09 Aug 2015

Strides have been made towards regional economic development and integration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Speaking during a public lecture held at the University of Botswana, SADC executive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence -Tax said the regional body has since its inception made progress towards achieving its vision of being a reputable, efficient and responsive enabler of regional integration and sustainable development. 

She cited the implementation of the first stage of a free trade area, which will be shared during the 35^th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government Summit.

She said the regional organ has developed an industrialisation path which will make the organ realise stages that were skipped hence the theme of the summit; Accelerating Industrialisation of SADC Economies Through Transformation of Natural Endowment and Improved Human Capital.

She encouraged ownership of regional integration, which she said involves everyone, including the private sector. She added that contrary to some critics who say political will is lacking there is sound presence of political will. Dr Lawrence -Tax said SADC has made impressive strides on peace, security and conflict resolution matters. 

On the creation of one currency, she noted that it was important to learn from the Greece financial crisis and the Eurozone credit crunch in order to improve the SADC model. 

Acting University of Botswana vice chancellor Professor Otlogetswe Totolo said there is a need for SADC member states to leverage its resources to create much needed employment and eradicate poverty. He noted that integration encompasses interdependency of markets, culture, and a knowledge based economy. 

He added that there is a need for policies that can stimulate economic growth. Professor Totolo advised that developing human capital is necessary. He said UB believes that science, research and technology are critical to development. 

Presenting a lecture, Dr Simao Santos, Mozambique’s former minister of foreign Affairs, said it is time to assess the institutional impact of SADC. He underscored the need to empower the regional organisation and renew political commitment. 

He said more needs to be done to realise SADC targets, among others, achievement of a common market by agreeing common policies on production regulation by 2015, attaining monetary union through macro-economic convergence by 2016 as well as accepting a single currency and becoming an economic union by 2018.

 

Commentators from the floor indicated that one of the reasons SADC is slow in realising regional integration is that it has become too technical, away from its political orientation. Ends