Windhoek,Namibia, Geingob said the in-tensity and gravity of the cy-clone emphasised “the need forcollaborative efforts and sup-port from partners to improveour preparedness and enhancethe capacity to respond to thenegative impacts of climatechange and other disasters.”

“I wish to emphasise thatthrough our joint efforts, in re-sponse to disasters in the past,

SADC launches humanitarian appeal for Cyclone Idai victims

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 11

shortfalls in the disaster man-agement capacity, including inearly warning, preparedness,response and recovery that theregion needs to address as amatter of urgency.

In recognition of this, Dr Taxsaid the SADC Secretariat, incollaboration with MemberStates, is in the process of devel-oping a strategy for effective co-ordination of responses todisasters.

The SADC Disaster Pre-paredness and Response Strat-egy when finalized will providesuitable response mechanismsand adequate resources for theeffective management of disas-ters. r

folloWING THE devastating impact of Cyclone Idai, theSADC Chairperson, President Hage Geingob of Namibia,mandated the Secretariat to develop a regional appeal for sup-port to the affected communities and Member States – Malawi,Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The appeal is a collaborative effort of the affected MemberStates and the SADC Emergency and Resilience TechnicalWorking Group composed of a multi-sectoral team at the Sec-retariat working collaboratively with United Nations agenciesbased in the region, international non-governmental organi-zations and national disaster management offices.

The development of the Regional Disaster Appeal is a keymilestone in responding to the impacts of the cyclone, as itdocuments the resource needs and gaps.

The appeal also highlights the early recovery actions, andfurther recommends on humanitarian and resilience efforts,but most importantly it emphasizes the process of drawinglessons for better preparedness, response and coordination atboth national and regional levels.

The appeal aims to complement the efforts that MemberStates, civil society organizations and international cooperat-ing partners have made towards the addressing the impactsof the disaster. r

disaster

C L I M A T E R E S I L I E N C E

12 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

by Kumbirai Nhongo

THE TrAGIC deaths andwidespread destruction causedby Cyclone Idai in Malawi,Mozambique and Zimbabwepoint to the need for develop-ment of resilient infrastructurethat can withstand the adverseweather conditions and impactsof climate change. The African DevelopmentBank (AfDB) defines climate re-silient investments as those thatare “climate-proof” becausethey take into account predictedchanges in climate during plan-ning, design and implementa-tion. In the aftermath of the cy-clone, the UN Special Represen-tative for Disaster RiskReduction, Mami Mizutori, em-phasised that apart from effec-tive early warning systems, thereis need to invest in resilient in-frastructure to break the disaster-response-recovery cycle. Flooding has affected nearly3 million people in Mozambique,Malawi, and Zimbabwe sincerains began in early March andCyclone Idai struck March 14and 15. The death toll in the threecountries exceeds 843 peopleand rising, as hundreds of peo-ple are still missing. Apart from the loss of humanlife and the displacement of com-munities, there has been exten-sive damage to the region’sresidential, healthcare, educa-tional, water, farming, transport,industrial, energy, ICT andtourism infrastructure within theaffected areas. The storm wipedout roads, bridges and dams. World Vision’s Cyclone Idairesponse director, Jeff Wright,says, “Cyclone Idai has shownjust how vulnerable people areto these kinds of disasters thattear down homes, destroy crops,displace hundreds of thousandsof people, and force untold num-bers of children out of schools

