|
|
|
Confronting the Region: A Profile of Southern Africa - Sanusha Naidu and Benjamin Roberts
|
|
| |
Introduction
The southern African region is made up of all countries south
of and including Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC). It is a plateau region edged by many escarpments,
cliffs or steep slopes. The region comprises 14 countries
and spans a geographical area the size of the continental
United States.1 It has a population of approximately 200 million
people, with most of the inhabitants concentrated in the
region’s cities and large urban centres. The rural dwellers
remain dispersed.
Climatic conditions vary in the region, and topographical
features range from savanna grasslands to deserts. The eastern
parts of the region have more moisture owing to the influence
of currents in the Indian Ocean. While Mozambique on the
east coast experiences an average annual rainfall of between
30 and 56 inches, countries such as Namibia in the west have
arid conditions with an average annual rainfall of between
four and 12 inches. Such conditions make the region
vulnerable to erratic climatic patterns of droughts and floods.
In recent years, the region has witnessed increased political,
economic and social engagements. After several decades of
political and military confrontation and unrest, accompanied by economic decline and social instability, the region is now
experiencing a degree of political stability with increased
prospects of economic recovery. The cessation of hostilities in
Angola, the signing of a peace agreement in the DRC and the
peaceful elections in Lesotho in 2002 herald possibilities for
greater integration and cooperation in the region. From an
economic perspective, and despite the imbalances amongst
states and the relatively small market size, the region has an
aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) of US$226,1 billion.
This is more than double that of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS), and equivalent to more than
half the aggregate GDP of sub-Saharan Africa. The latter bodes well for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which
should be formalised by 2008.
Figure 1: The SADC region
|
Source: http://www.sadcreview.com/country_profiles/frprofiles.htm
|
Yet, in spite of the progress made on the ground, the region
is not without its challenges. While countries in the region may
share a common vision of rapid economic and political
progress, and a commitment to a common development path,
the region is beset with crises that undermine sustainable
development and overall efforts towards regional integration.
Politically, the peace dividends obtained, especially in the DRC
and Angola, have been offset by the ongoing political and
economic crises in Zimbabwe, and by the lack of basic political
and democratic freedom in Swaziland. More importantly,
democracy in the region is still too young and fragile for many
countries to claim sufficient experience in democratic consolidation.
Economically and socially, the region is still far from
overcoming the imploding humanitarian disaster of HIV/AIDS.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic, together with other health problems
such as tuberculosis, malaria and cholera, has placed countries
at risk of increased mortality rates, a skewed demographic
profile, a growing number of orphaned and vulnerable children,
and the internal displacement of people. The latter problem has
been compounded by a food security crisis. In effect, the
region’s poverty seems to be deepening as a result of widening
inequality; weak political, social and economic governance
structures; and a burgeoning crisis in health.
Despite these composite problems, countries in the region
are moving towards consolidating regional integration and
cooperation under the Regional Indicative Strategic Development
Plan (RISDP). Approved in 2003, the RISDP is designed to
provide Southern African Development Community (SADC)
member states, their institutions and policy makers with a
coherent and comprehensive development agenda (based on
strategic priorities) for social, political and economic policies
over the next 15 years. However, implementation of the RISDP
will not be without its challenges. Regional identity will remain
a core problem. While SADC member states have committed themselves to the task of regional cooperation, regional identity
amongst them is still remote. Attachment to national identity
and sovereignty dominates the focus of the summit agendas,
and the reluctance to hold errant and despotic leaders
accountable is evidently based on a sense of fraternity. However,
it may be that this reluctance is actually part of a policy of
constructive engagement or quiet diplomacy. On the ground,
indications are that SADC is still far from being consolidated as
a regional bloc with a common agenda. Moreover, it is being
hamstrung by the majority of the states’ overlapping memberships
of other regional integration networks such as the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
and the East African Community (EAC).
The region thus represents a matrix of competing interests
and contending difficulties. Nonetheless, it is one of the more
robust regions on the continent, with increased movement
toward a free trade area and democratic practice. Many donors
and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) alike estimate
that southern Africa’s reasonably well-developed infrastructure
and diverse natural resource base have the potential to lead
the rest of Africa towards a more prosperous 21st century.
The core focus of this profile is to provide an understanding
of the main developmental and institutional challenges that
confront the region by:
-
Analysing its political, economic and social contexts, and
identifying common trends;
-
Reviewing progress made in the promotion of greater
regional integration; and
-
Investigating the extent to which member states adopt a
regional identity.
|
|
