Southern Africa today
SADC ToDAY Vol 22 No. 2 FEbRuARY 2020
SADC @40 Deepening regional integration in 2020
by Kizito Sikuka
THE YEAR 2020 provides an opportunity for SADC to review its integration agenda but also to chart the region’s development path as it enters 40 years of regional cooper- ation. This issue of Southern Africa Today looks at some key issues for SADC this year.
Towards Vision 2050 The two strategic documents are ex- One of the priority focus areas for SADC in pected to be presented for approval at the 2020 is the formulation of a new 30-year vi- 40th SADC Summit of Heads of State and sion that will set a strategic direction for the Government scheduled for August in Ma- region to implement its programmes and ac- puto, Mozambique. tivities until 2050. The current regional blueprint, the Re- Strengthening implementation of regional POLICY 3 vised SADC Regional Indicative Strategic initiatives Development Plan (RISDP), which was ap- Closely linked to the development of a new ENERGY 4-5 proved in 2015 is coming to an end in De- vision, the year 2020 is historic as it marks LAND 6 cember 2020. the last year of implementation of the Re- The proposed SADC Vision 2050 is ex- vised RISDP 2015-2020. INFRASTRUCTURE 7 pected to be predicated upon the existing SADC Member States are this year ex- SADC vision, which is that “of a common fu- pected to intensify efforts to implement ac- WETLANDS 8-9 ture in a regional community that will en- tivities set out in the plan as well as the sure economic well-being, improvement of industrial development strategy. AFRICAN UNION 10-11 the standards of living and quality of life, The SADC Industrialisation Strategy and freedom and social justice, and peace and se- Roadmap 2015-2063 provides a framework ELECTIONS 12-13 curity for the people of Southern Africa”. for major economic and technological trans- The SADC Vision 2050 will be aligned to formations in southern Africa. GENDER 14 the African Union Agenda 2063, and the re- To support its implementation, a SADC gion has resolved that the Strategic Plan Protocol on Industry, which aims to improve EVENTS 15 2020-2030 should be termed the RISDP the policy environment for industrial devel- 2020-2030. opment, was approved in August 2019. HISTORY TODAY 16 continued on page 2... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
SADC @40 Deepening regional integration in 2020
The protocol is a stand-alone and binding legal instrument that The proposed establishment of the SADC Regional Parliament will entrench and give legal effect to the SADC Industrialisation will provide a representative institution for the SADC citizenry, Strategy and Roadmap and its related Cost-Action Plan and will thereby serving as a valid interlocutor for the needs and desires of ensure adequate coordination, monitoring and evaluation of im- the general public. plementation both at the regional and national level. Silencing the Guns Advancing gender development Peace and stability are key ingredients for the success of regional On gender and development, SADC and the global community integration and sustainable development. As such, mechanisms for will this year mark the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Con- peace-building and peace-keeping will be another focal area of at- ference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and tention for SADC in 2020. Platform For Action (BDPfA) in 1995. In line with the African Union aspiration of “Silencing the Guns The BDPfA is an agenda for empowerment of women that aims by 2020”, SADC will strive to end wars, civil conflicts, gender- to accelerate the implementation of gender progressive initiatives based violence, and violent conflicts in the region. as well as removing all the obstacles to women’s active participa- The SADC region has generally enjoyed stability despite some tion in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal pockets of volatility in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. of Congo, the Kingdom of Lesotho and Madagascar. While SADC has made significant progress in advancing gender SADC will thus continue to take stock of interventions under- equality and equity, the year 2020 provides an opportunity for the re- taken by the region to promote peace and stability in these and gion to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achieve- other Member States. ments of women, while taking note of the barriers that hinder the Buoyed by successful elections held in 2019, at least two SADC acceleration of gender equality, especially in the private sector. Member States will go to the polls this year – Seychelles and United Republic of Tanzania . Addressing the regional energy situation Tanzanians will vote in October to elect their President, parlia- During the year, SADC will continue to strengthen energy devel- mentarians and councillors, while Seychelles has its presidential opment at regional level to address power shortages that have hin- election on a date to be announced between September and dered economic growth and development since 2007 due to November. diminishing generation capacity and growth in demand. SADC plans to commission a total of 8,781 megawatts of new Solidarity with Zimbabwe electricity to the regional power grid in 2020 through the Southern On 25 October, SADC Member States will stand with Zimbabwe African Power Pool (SAPP) which coordinates the planning, gen- in challenging the imposition of economic sanctions on the country. eration, transmission and marketing of electricity in southern The region declared the 25 October of each year as the date on Africa on behalf of Member State utilities. Another priority in the which SADC Member States can collectively voice their disap- energy sector is finalizing of the review of the SADC Protocol on proval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms Energy, which is now outdated and does not capture some of the until the sanctions are lifted. changing dynamics in the energy sector such as the priority given The SADC Chairperson, President John Magufuli of Tanzania to greater uptake of renewable energy sources and technologies as said the illegal sanctions “have not only affected the people of Zim- well as the impact of climate change. babwe and their government but our entire region.” SADC is expected to conclude a study on the modalities and Zimbabwe has grappled with economic and banking sanctions operations of a regional policy framework to guide the exploration since 2002 when the United States and its western allies imposed of gas and oil. an embargo on the country in response to the land reform pro- gramme and the leading role played by Zimbabwe in the SADC Establishment of a regional parliament intervention in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998 in support SADC will remain seized with the proposed transformation of the of the government there. SADC Parliamentary Forum (PF) into a regional parliament. The 39th SADC Summit held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic 40th SADC Summit of Tanzania in August 2019 “directed the SADC Secretariat in col- The region will convene its 40th annual SADC Summit in Mozam- laboration with the SADC PF Secretariat to develop the model that bique in August to track and advance the implementation of its in- the proposed SADC Parliament would assume, in terms of man- tegration agenda. date, powers and functions; and to develop a Roadmap towards At the summit, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi of Mozam- the transformation of the SADC PF into a SADC Parliament.” bique will assume the rotating SADC chair from his Tanzanian The model is expected to be finalized this year and presented counterpart, John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. for approval at the 40th SADC Summit scheduled for August in President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana will become the Mozambique. Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Coop- The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mozam- eration, taking over from President Emmerson Mnangagwa of bique, Verónica Macamo Dlovu, who will chair the SADC Council Zimbabwe. of Ministers for the year starting in August 2020, was instrumental The SADC Organ is responsible for promoting peace and secu- in lobbying for the transformation when she was President of the rity in the SADC region. It is mandated to steer and provide Mem- National Assembly of Mozambique and Chairperson of the SADC ber States with direction regarding matters that threaten peace, PF before her appointment to her new post in January. security and stability in the region. sardc.net r
2 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 POLICY
Assessment of strategy on women, peace and security
SADC PlANS to undertake According to the SADC States’ implementation of • Development of a strategy an assessment of the progress Secretariat, the assessment of the UNSCR 1325 at re- with recommendations on made and challenges being the Strategy on Women, Peace gional and national levels; how to address issues and faced by Member States in im- and Security is expected to • Identification of specific challenges in SADC Mem- plementing the SADC Re- start in February, with com- challenges experienced by ber States’ implementation gional Strategy on Women, pletion set for around April. women and children and of the UNSCR 1325. The Peace and Security. Some of the expected out- the measures to address strategy should also pro- The SADC Regional Strat- comes of the assessment in- the issues to ensure that vide details of progress, egy on Women, Peace and Se- clude: women fully participate in representation and gender- curity (2018-2022) provides an • Assessment of the peace and security deci- mainstreaming in SADC overarching framework to progress of SADC Member sion-making; and Member States. r guide implementation, moni- toring, evaluation and report- ing on mainstreaming gender into peace and security in the SADC strategizes with international cooperating partners region. It also calls on the opera- SADC AND its International operation in the United v Agriculture and Food Se- tionalization and implementa- Cooperating Partners (ICPs) Republic of Tanzania, Agnes curity. tion of the United Nations held a dialogue to discuss pol- Kayola, said the engagement The dialogue also wit- Security Council Resolution icy and technical issues aimed provides a unique platform nessed the creation of a new (UNSCR) 1325 