that are damaged or becomeevacuation centres.” The UN Children’s Fund es-timated the cost of infrastruc-ture destroyed at more thanUS$1 billion, with more than100,000 homes damaged or de-stroyed, and at least 1 millionacres of crops. In a statement on the effectsof Cyclone Idai, the SADCChairperson, President HageGeingob of Namibia under-scored the need to “reduce theimpacts of climate change andvariability, while stepping up ef-forts to enhance adaptive capac-ities of developing countries inline with the spirit of the SendaiFramework for Disaster Risk Re-duction (2015-2030) and Article8(4) of the 2015 Paris Agreementon Climate Change.” The Paris Agreement on Cli-mate Change aims to limit globalwarming while the SendaiFramework for Disaster Risk Re-duction is a 15-year, voluntary,non-binding agreement signedin 2015 and endorsed by the UNGeneral Assembly, which seeksto reduce disaster risk in signa-tory countries by 2030. The development of climateresilient infrastructure is one ofthe global targets of the SendaiFramework in terms of substan-tially reducing disaster damageto critical infrastructure anddisruption of basic services,among them health and educa-tional facilities. In addition, the SendaiFramework seeks to significantlyreduce the global disaster mor-tality, the number of people af-fected and the direct economicloss arising from such disasterswhile also strengthening earlywarning systems. Cyclone Idai has come at atime when the SADC region isimplementing policy pro-grammes such as the RegionalInfrastructure DevelopmentMaster Plan (RIDMP), designed

to build, rehabilitate and mod-ernise infrastructure by 2027, inorder to provide the appropriatefoundation for sustainable eco-nomic growth and developmentin the region. The destruction of infrastruc-ture by the cyclone is a major set-back to regional targets. In Mozambique for example, areport by Medicines Sans Fron-tieres shows that following thecyclone, the area around Beirahad been left 90 percent dam-aged, with roads, electricity andcommunications cut off. Healthcare facilities in Beiraas well as the city’s water supplysystem had been severely dam-aged, compromising the abilityof people to access medical assis-tance and safe drinking water. The Beira Port could only beaccessed by sea and air asbridges and roads were de-stroyed or flooded. This madethe Beira Corridor very difficultto use especially for landlockedcountries such as Malawi, Zam-bia and Zimbabwe, thus ham-pering intra-regional tradeduring this period. In Malawi and Zimbabwe,there are similar reports of exten-sive damage to homes, schools,healthcare, water reticulationand transport infrastructure,with medical staff warning of in-creased cases of waterborne andvector-borne diseases in theareas affected. As the region recovers fromthe cyclone and as MemberStates continue to implementinfrastructure developmentprojects under RIDMP, it is anopportune moment to factor in

climate resilience so as to re-duce the human and economiclosses arising from such disas-ters. A 2018 report by the Inter-governmental Panel for ClimateChange (IPCC) describes south-ern Africa as a climate changeHot Spot likely to experience anincrease in the frequency and in-tensity of climatic events. At the continental level, theAfrican Union Commission, incollaboration with developmentpartners, has launched the AfricaClimate Resilient Investment Fa-cility (AFRI-RES), a fund whoseobjective is to strengthen the ca-pacity of African institutions,such as those in SADC andMember States, to plan, design,and implement investments re-silient to climate variability andchange in selected sectors. In adopting climate resilientsolutions to the region’s infras-tructural challenge, SADC couldexplore the hard, soft and naturalapproaches that have been usedin other parts of the world. Hard climate-resilience in-vestments are structural mea-sures put in place to increaseresilience to climate impacts,whereas Soft climate-resilienceinvestments are managementadaptation measures and in-clude investments in early warn-ing systems or disaster riskinsurance to address the human-itarian and financial conse-quences of climate variability. Natural climate resilience in-vestments are nature-basedadaption solutions such as refor-estation or watershed restora-tion. sardc.net r

CyCloNE IDAI made landfall in central Mozambique onMarch 14 and 15 as a Category 2 storm. Cyclone Kennethcame ashore in northern Mozambique on April 25 with hur-ricane-force winds and heavy rains, arriving just six weeksafter Cyclone Idai devastated a broad area about 1,000 kmto the south. These are the strongest cyclones on record inthe Southern Hemisphere. r

Climate resilient regional infrastructure the way forward forprotection of life and property

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 13

SADC Industrialisation Strat-egy and Roadmap 2015-2063. Dr Tax said the approval ofthe SADC Charter on Womenin Science, Engineering andTechnology in 2017 is another“significant step in ensuringwomen and girls’ participationin science and technology.” She said advancing genderequality and equity is a collec-tive effort that should be cham-pioned by both women andmen to ensure sustainablesocio-economic development.

