Madeleine Wackernagel
The annual summit of the Southern African=20 Development Community (SADC) is a fairly=20 routine affair, but next week’s meeting in=20 Blantyre could see some fireworks,=20 specifically over enlargement and trade=20 issues.
Talk has it that the Seychelles is keen to=20 join, but political as well as economic=20 commentators believe extending the mantle=20 of the organisation is premature at this=20 stage.=20
“It would set back the pace of regional=20 integration if we enlarge SADC beyond its=20 current capacity and capabilities. We have=20 to be conservative in our objectives and=20 achieve those first,” says one analyst.
Top of the agenda is trade, and testimony=20 to the problems faced by the organisation=20 is the fact that the trade protocol, signed=20 a year ago, has to date been ratified by=20 only two countries: Tanzania and Mauritius.
But specific items up for ratification in=20 Blantyre are an education and training and=20 a mining protocol, which envisage regional=20 co-operation in meeting training needs and=20 formulating one policy for the mining=20 industry. The former has been through all=20 the national debates so will go ahead as=20 planned, but the latter still has to be=20 discussed by the various interest groups.
“South Africa is often accused of dragging=20 its heels when in fact all we are doing is=20 complying with the democratic process of=20 absolute transparency and consensus- building through institutions such as=20 Nedlac,” says Ben Joubert, Foreign affairs=20 deputy director.
Other issues on the table are a declaration=20 on gender; a tourism charter; and further=20 debate on a trade deal dispensation. Where=20 the community has failed to reach agreement=20 is over rationalising the SADC agenda.
“With so many important issues to deal=20 with, such as a common policy on health and=20 crops, it is critical that the review of=20 SADC activities gets under way,” says=20 Joubert. Despite the frustrations, the=20 summit is a good opportunity to get the=20 political leaders together with the=20 technocrats, to strengthen the political=20 commitment to greater co-operation, he=20 says.