as well as the at strengthening cooperation for engaging with ICPs thematic group, focusing on Revised SADC Protocol on between the two parties. as equal development part- Climate Change and Disaster Gender and Development to Convened annually, the ners. Risk Management. address the specific challenges SADC-ICP dialogues are held She said ICPs should align This is due to the devastat- experienced by women and in the spirit of the Windhoek their support to priority sec- ing effects of climate change children, particularly in partic- Declaration on a New Partner- tors and issues such as the im- and the need to accelerate in- ipating in peace and security ship between ICPs and the plementation of the revised terventions aimed at ensuring processes. SADC, which was adopted in Regional Indicative Strategic environmental sustainability. Active participation of Windhoek, Namibia, in April Development Plan and the The operations of the the- both women and men in peace 2006, as well as the SADC-ICP SADC Industrialisation Strat- matic group will reflect link- and security processes, as well Partnership Statement, egy and Roadmap. ages with other sectors as as the prevention of sexual adopted in Gaborone, The ICPs expressed com- climate change issues are and gender-based violence Botswana in February 2014. mitment to support regional cross-cutting in nature. and the protection of women Speaking at the 2019 dia- integration and cooperation, The thematic groups rep- during conflict and post-con- logue held December in as well as to align their sup- resent the technical, program- flict situations are essential in Gaborone, the Acting Direc- port to the SADC priorities. matic level of the partnership promoting sustainable devel- tor in the Ministry of Foreign At the dialogue meeting, dialogue between SADC and opment. Affairs and East African Co- seven thematic groups pre- ICPs and are derived from the sented the status of implemen- priority areas identified by tation of various SADC SADC, which are coordinated uNiTED NATioNS Security Council Resolution 1325 priorities, including achieve- to match individual ICP the- (UNSCR 1325) reaffirms the important role of women in the ments made and challenges matic areas of interest. prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, faced. The seven thematic Each thematic group is peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and groups are: chaired by a SADC Secretariat in post-conflict reconstruction. v Trade, Industry, Finance Director/Head of Unit and co- It stresses the importance of the equal participation and and Investment chaired by representative of full involvement of women in all efforts for the maintenance v Peace and Security the Lead-ICP for the group. and promotion of peace and security. v Energy The thematic groups meet The Revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development v Information Communica- at least twice a year in provides the basis for the empowerment of women, elimina- tion Technology Gaborone. However, meetings tion of discrimination and attainment of gender equality and v Water Strategy Reference may be convened more fre- equity through enactment of gender-responsive legislation Group quently as appropriate, de- and implementation of policies, programmes and projects. r v Health Equity and Inclu- pending on need or issues to be sive Development addressed. r
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 3 ENERGY 8,780 MW of new power in 2020
SADC AiMS to commission Committed Generation Capacity 2020 to 2023 almost 8,800 Megawatts of electricity in 2020 to ensure Committed Generation Projects, MW that energy supply in the re- gion meets the demand. Country 2020 2021 2022 2023 Total (MW) % Share According to the South- ern African Power Pool Angola 34 67 0 0 101 0.4% (SAPP), which coordinates Botswana 10 0 500 0 510 2% the planning, generation, DRC 360 0 0 0 360 1% transmission and marketing Eswatini 10 0 0 0 10 0.04 of electricity in southern Africa on behalf of Member Lesotho 0 20 0 0 20 0.1% State utilities, most of the Malawi 60 278 0 258 596 2% new power will come from Mozambique 30 0 550 0 580 2% South Africa and Zambia. Namibia 40 44 180 0 264 1% South Africa is expected South Africa 6 667 4 837 4 920 600 17 024 66% to contribute about 6,700MW Tanzania 0 235 2 530 1 012 3 777 15% while Zambia will add 970MW to the regional grid. Zambia 970 100 252 163 1 485 6% Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe 600 600 0 0 1 200 5% Democratic Republic of TOTAL (MW) 8 781 6 181 8 932 2 033 25 927 100% Congo are expected to con- Decommissioning 75 1 870 2 280 4 225 tribute 600MW and 360MW, respectively. Source Presentation by SAPP to the SADC Energy Thematic Group in October 2019 The commissioning of the electricity in 2020 is part of a bigger plan by SADC, through SAPP, to add a total Seychelles to build floating solar plant of 25,927MW between 2020 and 2023. SEYCHEllES iS construct- expected to be signed in the struction will start for the A total of 6,181MW will ing the first utility-scale float- first quarter of this year. four-megawatt power plant be commissioned in 2021, ing solar photovoltaic system This follows the award- in the Providence lagoon on 8,932MW in 2022 and 2,033 in Africa. ing of the licence to construct Mahe, the main island. in 2023. The Seychelles Energy the solar plant to a local com- The plant is expected to The Table below shows Commission announced in pany, Quadran Seychelles provide affordable and clean the committed generation ca- early January that agree- Ltd. power to the national grid. pacity including the quantity ments for the construction of Once the power purchase Bidders submitted financial that each SAPP member can Africa’s first utility-scale and government support proposals with a bid for the contribute. r floating solar PV system are agreements are signed, con- tariff in US dollars per kilo- ENERGY
watt hour at which they would supply electricity to the Public Utilities Corpora- tion (PUC) through a 25-year power purchase agreement. Quadran was the best bidder for the project at 9.5 cents per kilowatt hour which represents a signifi- cant financial saving com- pared to the current cost of producing electricity in Sey- chelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the east DRC, Zambia developing Luapula power plant coast of Africa. The chief executive of the SiGNiFiCANT PRoGRESS on behalf of Member State possibilities of this project, Seychelles Energy Commis- has been made by the utilities, and the centre is because projects like these sion, Tony Imaduwa said the Democratic Republic of thus coordinating the devel- might look good on the sur- project is expected to con- Congo and Zambia to de- opment of the Luapula face, yet there are some tribute about 5.8-gigawatt velop a hydro power plant power plant project. cracks inside.” hours annually, adding that at the Luapula River. Dihwa said that after the The Luapula plant is ex- the new initiative will go a The Southern African pre-feasibility study is com- pected to produce about long way towards reducing Power Pool (SAPP) Coordi- pleted, an assessment will be 1,000 megawatts of power, the importation of fossil fuels, nation Centre manager, made with regard to con- and its construction includes allowing the country to make Stephen Dihwa said the two struction of the power plant. a powerhouse, control rooms, saving on foreign currency. countries are conducting a “We want to reach a a substation, a dam and ac- He said “marine floating pre-feasibility study that will point where a decision has to cess roads, and the installa- PV holds immense potential determine the next phase of be made, whether the Lua- tion of transformers, pumps for islands and other land- the project. pula hydro power plant is a and turbines, and the laying scarce countries, which may SAPP coordinates the project worth pursuing or of transmission lines. r have excellent solar potential planning, generation, trans- not,” he said, adding that but lack available land for mission and marketing of “we are at that stage where traditional ground-mounted electricity in southern Africa we want to understand the solar PV.” Kunene solar plant Floating solar PV has now operational been deployed at scale in Review of energy protocol to be finalized markets including Asia and this year NAMibiA HAS com- Europe, but these installa- pleted the construction of a tions have been in freshwater oNE oF the priorities for southern Africa this year is the 150-killowatt solar plant in sites such as lakes and reser- the Kunene region. Speak- voirs. No floating solar PV finalization of the review of the SADC Protocol on Energy. Adopted in 1996 a, the protocol is now outdated since ing at the official handover has yet to be implemented in of the plant in January, En- a seawater environment at it does not capture some of the changing dynamics in the energy sector at regional, continental and global levels vironment Minister Po- utility-scale. hamba Shifeta said the new This innovative project such as the greater uptake of renewable energy sources and technologies as well as the impact of climate change. plant will easily address represents an important step the energy situation in the forward for the technology, Another challenge with the existing protocol is that its provisions are not legally binding, making it difficult country, and increase the as the power plant will be lo- uptake of renewable en- cated in a saltwater environ- to enforce and implement. The revised SADC Protocol on Energy is expected to ergy sources. Emissions ment and designed to cope from fossil fuels have in- with challenges such as salin- have clear, practical and more manageable targets to en- able the region to strengthen its energy security and en- creased climate warming ity, tidal fluctuations, and and caused environmental water currents. sure that power supply meets demand. Once approved by SADC ministers of energy and damage. Renewable energy “We are pleased to lead sources such as solar are af- such an innovative project ministers responsible for justice, the instrument will be tabled before the SADC Council of Ministers before it is fordable, secure and reli- and are confident that it is able but also less polluting the first of many to come,” elevated to the 40th SADC Summit of Heads of States and Government set for August in Maputo, Mozambique for to the environment com- Imaduwa said. Seychelles pared to fossil energy. r News Agency. r final approval.