G E N D E R

by Nyarai Kampilipili

GloBAl EfforTS to pro-mote and increase the use ofscience, innovation and tech-nology in sustainable develop-ment should be inclusive totarget both women and men. This was the message fromthe SADC Executive Secretary,Dr Stergomena Lawrence Taxon International Women’s Day. Celebrated annually on 8March, Women’s Day providesan opportunity for the globalcommunity to celebrate the so-cial, economic, cultural and po-litical achievements of women,while taking note of the barri-ers that hinder the accelerationof gender equality. The theme for this year’scommemoration is “ThinkEqual, Build Smart, Innovatefor Change”. Dr Tax said the theme recog-nizes the role of innovation inadvancing gender equality andthe empowerment of womenand girls. It should be noted the par-ticipation of women in innova-tion and science still remainslow, yet skills in science andtechnology are becoming animportant part of basic literacyin the knowledge economy. The gender digital divideand under-representation ofwomen in the field of science,technology, engineering, math-ematics and design hasprevented women from devel-oping and influencing gender-responsive innovations toachieve sustainable develop-ment. “Women and girls globally,including in our region, con-tinue to be less engaged andunder-represented in technol-ogy and innovation, and thiscreates a missed opportunity interms of their influence and

ideas in transforming our soci-ety,” Dr Tax said. “This calls for everyone todo things differently if we areto achieve transformative andbetter development outcomesfor women, girls, men and boysin our society.” Dr Tax said SADC has devel-oped various measures and ini-tiatives to advance genderequality and women empower-ment through innovation andtechnology as well as gender-re-sponsive approaches to science,innovation and technology. Gender equality and em-powerment is firmly rooted inthe Declaration and Treatythrough which Member Statesestablished the shared commu-nity of SADC, realizing thatequality and empowerment ofboth women and men is crucialfor the attainment of sustain-able development. The main guiding docu-ment on gender is the RevisedSADC Protocol on Gender andDevelopment, which providesfor the empowerment ofwomen, elimination of discrim-ination and attainment of gen-der equality and equitythrough enactment of gender-responsive legislation and im-plementation of policies,programmes and projects. Article 14 of the Protocol callsupon “State Parties to take spe-cial measures to increase thenumber of girls taking up Sci-ence, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics subjects andInformation CommunicationTechnology at the primary, sec-ondary, tertiary and higher lev-els.” The Protocol was revised in2016 to align with the provi-sions of other instruments suchas the UN Sustainable Develop-ment Goals, the AfricanUnion’s Agenda 2063, and the

Often, there is a perceptionthat only women ought to bethe main supporters and ad-vocates of gender empower-ment. “Achieving transformativechange through innovationand technology, requires ac-tive participation of all mem-bers of society and theestablishment of strategicpartnerships between key sec-tors in our communities, with-out leaving behind womenand girls,” she said. sardc.net r

by Thenjiwe Sisimayi

THE DEpuTy Prime Minister and Minister for International Re-lations and Cooperation of Namibia, Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndait-wah, who chairs the regional Council of Ministers, has said thatsignificant progress has been made towards gender equality in theregion, but more needs to be done. “I wish to stress that SADC has made great and recognisablestrides towards women empowerment in the region,” Nandi-Ndait-wah told the Council meeting held in Windhoek, Namibia in March. She noted that the representation of women in various posi-tions of influence and decision-making has improved in most ofthe 16 SADC Member States. However, she said that more still needs to be done to achievegender equality and equity in SADC to sustain and build on theprogress made in empowering women. Namibia leads the region with the highest number of womenin the National Assembly at 45 percent. SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, sup-ported this assessment, saying “while we are making significantefforts in achieving gender equality and equity, more still needsto be done for us to realise our gender parity aspirations.” Dr Tax urged countries to strive to address the barriers thathinder the acceleration of gender equality in the region. The SADC Council of Ministers, which traditionally meets twicea year in February/March and August/ September to review im-plementation of regional programmes, projects and activities andapprove the budget for the SADC Secretariat, was preceded by meet-ings of senior officials representing the 16 member states. The Council consists of ministers from each member state, usu-ally from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economic Planning orFinance, and oversees the functioning and development of SADC.sardc.net r

Science, Innovation and Technology should be inclusive ofwomen and men

Significant achievements in gender equality… but more needs to be done

Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change

“we can only move forwardwhen freedom is guaranteedto all our citizens.”

Geingob urged the interna-tional community to continueto support efforts aimed at re-solving “the question of West-ern Sahara,” so that its citizensare able to determine their owndestiny.

South African PresidentCyril Ramaphosa concurred,saying that SADC standsready to support the Sahrawipeople in their quest for inde-pendence.

“As countries of the SADCregion who have waged strug-gles in pursuit of our own lib-eration, we know too well thepain of being deprived of theright to be treated as full citi-zens in the land of one’sbirth,” Ramaphosa said.

“The pain of the Sahrawipeople, their trauma broughtabout by displacement andexile, is ours too.”

He said SADC supports on-going efforts by the UnitedNations to resolve any politi-cal challenges between Mo-rocco and the Western Sahara.

In a declaration releasedsoon after the solidarity con-ference, SADC expressed itsunwavering commitment tostand in solidarity with thepeople of Western Sahara toattain their right to freedomand self-determination.

SADC said while negotia-tions between Morocco and

14 SouTHErN AfrICA Today, April 2019

“I am aware of growing divi-sions on our continent on thisissue regarding Western Sa-hara,” Geingob said, addingthat the division is being em-ployed by the same countrieswhich oppressed Africa in thepast, hence the continent shouldbe wary of such deceptiveforces.

For example, in opposition tothe SADC Solidarity Conferencewith the Saharawi Arab Demo-cratic Republic held in SouthAfrica, there was a parallelmeeting being held in Morocco.

Some countries from SADCare understood to have at-tended the parallel meeting inMorocco.

“We should therefore askourselves. Are we, as SADC,united in support of the Sa-harawi people in their fight forfreedom and self-determina-tion or do we need a new ap-proach?” Geingob asked.

He said the decolonizationof Africa will not be completeuntil the day the people ofWestern Sahara decide the fateof their future status, througha free and fair referendum.

In fact, Africa’s longstand-ing vision of a united andprosperous continent will re-main elusive if Africa does notenjoy total freedom.

“The prolonged impasse onthe Western Sahara issue willhave grave consequences onthe functioning of our AfricanUnion,” he said, adding that

THE MESSAGE from the re-cent solidarity conference onWestern Sahara was bold andclear: Southern Africa standsin solidarity with the Sahrawipeople to attain their right tofreedom and self-determina-tion.

“Freedom is not a gift to thepeople of Western Sahara,”SADC Chairperson, PresidentHage Geingob of Namibiasaid in his address to theSADC Solidarity Conferencewith the Saharawi ArabDemocratic Republic held on25-26 March in Pretoria, SouthAfrica.

“No one can bestow free-dom on the Sahrawi people,for freedom is their birth right,which no one can keep fromthem and which they mustclaim as their own.”

Geingob said it is still amystery that Western Sahararemains the only territory inAfrica under colonial occupa-tion and oppression.

Western Sahara is underMoroccan occupation despiteseveral declarations by re-gional, continental and inter-national bodies such as theUnited Nations for WesternSahara to take charge of its in-ternal processes.

Geingob also said it is diffi-cult to understand why someAfrican countries are contentand supportive of the colonialoccupation and oppression ofWestern Sahara.

Western Sahara continue, thereis need for external forces to re-frain from exploiting natural re-sources from Western Sahara asthis violated international lawsand in the long term will havea negative bearing towards thedevelopment and potential ofWestern Sahara.

The conflict between Mo-rocco and Western Saharacame after the revolt by thePolisario Front against Span-ish forces who were occupy-ing their land from the period1973 to 1975.

The Polisario Front is a na-tional movement fighting forthe total independence ofWestern Sahara.