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 5 LAND
UNECA High Level Policy Dialogue “Land reform will transform SADC” lAND REFoRM and ad- empowerment and increase rary public policy discourse rural communities. The agrar- ministration in southern job opportunities. in the region. ian nature of African societies Africa is key to economic “Attainment of the United “It is quite emotive, con- makes land central to liveli- transformation and sustain- Nations SDGs particularly troversial, divisive and tense. hoods, social relevance and able development. goal number one of poverty Given the history of settler human existence.” This was the message that eradication and Agenda 2063 colonialism, the dispossession The High Level Policy Di- emerged from a High Level hinges to a large extent on of land and the brutality that alogue organised by UNECA Policy Dialogue on Land Pol- land reform and the utilisa- accompanied the process, it brought together a wide icy Reform and Social Eco- tion of the land as an eco- continues to evoke pain and range of stakeholders includ- nomic Transformation in nomic asset. The challenge is dire consequences for the ma- ing Government ministries Southern Africa held in early how to use land reform to cre- jority,” he said. responsible for land and agri- January in Gaborone, ate development.” “Land in Africa is not only culture, academia and re- Botswana, organised by the The UNECA Director for an economic resource, but search. It was aimed at United Nations Economic Southern Africa, Professor also has social and spiritual providing a platform for Commission for Africa Said Adejumobi concurred significance. The landless in stakeholders to share experi- (UNECA). saying land reform was the Africa are usually regarded as ences on land reform and de- The dialogue noted that most important contempo- powerless especially in many velopmen. The herald r access to land was limited in most SADC Member States despite the fact that beneficia- The land question in SADC ries could derive economic benefits through effective util- lAND iN southern Africa is ther two decades of unsuccess- prehensive land reform in isation of the land. a basic source of livelihood ful negotiations based on South Africa as the only Concerns were also raised for the majority who mainly “willing seller/willing buyer”. means of reducing poverty over correcting colonial land depend on agricultural pro- This action resulted in the and income disparities and ownership imbalances and duction to earn a living. United States, UK and Europe promoting social cohesion. the sale of land in southern The agricultural sector imposing an embargo on the “South Africa has come a Africa to foreign investors. contributes between four and country, which has been for- long way since the advent of In this regard, it was pro- 27 percent of the regional mally condemned by SADC democracy, but its transition posed that foreigners should Gross Domestic Product, and leaders at their annual Sum- remains incomplete,” the be given short-term leases, about 13 percent of the total mit in 2019. World Bank report said, be- while locals must be accorded export earnings. “Summit noted the ad- cause “the highly skewed preferential treatment in ac- While differences exist in verse impact on the economy distribution of land and pro- cessing and owning land. the nature of land tenure and of Zimbabwe and the region ductive assets is a source Another issue discussed usage and ways in which the at large, of prolonged eco- of inequality and social was lack of access and rights issue is being addressed nomic sanctions imposed on fragility, fuelling contesta- to land by women, youths, across southern Africa, there Zimbabwe, and expressed tion over resources.” the elderly and people living remain critical similarities in solidarity with Zimbabwe, The report is titled An in- with disabilities. the fundamental socio-politi- and called for the immediate complete transition - over- Botswana’s Minister of cal and economic questions lifting of the sanctions to facil- coming the legacy of Land Management, Water that fuel persistent conflicts, itate socio-economic recovery exclusion in South Africa. and Sanitation Service, Ke- arising from unequal land in the country.” The land question in fentse Mzwinila said the re- distribution and discrimina- Namibia, which is facing SADC therefore calls for the gion would benefit from the tory land-tenure systems. similar challenges in redis- region to come together and reallocation of land through In Tanzania, Zambia and tributing land, held its second find a common solution to accelerated socio-economic Mozambique for example, national land conference in tackle these challenges. growth and development. farmland belongs to the state 2018 to address the land re- Furthermore, it is impor- “Botswana considers and can be leased for varying form and the resettlement tant for SADC Member land reform as a key and periods for agricultural or programme, as well as urban States to ensure that the cur- strategic part of our overall commercial purposes. land and housing delivery. rent wave of land reform socio-economic transforma- Zimbabwe repossessed its South Africa’s White initiatives, which often coin- tion as we continue to land as state land in 2000 after Paper on Land Reform con- cide with political and eco- accelerate economic diversi- the rural population which tains three main elements – nomic reforms, help to fication,” he said, adding had been crowded into com- restitution, redistribution and establish needed changes in that land reform has the po- munal areas on unfertile land, tenure reform. land rights as well as legal tential to diversify the econ- became impatient following A World Bank report in and institutional frame- omy, contribute to economic two decades of war and a fur- 2018 firmly supported com- works. r
6 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 INFRASTRUCTURE
Spotlight on second phase of regional infrastructure programme
by Kumbirai Nhongo ture Development Master 2018, focus has shifted to- Study findings show that Plan (RIDMP) was adopted, wards the implementation of just five percent of Phase One iNFRASTRuCTuRE DE- to modernise and expand the second phase, the Short projects had been completed VEloPMENT remains a key southern Africa’s infrastruc- Term Action Plan (STAP) II. by August 2019. priority as SADC marks 40 ture so as to create a solid In implementing STAP II, The study identifies chal- years of cooperation. foundation for economic SADC is drawing lessons lenges and makes a series of Member States recognise growth and development. from the experiences gained recommendations designed that the infrastructure that ex- RIDMP, which is being in the first phase of RIDMP, to consolidate the RIMDP im- isted in 1980 when the then implemented in three phases, so as to improve the overall plementation framework. Southern African Develop- identifies a number of prior- programme going forward. A key challenge outlined ment Coordination Confer- ity projects within six sectoral One of the tools that in the study is the inadequate ence (SADCC) was clusters – transport, energy, SADC is using to inform the funding for regional projects, established, can no longer sus- water, information communi- second phase is a 2019 study with 70 percent of project tain the developmental aspira- cation technology, meteorol- by the Southern African Re- owners highlighting how they tions of a modern SADC. ogy and tourism. search and Documentation have not been able to secure It is for this reason that in With the first phase of Centre (SARDC), reviewing the required financial re- 2012, the Regional Infrastruc- RIDMP having lapsed in the first phase of RIDMP. sources for their respective projects. Related to this is the find- ing that SADC national gov- SADC targets space programme ernments face a skills and capacity shortage in terms of SADC MEMbER States tory bodies and mobile net- in the region, with Member the preparation and imple- have begun implementing work operators among other States being urged to collabo- mentation of projects. the Framework for SADC stakeholders. rate with these two countries To mitigate these chal- Shared Satellite Programme, Participants were trained when building their respective lenges, the Secretariat has whose purpose is to improve on various aspects such as satellite capacities. partnered with the African intra-regional communica- governance issues, cost- In December 2017, An- Development Bank (AfDB) to tion and strengthen partici- sharing models and modali- gola successfully launched its strengthen the capacity of pation by the region in the ties of sharing the satellite first satellite (ANGOSAT-1) Member States in project space industry. and network. into orbit but was forced to preparation to improve re- This follows the launch of George Ah-Thew, the terminate the project after source mobilisation efforts for the satellite-sharing pro- SADC Senior Coordinator for three months when the satel- regional infrastructure pro- gramme at the International Science, Technology and In- lite was lost in space. jects. Telecommunication Union formation, said as part of the A replacement, AN- One of the key outcomes (ITU) Satellite Applications implementation process, GOSAT-2, is under construc- of the partnership with the Training Workshop held in SADC Member States were tion, with the country AfDB has been the develop- Luanda, Angola in January. now drafting national poli- targeting to launch this satel- ment of a priority list of 62 re- During the event, the An- cies to support and domesti- lite by 2022. gional projects deemed ready golan Minister of Telecom- cate the satellite-sharing In recognition of its ad- for funding under STAP II. Examples of such priority munications and Information framework. vancements in space technol- projects include the Zambia- Technologies, José Carvalho The satellite-sharing ogy, Angola now chairs the Tanzania-Kenya Power da Rocha emphasised that framework was approved by SADC Satellite Expert Com- Transmission Project and the the implementation of the SADC ICT and Information mittee and represents the re- Lesotho Highlands Phase II shared satellite framework Ministers at their sectoral gion at the ITU on issues Project. was vital for sustainable re- meeting held in Dar es relating to satellites and Furthermore, SADC is ex- gional development. Salaam, United Republic of frequencies. Similarly South ploring synergies that exist He reiterated that sharing Tanzania in September 2019. Africa has a well-developed through the Programme for technologies among Member A SADC Satellite Expert space affairs policy and regu- Infrastructure Development States would help reduce the Committee was established latory framework, comprising in Africa, an infrastructure cost of telecommunications in March 2018 to strengthen a National Space Policy and a development strategy being and enable citizens to access coordination, comprising An- National Space Strategy. implemented at the African quality services at affordable gola, Botswana, Eswatini, The country is in the pro- Union level. tariffs. Malawi, Namibia and South cess of establishing capacity- One such avenue is the The workshop attracted Africa. building programmes on African Investment Forum, an the participation of SADC Angola and South Africa Space Sciences, Space Engi- annual platform convened by Member States, SADC Sub- are leading innovations in neering and Space Applica- the AfDB to link project own- sidiary Organisations, regula- satellite and space technology tions at various universities. r ers with potential funders. r
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 7 WETLANDSCLIMATE CHANGE “Wetlands are the most economically valuable
Essential for human survival
WETLANDS OUTLOOK Urgent action needed to save Wetlands by Egline Tauya tween 1970 and 2015, and the changes to land and water loss rate has been accelerating use and to agriculture. SouTHERN AFRiCA is fac- annually since 2000. For Lake Chilwa in ing wetland loss and degrada- Echoing the same challenge, Malawi, the periodic drying Scientists have concluded tion at a rapidly increasing rate, the 2019 National Biodiversity and filling are cyclical in na- that restoring wetlands can a development that calls for ur- Assessment in South Africa ture. However increasing and offer 14 percent of the mitiga- gent action as this loss impacts found that over 65 percent of unsustainable resource ex- tion potential needed to limit on human wellbeing. the wetlands and river systems ploitation, climatic variability global warming to 2°C. Wetlands are among the in the country have been dam- and increasing demographic Wetlands are essential in the world’s most economically aged and nearly half have been pressure threaten the wetland. supply of freshwater. They act valuable ecosystems, but are lost. The Zambezi Environment like sponges by absorbing disappearing three times faster Similarly, 82 percent of wet- Outlook 2015 reported that char- water during the rainy season than forests. lands in Zimbabwe have been coal production as well as and slowly releasing it into This is the key finding of the degraded, and 21 percent are slash-and-burn agriculture in streams, rivers, and boreholes first-ever global wetlands Out- stable, according to the Na- Zambia have led to the deteri- during the dry season. look published by the Secre- tional State of Environment re- oration of the Lukanga swamp Wetlands help to reduce dis- tariat of the Ramsar port of 2017. The Monavale ecosystem, resulting in soil ero- aster risk, as they mitigate Convention, a global treaty to Vlei, for example, is threatened sion and loss of water quality. floods and protect coastlines. protect wetlands and promote by infrastructure develop- The World Wetlands Outlook In addition, wetlands serve their wise use. ments, dumping of waste, fires, is a wake-up call on the rate of as natural sewage treatment According to the Ramsar illegal farming, and alien plants. loss of wetlands and the critical works, absorbing chemicals, fil- Convention, “wetlands are The global outlook warned services they provide. tering pollutants and sedi- areas of marsh, fen, peatland or that at this rate, wetlands will Wetlands play an irreplace- ments, breaking down water, whether natural or arti- disappear by 2040 – especially able role in regulating the suspended solids and neutral- ficial, permanent or temporary, in urban areas if corrective global climate. The ability to izing harmful bacteria. with water that is static or flow- measures are not taken to pro- absorb carbon dioxide, slow Environmental experts ing, fresh, brackish or salt, in- tect this crucial part of the global heating and reduce pol- agree that without wetlands, cluding areas of marine water, ecosystem. lution has led to wetlands cities will have to inject more the depth of which at low tide Losses have been driven by being referred to as the “Kid- resources on water treatment to does not exceed six metres.” major trends such as climate neys of the Earth”. provide clean water. The well-researched report change, population increase Healthy wetland ecosys- Wetlands, protect ecosystem titled World Wetlands Outlook and urbanization, particularly tems such as mangroves and diversity, and safeguard published in 2018 revealed that of coastal zones and river peatlands, absorb up to human welfare. About 40 per- about 35 percent of the wet- deltas, and changing consump- one third of carbon dioxide cent of all species live or breed lands in the world were lost be- tion patterns that have fuelled emissions. in wetlands.
8 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 ecosystems but disappearing three times faster than forests.” WETLANDS
The first ever report on the Okavango Delta World Her- the surrounding dambos and The SADC Protocol State of the Environment in itage site to protect the river vleis without destroying the on Environmental Manage- Southern Africa, published 25 basin and the unique wetland productive ecosystem ment for Sustainable Develop- years ago in 1994, states that system. In Zimbabwe, following ment as well as the SADC wetlands provide temporary At the centre of wetlands the growing pressure and con- climate change strategy habitat for migratory species restoration is the need to rec- flict in the manner in which speaks strongly on the including birds which fly ognize the role of indigenous wetlands are managed, the need to conserve wetlands long distances between the communities who have long Government is in the process ecosystems. southern and northern hemi- been the custodians of ecosys- of formulating wetlands man- At international level, sphere, and are a refuge for tems. Securing their rights and agement guidelines. These are most SADC countries are some wildlife during building on their knowledge is expected to be ready for use party to the Ramsar Conven- droughts. critical for the success of during the first quarter of tion that was signed on 2 The Bangweulu swamps in restoration and for protecting 2020 to provide a road map February 1971. north-eastern Zambia are oc- a large portion of the region’s and tool kit on the protection To raise awareness about casionally flooded lands that biodiversity. of wetlands. the importance role of support more life than the As a way of conserving At regional level SADC wetlands in sustainable land around them. wetlands local famers from Member States have devel- development, the global Floodplains such as Mala- the Simlemba Wetlands in oped various strategies includ- community has set aside 2 garasi and Kilombero in Tan- Malawi, of which the majority ing regional policies and February each year as World zania, Barotse and Kafue flats are women, have developed legislation to protect and man- Wetlands Day. The theme for in Zambia or Marromeu in sustainable strategies that age wetlands to ensure sus- this year’s celebration is Mozambique provide breed- allow the community to use tainable development. “Wetlands for Biodiversity”. r ing for fish as well as wildlife habitat, grazing and spe- cialised agriculture. Regional action to ensure food security Some of the wetlands in southern Africa include the THERE iS need for a regional, in need in a timely Etosha pan in Namibia, and multi-stakeholder action to manner. the Makgadikgadi pans in improve food and nutrition se- Furthermore, the Botswana where communities curity and build resilience in meeting underscored engage in flood recession agri- the SADC region. that natural disasters, culture known as molapo farm- This was said by the United such as floods and ing. This has helped Nations World Food Pro- droughts threaten the communities to derive liveli- gramme (WFP) Regional Di- ability of the SADC hoods even in times of rector for Southern Africa, region to end food in- Lola Castro and Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax have drought years. Lola Castro and the SADC Ex- security and malnutri- called for multi-stakeholder action to improve food The Okavango Delta in ecutive Secretary, Dr Stergom- tion in line with the and nutrition security in the region. Botswana faces threats due to ena Lawrence Tax when the United Nation’s Sus- development pressure. The two met in Gaborone tainable Development food and nutrition security in Delta is home to indigenous Botswana on 24 January to Goals. As such, it is critical for the region. peoples and some of the discuss mutual cooperation. SADC Member States to The two organizations world’s most endangered The two noted the need for strengthen disaster prepared- agreed to set up a joint techni- species of large mammal, such SADC to ensure efficient re- ness. cal team to develop an Action as the cheetah, white gional cross-border road WFP and SADC also com- Plan to operationalise the rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, transport and transit net- mitted to the implementation MoU, and to develop an im- African wild dog and lion. works, transport and logistics of the Memorandum of Un- mediate multi-sectoral re- In 2019, Angola, Botswana services, systems and proce- derstanding (MoU) signed in gional Anticipatory Action and Namibia agreed on a dures that would facilitate 2019, which seeks to promote Plan for preparedness and ef- roadmap to explore the movement of food and other and strengthen bilateral fective response to climate re- boundary extension of the relief supplies to reach those cooperation for improved lated disasters. sadc.int r