After the withdrawal ofSpanish forces in accordancewith the Madrid Accords in1975, Morocco and Mauritaniamoved in to occupy the terri-tory of Western Sahara. Thisled to a 16-year war of inde-pendence by the PolisarioFront against Morocco.

In August 1979, Mauritaniawithdrew from Western Sa-hara after a peace agreementwith the Polisario Front.

The war came to an end in1991 after the intervention ofthe UN with a promise of areferendum to determine theindependence of Western Sa-hara. However, since then, thereferendum is yet to be con-ducted and Morocco contin-ues to occupy Western Sahara.sardc.net r

S O L I D A R I T Y

SADC solidarity with Western Sahara

SouTHErN AfrICA Today 15

April – June 2019April 14 - 18, Egypt AU Specialized Technical Committee on Infrastructure

The Specialized Technical Committee is the ministerial decision-making organ of the African Union for the Transport, Energy,Tourism Sectors as well as overall Infrastructure Developmentmatters. The main objective of the meeting is to evaluateimplementation of the updated STC Plans of Action adopted inLomé, Togo in March 2017.

16, Botswana SADC Energy Thematic Group MeetingThe Energy Thematic Group is a coordination meeting of SADCand its subsidiary organizations with cooperating partners toreview the energy situation in the region.

26-27, China Second Belt and Road ForumGlobal leaders will meet in April at the second Belt and RoadForum to discuss how to develop a seamless infrastructurenetwork connecting Asia, Europe and Africa.

May8, South Africa National Elections South Africa

More than 25 million South Africans will cast their ballots inelections to choose members of the National Assembly andprovincial assemblies. These will be the sixth general electionsin South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.

21, Malawi National Elections MalawiAs Malawi prepares to mark 55 years of independence this year,around seven million people will vote in elections to elect thePresident, Members of Parliament and local government leaders.

24, Namibia SADC Energy and Water MinistersThe joint meeting of energy and water ministers is aimed atfacilitating the exchange of ideas and forging practical andsustainable solutions towards addressing the energy and waterchallenges in the region with a view to planning a strategicdirection.

25, Africa Africa DayAfrica Day is the annual commemoration of the founding of theOrganisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union(AU). This year marks 56 years since the formation of the OAU.On this day in 2013, the AU approved a 50-year vision forAgenda 2063 – The Africa We Want.

27, Madagascar Madagascar Parliamentary ElectionsMadagascar will hold Parliamentary elections on 27 May. TheNational Assembly consists of 127 members elected for a five-year term in 119 single-member and 2 two-memberconstituencies. For single-member, the seat is filled by theindividual candidate with the highest number of votes, whereasin two-member constituencies, the two candidates of the Partywith the highest number of votes become members of theNational Assembly.

June 4 – 5, South Africa Africa Pharma Conference 2019

The Africa Pharma Conference seeks to contribute to efforts toboost local production of essential medicines. The AfricaPharma Conference 2019 will focus on access to medicines andhealth commodities.

5, Global World Environment Day The day is observed each year to raise awareness on the needfor the global community to work together on preserving theenvironment. China will host the global World Environment Daycelebrations for 2019 with a theme of air pollution.

TBA SADC Gender Ministers Meeting The SADC Gender and Women’s Affairs Ministers meet annuallyto review the regional gender programme. The meeting presentsan opportunity for Member States to share progress on theimplementation of gender commitments.

E V E N T SSOUTHERN

AFRICA TODAY

SADC TODAY VOL 21 NO 3 APRIL 2019

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PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADCApril – June 2019

CHRONOLOGY

A shared future within a regional community

H I S T O R Y T O D A Y

4 April Peace and Reconciliation Day Angola6 April Ougadi Mauritius7 April Sheikh Abeid Karume Day Tanzania13 April Leirat al- Meiraj Comoros18 April Independence Day Zimbabwe19 April King’s Birthday Eswatini Good Friday All SADC countries except Angola, DRC, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique20 April Easter/Holy Saturday Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe21 April Easter Sunday Namibia Zimbabwe22 April Easter Monday All SADC Countries except Angola, Comoros, DRC, Mauritius, Mozambique25 April National Flag Day Eswatini26 April Union Day Tanzania 27 April Freedom Day South Africa