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 9 AFRICAN UNION
Ushering in African Decade of Action AU Chair calls for action on continental priorities by Joseph Ngwawi dinary Summit on the AfCFTA to be held back-to- THE RollouT of an inte- back with the Extraordinary grated continental market, in- Summit on Silencing of the frastructure development, Guns in May 2020. advancement of women and He said working closely the youth and a push for with President Mahamadou peace and political stability Issofou of Niger, who is the The role of the champions fighting proxy wars and fu- will be among the main issues AU Champion on the African is to bring visibility, unblock elling the ongoing conflicts,” to be championed by South Continental Free Trade Area bottlenecks, coordinate re- he said, adding that the “prin- Africa during its tenure as (AfCFTA), efforts would be source mobilisation and en- ciple of finding African solu- chair of the African Union. made to ensure “the finaliza- sure project implementation. tions for African problems In his acceptance speech tion of outstanding issues Ramaphosa promised that must be our over-ridding after assuming the rotating around the agreement.” South Africa would use its theme in addressing all the AU Chair during the 33rd Ses- “We must all ensure that tenure as AU Chair to pro- conflicts on our continent as sion of the Assembly of AU the AfCFTA does not become mote peace and stability we work within the frame- Heads of State and Govern- a conduit for products with around the continent. works of the AU and the UN.” ment in Addis Ababa, minimal African value addi- “We will make a contribu- Among others, the AU Ethiopia in February, Presi- tion to enter and penetrate tion to promote peace and se- chairperson pledged to work dent Cyril Ramaphosa said our local markets under the curity in our collective effort with President Denis Sasso South Africa would prioritize guise of continental integra- to Silence the Guns.” N’Guesso of the Republic of operationalization of some of tion,” he said. He said South Africa Congo to convene an intra- the aspirations contained in The AfCFTA was would work with the AU Peace Libyan Conference this year Agenda 2063. launched in July 2019 and is and Security Council and the to promote ceasefire and dia- Agenda 2063 is a continen- expected to become opera- AU Commission to “focus our logue. tal strategic framework tional in July 2020, with a Sec- efforts on conflict resolution N’Guesso is Chairperson adopted by the African Union retariat based in the Ghanaian across the African continent, es- of the AU High Level Com- (AU) in 2013 to optimize the capital Accra. pecially those experiencing mittee on Libya. use of the continent’s re- When fully operational, the protracted conflicts.” Beyond trade integration sources for the benefit of all AfCFTA is expected to in- The proposed Extraordi- and infrastructure develop- Africans. crease intra-African trade nary Summit on Silencing of ment, Ramaphosa said South “As incoming AU Chair, from the present 10 percent to the Guns is scheduled for Africa would during its tenure we have set ourselves key pri- about 40 percent. South Africa in May 2020 to as AU chairperson push for orities to enhance the progress Ramaphosa, however, ac- look at the implementation of initiatives to support green that is already underway dur- knowledged that the success the AU Master Roadmap, growth on the continent, “and ing the African Decade of Ac- of the AfCTFA would depend “and at the same time respond on ensuring that the continent tion,” Ramaphosa said. on infrastructure develop- to emerging circumstances on takes advantage of the oppor- He pledged to work to- ment, in particular those iden- the African peace and security tunities presented by the wards “deepening the unity of tified under the Presidential landscape,” Ramaphosa said. green transition.” our continent and advancing Infrastructural Champion Ini- “The Summit must come “This includes new indus- inclusive economic growth tiative (PICI). up with real actions we as tries in energy, materials engi- and sustainable develop- “We must all drive the im- Africans must take to end neering, the circular economy, ment.” plementation of the Presiden- conflicts, and deal with acts of sustainable agriculture and He said South Africa tial Infrastructure Champion terrorism that are raging in clean production,” he said. would push for collective ac- Initiative, so that priority and many countries and regions He called on the continent tion to ensure political and high-impact projects act as such as the Sahel, the Horn of to take advantage of the youth economic unity, good gover- catalysts for the AfCFTA,” Africa and now spreading to dividend as well as the largely nance and peace are strength- Ramaphosa said. other parts of Southern Africa untapped potential of women ened to support continental The PICI was born out of a as well.” in its quest to become a pros- programmes such as industri- proposal in 2010 by former He criticised interference perous and people-driven con- alization, economic develop- South African President Jacob by western nations in African tinent based on inclusive ment, and trade and Zuma to accelerate regional countries such as Libya. growth, unleashing the poten- investment promotion. infrastructure development “We must also deal with tial of young people and “In pursuit of this priority, through political champi- the actions of other countries women as shown in Agenda we will host the 13th Extraor- oning of certain projects. outside our continent that are 2063: The Africa We Want. r
10 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 AFRICAN UNION
AU infrastructure champions programme paying off cured funding following the with our limited resources”, Southern African Power Pool 2019 African Investment and requires assistance from and the East African Power Forum held in South Africa. funding partners. Pool, making it possible to Furthermore, the African “According to the AfDB, transmit power from Cape to Development Bank (AfDB) the financing gap is between Cairo. r by Kumbirai Nhongo has agreed to finance the US$68bn and US$108bn. This Abidjan-Lagos Highway Pro- means we must think cre- A PoliTiCAl champions ject, which is being champi- atively and expansively about South African to head programme for continental in- oned by Cote d’Ivoire. how we can close this gap,” frastructure projects is begin- PICI was adopted by the Ramaphosa said. AfCFTA Secretariat ning to reap rewards amid 16th AU Summit in January Infrastructure develop- SouTH AFRiCAN trade ex- indications that there is move- 2011 to accelerate regional in- ment is a top priority in ment in the implementation of pert Wamkele Mene has been frastructure development Africa, given its link with eco- appointed Secretary General priority projects across Africa. through a system of political nomic growth and poverty re- Speaking at the Presiden- of the African Continental champions appointed at the duction. Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) tial Infrastructure Champi- Head of State and Govern- It is for this reason that in oning Initiative (PICI) held on Secretariat. ment level. July 2010, the Programme for The appointment of Mene the sidelines of the 33rd Ses- The role of the champions Infrastructure Development in sion of the African Union (AU) was announced during the is to bring visibility, unlock Africa (PIDA) was launched 33rd African Union Summit Assembly in Ethiopia, AU bottlenecks, coordinate re- to guide the implementation Chairperson and South held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia source mobilisation, provide of transport, energy, water in February. African President Cyril leadership and ensure rapid and information communica- Ramaphosa said there has A former World Trade Or- project implementation within tion technology infrastructure ganisation official, the 43- been progress in unlocking a specified period. on the continent. funding for a number of prior- year-old South African led his Since its inception, PICI PIDA identifies a number country’s delegation during ity projects, thanks to the ef- has grown from eight African of infrastructure projects and forts of the presidential negotiations that culminated leaders in 2011 and the num- programmes for implementa- in the signing of the AfCFTA champions. ber has grown to 12. tion during the period 2010 He cited four projects that Agreement in 2019. Sudan was formally un- to 2040. He is expected to oversee have been shortlisted for fast- veiled as the newest member The SADC has a number tracking and implementation the implementation of the of PICI during the just-ended of projects on the PIDA prior- AfCFTA, a trade arrangement along the North-South 33rd AU Summit in Addis ity list. These include the Ba- Road/Rail Corridor, which is aimed at creating a single con- Ababa, Ethiopia, and is re- toka Hydropower Plant, the tinental market for goods and being championed by South sponsible for championing the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Africa. services and expanding intra- Sawakin-Port Sudan Project. (ZTK) Power Interconnector, African trade. These projects are the Beit- Ramaphosa acknowl- the Kinshasa-Brazzaville Road bridge Border Post, the Inga III The free trade area is ex- edged the financing chal- and Railway Bridge and the pected to start operating in Hydropower Project, Lesotho lenges faced by the continent Central Corridor in the United Highlands Water Project July 2020 and the AfCFTA Sec- with respect to infrastructure Republic of Tanzania. retariat will be headquartered Phase II and the manufacture projects. Construction of the Batoka of rail stock for the African in the Ghanaian capital Accra. Quoting AfDB statistics, Gorge hydropower station is The Secretariat is expected market. the AU chairperson said the expected to add 1,600 “We are pleased to report to be fully operational by the continent requires between megawatts of electricity, end of March. r that there has been substantive US$130 billion and US$170 enough to ease shortages in and very good progress on all billion a year for infrastruc- Zambia and Zimbabwe. four projects,” Ramaphosa ture such as dams, power The ZTK interconnector is said. plants, fibre optic cables, a high-voltage power trans- Assessments by the AU ports, roads, schools, public mission line connecting Zam- show that PICI is making an housing and clinics. bia, Tanzania and Kenya. impact, given reports that the He, however, noted that The project aims to con- Kinshasa-Brazzaville Bridge Africa “cannot sate our conti- nect the power grids and cre- Road and Rail Project has se- nent’s infrastructure hunger ate a link between the
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 11 ELECTIONS
Court orders rerun of Malawi presidential elections
by Tanaka Chitsa delegation of statutory (UTM) approached the court Court and called on all stake- powers belonging to MEC for an order overturning the holders in Malawi to respect THE CoNSTiTuTioNAl commissioners to the chief presidential poll outcome, cit- the judgment and maintain Court of Malawi has ordered elections officer and accepting ing widespread irregularities peace and tranquillity, while the electoral commission to or- tally sheets that had been in the conduct of the presiden- the relevant national institu- ganise fresh presidential elec- altered using correction fluid. tial elections. tions prepare. tions before July this year. The court ruled that the Mutharika had emerged Chairperson of the SADC The court also ruled that in composition of the presidency victorious in the 2019 poll, de- Organ on Politics, Defence and the period before the new polls, should revert to what it was feating a strong field of six Security Cooperation, Presi- the composition of the presi- before the elections were held other presidential candidates. dent Emmerson Mnangagwa dency should revert to what it on 21 May 2019. He narrowly defeated Chak- said the region will remain was before the national elec- This means that former era by winning 38.57 percent of seized with the situation in tions were held on 21 May 2019. Vice President Saulos Chilima, votes cast during the presiden- Malawi. However, the incumbent who broke away from the rul- tial elections held concurrently “SADC commends the President, HE Peter ing Democratic Progressive with polls for members of the Constitutional Court for up- Mutharika, has criticized the Party (DPP) to form his own National Assembly and local holding the Malawian Consti- judgement and is planning to party in 2018, would retain his government councillors. tution, and the electoral law in appeal. In the Malawian justice post as the vice-president Chakwera won 35.42 per- the conduct of the petition,” system, the Constitutional pending the holding of fresh cent of the votes while Chilima President Mnangagwa said. Court is not the top court of elections. However this would was a distant third, with 20.24 “SADC will continue to final judgement, as there is a be suspended by appeal. percent of the ballots cast. support the Republic of Supreme Court of Appeal. President Mutharika said Under the Malawian Con- Malawi in the election process, Submission of an appeal to a he would appeal against the stitution, the president is as guided by the SADC Princi- higher court suspends the court judgement, describing elected using the First Past The ples and Guidelines Governing judgement pending the out- the verdict as “a serious sub- Post electoral system under Democratic Elections, and will come of the appeal. version of justice, an attack on which the candidate with the remain seized with the devel- In a judgement handed democratic system and an at- highest number of votes is de- opments in Malawi.” down on 3 February at Li- tempt to undermine the will of clared the winner, even if they Other regional and interna- longwe District Registry of the the people.” scored less than 50 percent of tional organizations that ob- High Court of Malawi, a panel “The judgement, as it is, the valid votes cast. served the 2019 presidential of five judges led by Justice cannot stand unchallenged,” The Southern African elections in Malawi, such as the Healy Potani cited widespread Mutharika said in an address Development Community African Union, also noted the irregularities in the conduct of to Malawians on 5 February, (SADC) has acknowledged the Constitutional Court ruling. the elections as the reason for adding that, “As it stands, the decision by the Constitutional sardc.net r declaring the outcome of the judgement, if not cured, repre- polls as null and void. sents a flawed precedence for “In every election there will all the elections in the future.” be irregularities but in the pre- He said he had instructed his Comoros legislative elections sent matter, it has been our legal team to appeal against finding that the irregularities the judgement. were so widespread, systematic The court decision that THE RuliNG Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros and grave that the results of the fresh elections should be held (CRC) led by President Azali Assoumani won legislative elections have been compro- within 150 days means that the elections held on 19 January. mised and cannot be trusted as MEC should call for a rerun of According to the final results announced by the a reflection of the votes,” Potani the presidential elections be- Comoros electoral commission, the CRC got 17 of the 24 said while reading part of the fore 3 July 2020. contested legislative seats. 500-page court judgement. The Constitutional Court of Two other seats were won by parties in coalition with Some of the irregularities Malawi made the ruling on the the CRC. include failure by the Malawi elections results after Lazarus A second round of voting is scheduled for 23 February Electoral Commission (MEC) Chakwera of the opposition to allocate the remaining five seats. to adhere to statutory Malawi Congress Party (MCP) A number of opposition parties boycotted the legislative requirements on handling tally and Chilima of the United elections, citing irregularities in the electoral process. r sheets and log books, Transformation Movement
12 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 ELECTIONS
Unity is key to sustainable development - President Nyusi
MoZAMbiCAN PRESi- Minister of Economy and Fi- DENT Filipe Nyusi has called nance, while Augusta Maita, for peace and national unity, who has been the general direc- saying a united nation is key to tor of the country's relief agency, sustainable development. the National Disaster Manage- In his inaugural address on ment Institute (INGC) was ap- 15 January, Nyusi said as pointed Minister of the Sea, leader of the country he will Inland Waters and Fisheries. ensure that all Mozambicans On regional integration, despite their political affilia- President Nyusi said Mozam- tions benefit from various bique will continue to uphold socio-economic activities, pro- the ideals of the founding fa- grammes and projects initiated thers of SADC. by the government. The founding fathers of “Five years ago, in a cere- SADC who included the mony like this, I announced founding Presidents of the stitutional Council in Novem- Parliamentarians in Mozam- that I would be president of all United Republic of Tanzania, ber 2019 after the opposition bique are elected through a sys- Mozambicans. I renew this Zambia and Botswana (Julius party challenged the results an- tem of party-list proportional promise, to work for the Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda and nounced by the National Elec- representation based on the Mozambique we all dream for. Seretse Khama respectively) tions Commission. country’s provinces. “Our agenda is to develop sacrificed the economic Under the Mozambican This was the first time that Mozambique. Our agenda is freedom of their countries to electoral law, the president is elections for provincial gover- that this development is not ensure that the rest of the directly elected after winning nors were held following a done at the cost of injustice, region achieved political 50 percent plus one of the valid change to legislation on provi- conceit, or inequality,” he said, independence. votes cast. sional assemblies that that adding that “we should all This golden generation of Nyusi, who first assumed made in early 2019. work together so that Mozam- selfless leaders believed in a office in 2014 is the fourth pres- In the provincial assembly bique grows and accommo- united region where all the cit- ident of Mozambique since the elections, Frelimo won in all 10 dates all Mozambicans.” izens enjoy high living stan- country gained its indepen- provinces, with majorities rang- Nyusi, who is now serving dards and peace. dence in 1975. ing from 60 percent in Nampula his second and final term in of- “Regional integration