1 May Workers Day DRC, Lesotho,Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe Labour Day Angola, Botswana, Comoros Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Eswatini4 May Cassinga Day Namibia14 May Kamuzu Day Malawi17 May Liberation Day DRC25 May Africa Day All SADC Africa Freedom Day Zambia30 May Ascension Day Botswana, Madagascar, Lesotho Namibia, Eswatini

5 June Liberation Day Seychelles16 June Youth Day South Africa17 June Public holiday South Africa18 June National Day Seychelles20 June Corpus Christi Seychelles25 June Independence Day Mozambique26 June Independence Day Madagascar29 June Independence Day Seychelles30 June Independence Day DRC

EXACTly 31 years ago, the small town of Cuito Cuanavale in the province ofCuando Cubango in the southern part of Angola, was the epicentre of one thefiercest conventional battles of the African history after the Second World War.

From November 1987 to March 1988, thousands of combatants from thePeople’s Liberation Armed Forces (FAPLA) supported by the People’s Liber-ation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the Cuban Revolutionary Forces foughtback to defend the country from invasion and defeated the mighty armedforces of the Apartheid regime of South Africa.

For the first time, following the endorsement of the SADC Summit of Headsof State and Government held in Windhoek, Namibia in August 2018, leadersfrom SADC gathered on 23 March in Cuando Cubango Province to commem-orate the Southern Africa Liberation Day, which is dedicated to the Cuito Cua-navale battle.

The historic event was attended by Presidents João Lourenço of Angola, hisNamibian counterpart Hage Geingob, who is also the SADC Chairperson,Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa as well as President FelixTshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Other SADC countries sent representatives. Cuba and Russia, who playeda critical role in the liberation struggle of most countries in the region, also at-tended the event.

In his address, President Lourenço spoke of the importance of rememberingthe Cuito-Cuanavele battle.

“This location where we are gathered today signifies the defeat of the racistarmy of South Africa which opened the doors for the independence ofNamibia and the liberation of Nelson Mandela and consequently, marked theend of Apartheid in South Africa.”

He paid tribute to SADC for the decision to adopt the 23 March as theSouthern Africa Liberation Day.

“Angola is proud for this historic decision which enables the present andfuture generations of the southern African region to remember the countriesand people who played part in liberation struggle so that their sacrifices arenot forgotten,” he said.

Presient Geingob said SADC is enjoying the fruits of the struggle wagedby the heroes and heroines who made sacrifices to liberate their countries.

“We now owe it to our heroes and heroines to make sustainable develop-ment and prosperity for our people a reality,” he said.

Geingob recognised the role played by the former Union of Soviet SocialistRepublics (now the Russian Federation), Cuba, the Frontline States, as well asNigeria and the Scandinavian countries for the political, military and materialsupport rendered during the struggle for independence.

He said the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale “was the battle to end all the battles”,forcing the apartheid regime in South Africa and its allies to accept a negoti-ated solution based on the UN Security Council Resolution 435/78 and sub-sequently leading to the independence of Namibia.

At the event, SADC leaders consecrated 51 combatants and veterans fromAngola, Cuba, Russia and Namibia who fought in the Cuito Cuanavale battle.sadc.int r

SADC commemorates inauguralLiberation Day

End of the Cuito Cuanavale BattleSigning of the New York Agreement, atripartite agreement by Angola, Cubaand South Africa on the implementationof the UNSCR 435/78 and the departureof the Cuban revolutionary forces Start of implementation of UNSCR435/78 leading to the independence ofNamibiaRelease of Nelson Mandela from prisonin South AfricaIndependence of NamibiaDemocratic elections in South Africa toend apartheid system

23 March 198822 December 1988

1 April 1989

11 February 1990

21 March 199027 April 1994

23 March Southern Africa Liberation Day