In the 250-member House to 95 percent in Gaza. fice as stipulated by the within SADC will be at the top of Assembly, Frelimo got 71 Under the legislation Mozambican Constitution said of our agenda. We will reshape percent of the seats, while Re- change, the person who heads his priority focus will be on im- the relationship of friendship, namo and the MDM garnered the list of the winning party au- proving key areas of the econ- solidarity and cooperation with 22 percent and four percent, re- tomatically becomes the provin- omy such as agriculture, African states.” spectively. cial governor. sardc.net r tourism, health and industrial- In August this year, ization as well as consolidating Mozambique is scheduled to and promoting peace in the host the 40th SADC Heads of Two SADC countries to hold elections country. States and Government Sum- To drive and implement the mit, where President Nyusi in 2020 aspirations of the nation, Nyusi will assume the SADC chair has appointed a vibrant cabinet from his counterpart, President made up of experienced John Pombe Joseph Magufuli TWo CouNTRiES in the region will go to the polls in 2020 ministers. of Tanzania. – Seychelles and the United Republic of Tanzania. For example, Speaker of Nyusi, who is the leader of Tanzanians will vote in October to elect the president, par- National Assembly, Veronica the Mozambique Liberation liamentarians and councillors, while Seychellois will have Macamo has been appointed Front (Frelimo) was re-elected presidential elections between September and November. Minister of Foreign Affairs and President after winning the 15 For Tanzania, the incumbent President John Magufuli of Cooperation. October 2019 national elections the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party will be seeking re- Macamo was an active with 73 percent of the votes election for a second and final term. chairperson of the SADC Par- cast, against 21 percent by his The ruling United Seychelles Party will be represented liamentary Forum (PF), which closest rival, Ossufo Momade by the incumbent, President Danny Faure, while the main is lobbying for transformation of the Mozambique National opposition coalition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa will be represented by Wavel Ramkalawan. Seychelles has 12 reg- to a regional parliament. Resistance (Renamo). r To ensure continuity, Adri- The results were further val- istered political parties. ano Maleiane was reappointed idated by the Mozambican Con-
SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 13 GENDER
New report says unpaid work of women now a global crisis by Thenjiwe Ngwenya wellbeing of individuals, fami- Numerous studies in south- for the ability of women to ac- lies and societies. ern Africa reveal that two-thirds tively take part in the labour A NEW report says the unpaid However, unpaid and under- of caregivers are women and market. work of women has created a paid care work is a major con- one-quarter of these are over 60 Governments are recom- wealth gap that is causing a tributing factor to gender years of age. mended to facilitate the partici- crisis in economic development inequality and poverty among In South Africa, a national pation of unpaid carers and care and hampering economic women. evaluation of home-based care workers in policy-making fora growth. Women earn much less com- found that 91 percent of care- and processes at all levels, and The report recommends that pared to male counterparts de- givers were women. This is due invest resources into collecting the global community should spite all the gender equality to several societal and cultural comprehensive data that can bet- address this crisis as a matter of campaigns around the world, demands on women to adopt the ter inform policy-making and urgency. and the report states that world- role of a family caregiver. evaluate the impact of policies This is contained in an inter- wide men own 50 percent more The Tanzania Gender Net- on carers. national report titled “Time to wealth than women. working Program (TGNP) did Furthermore, the structures Care” that was released ahead of In most cases, women face a research on the HIV and AIDS of family, society and gover- the World Economic Forum held double burden due to multiple- care burdens that women en- nance are recommended to fol- on 21-24 January in Davos, role responsibilities that include counter. low the 4Rs framework of care, Switzerland. being a wife, caregiver, mother There was evidence that which involves: “It was noted that there is a and also being an employee. women and girls continue to do • “Recognising” that unpaid huge wealth gap between the These multiple roles mostly most unpaid caregiving in all care work is mainly done by rich and the poor, and that the provide cheap or free labour contexts, which hinders eco- women; issue of unpaid and underpaid which should be paid for nomic empowerment and also • “Reducing” the total number care work of women and girls accordingly. showed major policy implica- of hours spent on unpaid has now become a crisis that the Unpaid care work alone, cal- tions, especially in reducing care; world should deal with,” says culated by Oxfam, reaches to the poverty. • “Redistributing” unpaid care the report released by Oxfam. value of at least US$10.8 trillion However, gender inequality work within the households; The report says that, on av- a year and women also work in unpaid and underpaid care and, erage, gender inequality is cost- 12.5 billion hours without pay or work influences gender gaps • “Representing” caregivers in ing sub-Saharan Africa over acknowledgement every year. and has significant implications decision-making. r US$95 billion annually which negatively affects the conti- nent’s efforts to achieve inclu- SADC policy on integration of unpaid work into national sive human development and economic growth. accounts and budgets Unpaid care work refers to all unpaid services provided within THE SADC Gender Policy, Development, Member States SADC region women spend a household, which includes the adopted in 2007, stipulates that agreed to “recognize and value more time on unpaid care work care of persons as well as Member States shall integrate unpaid care and domestic work than men do. housework and community domestic unpaid work into na- through the provision of public In the region, the HIV and work, while underpaid care tional accounts and budgeting services, infrastructure and so- AIDS pandemic, and water and work is described as paying processes, with the objective of cial protection policies.” energy shortages are among the wages less than what is due or acknowledging and valuing un- However, the Oxfam report factors that have caused further normally required. paid labour done by women, as has shown that most countries constraints on the multiple roles Unpaid care work is both an well as budgeting essential ser- including SADC Members States of women, thus burdening important aspect of economic ac- vices in this regard. still have a long way to go in women with additional labour tivity and an indispensable fac- In Article 16 of the revised terms of recognising the impor- that is unpaid and unacknowl- tor that contributes to the SADC Protocol on Gender and tance of caregivers, and in the edged. r
14 SouTHERN AFRiCA Today, February 2020 EVENTS SOUTHERN February – March 2020 AFRICATODAY February SADC TODAY VOL 22 NO 2 FREBRUARY 2020 2, Global World Wetlands Day World Wetlands Day is marked by public actions to raise awareness of leg- islators, policy-makers and implementers, and business, of the essential na- SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY ture of wetlands to water supply and therefore human survival. Construction is produced as a reference source of and abuse of wetlands continues and a recent report says wetlands are dis- activities and opportunities in the appearing three times faster than forests (See p8,9). Southern African Development Community, and a guide for decision-makers at all levels of national and regional development. 9-10, Ethiopia African Union Summit Southern African Development Community The 33rd Summit of African Heads of State and Government meets in Addis SADC Secretariat, SADC House, Private Bag 0095, Ababa to pursue the theme of “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Con- Gaborone, Botswana ditions for Africa’s Development”. African leaders discuss the advancement Tel +267 395 1863 Fax +267 397 2848/318 1070 of continental integration at their annual Summit. South Africa will become E-mail [email protected] Website www.sadc.int chair for the next year. SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is published six times a year by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) for the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, 15-20, SADC Water Strategy Reference Group Botswana, as a reliable knowledge source on regional development. Articles may be South Africa The Water Strategy Reference Group meets to discuss implementation of reproduced freely in the media and elsewhere, with attribution. the regional water programme in the SADC region. The Water Strategy Ref- EDITOR erence Group consists of the SADC Secretariat and international cooper- Munetsi Madakufamba ating partners.
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 16-21, Zimbabwe RERA Annual Conference and General Meeting Joseph Ngwawi, Kizito Sikuka, Egline Tauya, Admire Ndhlovu, Phyllis Johnson, Nyarai Kampilipili, Kumbirai Nhongo, The annual meeting provides a platform for members of the Regional Energy Maidei Musimwa, Tariro Mutwira, Tanaka Chitsa, Monica Mutero, Regulators Association (RERA) to discuss harmonisation of regulatory poli- Raymond Ndhlovu, Nyasha Jamanda, Thenjiwe Ngwenya, Eunice Kadiki cies, legislation, standards and best practices within the SADC region.
SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is supported by the Austrian Development Agency, 24-27, Zimbabwe 6th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development produced in support of the SADC Energy Thematic Group of International The conference, jointly organised by the UN Economic Commission for Cooperating Partners. Africa and the Government of Zimbabwe, will review progress made by the © SADC, SARDC, 2020 continent in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The theme for this year is “2020-2030: A Decade to Deliver a Transformed and SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY welcomes contributions from individuals and Prosperous Africa through the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.” organizations within the SADC region in form of articles, photographs, news items and comments, and also relevant articles from outside the region. The publishers reserve the right to select or reject items, and to edit to fit the space available. The 27, Zambia ZAMCOM Council of Ministers contents do not necessarily reflect the official positions or opinions of SADC or SARDC. The Council of Ministers of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission provides policy guidance for the cooperative management and development of the Zam- SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is published in English, Portuguese and French, and bezi River Basin. The council approves the annual work plans and budgets, is available electronically at www.sardc.net Knowledge for Development, linked to and considers recommendations from the ZAMCOM Technical Committee. www.sadc.int DESIGN & LAYOUT March Tonely Ngwenya, Anisha Madanhi 3-4, South Africa Africa Energy Indaba The indaba will bring together international and continental experts to share PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS insights into and solutions to the energy challenges faced by Africa while P1 googleusercontent.com, theconversation.com; P2 mediadbroadcasting.ne, buzzsouthafrica.com; P4-5 herald.co.zw, afrik21.africa, pv-tech.org, southerntimes.com; exploring the vast energy development opportunities on offer for Africa. The P6 neweralive.na; P7 ft.com, tzbusinessnews.com, techcentral.co.za; P8-9 OKACOM Secretariat, theme for 2020 is “African Energy – Catalysing Investment and Business Op- sundaymail.co.zw, Irene Lungu-Chipili, Lola Castro Twitter, dobecology.nl; P10 fna.fbcdn.met; portunities.” P11 cdnuploads.aa.com.tr, cisp.cachefly.net, T Ngwenya, polity.org.za; P12 cmsqz.com, whispereye.com; P13 upnewsinfo.com, thepublicsradio.org, hdnux.com, thesouthafrican.com; P14 m.miningweekly.com, Oxfam, T Ngwenya, 4-7, Zimbabwe 2020 Infrastructure Summit & Expo sundaymail.co.zw Government officials, infrastructure experts and bankers from South Africa, Subscribe today Zambia, Zimbabwe and other countries will gather in Victoria Falls to dis- cuss measures to strengthen infrastructure development and related oppor- SOUTHERN AFRICA TODAY is available through an annual subscription fee for tunities in the three SADC Member States. The theme is “Infrastructure Key six issues a year: US$55 outside Africa, including postage; US$40 within Africa; to Economic Growth and Shared Prosperity”. and US$30 in southern Africa. Your subscription will enable you to receive the newsletter by airmail or email. For more details, please contact the Editor. 8, Global International Women's Day Comments and contributions should be sent to This is an occasion to reflect on progress made in advancing equality and [email protected] discuss further changes needed . Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Southern African Research and Documentation Centre meets at UN Headquarters in New York for a global review. The theme for Julius K. Nyerere House,15 Downie Avenue, Belgravia, Harare, Zimbabwe this year is #IWD2020 #EachforEqual Tel +263 242 791 141 9-20, 64th Session of CSW/Beijing +25 www.sardc.net UN New York The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meets annually and Knowledge for Development is the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of sardc.net @sardc.net gender equality and empowerment of women, monitoring and reviewing progress in the implementation of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
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22, Global World Water Day World Water Day is marked on 22 March every year to focus attention on caring for water. This year’s theme “Nature and Climate Change” explores the linkages between water and climate change. SouTHERN AFRiCA Today 15 HISTORY TODAY
Namibia celebrates 30 Years THiS YEAR 2020 marks the 30th national independence an- niversary of Namibia from South Africa`s apartheid occupation. Following the Berlin Conference of 1885, where imperialist powers of Europe came together to divide Africa mainly for their mineral resources interest, Namibia was allocated to Germany. After Germany’s defeat in World War I, Namibia was ruled from Pretoria under a League of Nations mandate, and follow- ing the end of World War II, the United Nations instituted a Trusteeship system to bring the former German colonies in Africa under UN control but South Africa objected arguing that a majority of the territory’s people were con- tent with South African rule. It sought to expand the influence of apartheid policies enacted in South Africa, and crushed any resistance with the same racial retribution faced by the black South Africans. However, in 1966, the UN General Assembly decided to end the mandate, declar- ing that South Africa had no other right to administer the territory and that hence- forth South-West Africa was to come under the direct responsibility of the UN. Through the leadership of Sam Nujoma and Andimba Toiva ya Toivo the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) was established in 1960 to demand na- tional political independence. In June 1966, Peter Nanyemba, commander of the Peo- ple's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN), the military wing of SWAPO announced the commencement of the war of independence saying, “We have no alternative but to rise in arms and bring about our own liberation. We are our own liberators.” The first shots of the war were fired on 16 August 1966 at Omugulugwombashe in the Omusati Region of northern Namibia. That marked a strategic shift from re- liance on the politics of protests and petitioning as the main form of anti-colonial PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADC struggle, although these continued in tandem. February – April 2020 Following a protracted armed struggle, and the defeat of the South African de- fence force in southern Angola by a joint military force of Angola, Cuba and PLAN, 1 February Abolition of Slavery Mauritius SWAPO negotiators signed a ceasefire agreement with the South Africa in March 3 February Heroes’ Day Mozambique 1989, setting the pace for the first democratic elections in Namibia and its transition 4 February National Armed Struggle Day Angola to independence on 21 March 1990. 21 February Maha Shivaratree Mauritius This political victory did not come in isolation, but was rather a regional effort National Youth Day Zimbabwe through the organised and strategic cooperation of the Front Line States and the Lib- 25 February Carnival Angola eration Committee of the Organisation of African Unity. This reflects the unity and regional linkages that led to the liberation African coun- 3 March Martyrs Day Malawi tries from colonial rule, and can continue to be harnessed through the Southern *9 March Women’s Day (in liue) Angola, Zambia African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union as the struggle 11 March Moshoeshoe’s Day Lesotho continues for economic development and integration. r 12 March National Day Mauritius Youth Day Zambia 18 March Cheikh Al Maarouf Day Comoros 21 March Independence Day Namibia FREEDOM through the Eyes of General Tongogara Human Rights Day South Africa 22 March Leilat al - Meiraj Comoros JoSiAH MAGAMA Tongogara was born on 4 February 1940 and became involved 23 March Southern Africa Liberation Day Angola in the liberation struggle of his country Zimbabwe as youth in the 1950s. He rose 25 March Ougadi Mauritius through the ranks until he became Commander of the ZANLA forces and partici- 29 March Martyrs Day Madagascar pated in the Lancaster House negotiations for independence before he lost his life in a vehicle accident in Mozambique on 26 December 1979. 4 April Peace and Reconciliation Angola An exhibition of photos, documents and objects, including letters to his wife and 7 April Women's Day Mozambique his operational notebook, opened at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe on his birth- Sheik Abeid Karume Day Tanzania day, 4 February under the theme, FREEDOM through the Eyes of General Tongogara. 10 April Good Friday All SADC except … The exhibition portrays his life as an Activist Youth, a Family Man, and a Freedom Comoros, DRC, Madagascar, Fighter, and will be open through February and March 2020 at the National Gallery Mauritius, Mozambique of Zimbabwe. 11 April Holy Saturday Zambia At a special private preview of the ex- 12 April Easter Sunday Namibia, Zimbabwe hibition, His Excellency ED Mnangagwa, 13 April Easter Monday All SADC except … President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Angola, Comoros, DRC, emphasised the value of the heritage pre- Mauritius, Mozambique served by Mrs Tongogara and family, Family Day South Africa urging others who have historical pho- 18 April Independence Day Zimbabwe tos, papers and documents to safeguard 19 April King’s Birthday Eswatini them and share with the youth of today 20 April Public Holiday Eswatini in publications and public exhibitions, as 25 April National Flag Day Eswatini well as preserving them in museums and 26 April Union Day Tanzania archives. r 27 April Freedom Day South Africa A shared future within a regional community