# tblSANF

title:
SADC, ICPs adopt Windhoek Declaration on a New Partnership

Abstract:
SADC AND its International Cooperating
Partners (ICPs) have
adopted the Windhoek Declaration
on a New SADC-ICP Partnership,
which will guide future
relations between the two parties.

body:
SADC AND its International Cooperating
Partners (ICPs) have
adopted the Windhoek Declaration
on a New SADC-ICP Partnership,
which will guide future
relations between the two parties.
The Declaration on a New
SADC-ICP Partnership was
adopted on 27 April at the
SADC Consultative Conference
in Namibia and lays the
groundwork for a fresh start in
the donor-recipient relationship
between the regional body and
its ICPs.
The overall objective of the
New Partnership is to contribute
towards the achievement
of the SADC Common Agenda,
and the attainment of the SADC
Mission of promoting sustainable
and equitable economic
growth, and to achieve deeper
regional cooperation and integration.
It also aims to ensure good
governance, strengthened regional
capacity, and durable
peace and security in the region.
The Declaration establishes
an institutional structure for dialogue
on political, policy and
technical issues, and improves
coordination of efforts between
SADC and the ICPs.
It provides for regular dialogue
at Ministerial level and at
a Joint SADC-ICP Task Force
comprising the SADC Secretariat,
SADC Double Troika at senior
official level and ambassadors
from both sides.
The Ministerial Group will
provide high level guidance to
the decision-making entities of
SADC and the ICPs. Its mandate
will include specifying issues
where political decisions
will be required and transmitting
these issues through the
relevant fora such as the Council
of Ministers and the individual
governments.
The group will also analyse
the implications of changing political
conditions, and advise the
political authorities and the policy/
technical level groups of
new policy approaches and
their possible implications.
The Joint SADC-ICP Task
Force will provide a mechanism
that links the top-level political decision makers and groups on
the ground.
The New Partnership will ensure alignment, harmonisation
and streamlining of operational
procedures, rules and other
practices in the delivery of development
assistance to SADC,
and guarantee synergies and
complementarity of support at
the national and regional levels.
Both parties made specific
commitments under the Declaration.
These included an undertaking
by SADC to exercise leadership
in developing, implementing
and monitoring the regional
development agenda and
to translate the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan
(RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative
Plan for the Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation
(SIPO) into prioritised,
result-oriented programmes.
The ICPs undertook to respect
SADC leadership and to
assist the region to build its capacity
to implement programmes
and projects.
With regard to the alignment
of procedures and rules, the
ICPs agreed to base their overall
support on the SADC Common
Agenda as specified in the
RISDP and SIPO.
The parties undertook to establish
mutually agreed frameworks
that ensure reliable assessments
of performance,
transparency and accountability.
Under the Declaration, SADC
commits to intensify efforts to
mobilise internal re sources and to
create an enabling environment
for public and private investments
while the ICPs commit to
providing reliable indicative
commitments of aid over a multiyear
framework and to disburse
the assistance in a timely and predictable
manner.


Abstract:
THE INAUGURAL session of
the SADC and Government of
India Forum was held in
Namibia on 28 April, opening a
new chapter in the relations between
the two parties.

body:
THE INAUGURAL session of
the SADC and Government of
India Forum was held in
Namibia on 28 April, opening a
new chapter in the relations between
the two parties.
The forum agreed to focus cooperation
in the sectors of trade,
industry, finance and investment;
food, agriculture and natural resources;
human resources development
and health, including
drugs and pharmaceuticals;
water resources management;
and information and communications
technology.
Teams of experts in the different
areas from both sides will
liaise on detailed action plans
for the implementation of projects
in the identified areas.
The forum was co-chaired by
the chairperson of the SADC
Council of Ministers, Baledzi
Gaolathe, and India's Minister
of State for External Affairs ,
Anand Sharma.
The inaugural session was
attended by SADC ministers
and senior officials from the region
and India. There was a
presentation by the SADC Secretariat
on various priority areas
proposed for cooperation between
SADC and India.
According to the final communiqué,
India concurred with
the principles and areas of cooperation
proposed at the meeting,
and agreed to work with SADC
in the spirit of South-South cooperation
and on the basis of the
two regions' comparative and
competitive advantages.
The government of India reiterated
the role of SADC as one
of the most important regional
organisations in Africa, noting
that it attaches utmost importance
to further strengthening
existing relations and ties with
the region in different sectors.
The forum noted that the
main objectives for which SADC was founded – improving the
standard of living and quality of
life of its citizens as well as the
promotion of peace and security
– are shared by India in its own
march towards development.
India also reiterated its interest
in sharing experiences with
SADC in meeting the challenges
of development in a globalised
world, as well as its commitment
as a development partner of
SADC particularly in jointly identified
areas where Indian expertise
and SADC's requirements are
complementary, and vice versa.
Both sides agreed that it was
important to continue cooperating
in multilateral forums, including
the bodies of the United
Nations where issues of crucial
importance to developing countries
are discussed.
The forum agreed to institutionalise
the partnership and
hold regular meetings at mutually
agreed times and venues.


Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has taken
the first major step towards the
establishment of a Customs
Union by embarking on a programme
to modernise its customs
procedures and remove bottlenecks
on intra-regional trade.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has taken
the first major step towards the
establishment of a Customs
Union by embarking on a programme
to modernise its customs
procedures and remove bottlenecks
on intra-regional trade.
The SADC Customs Modernisation
and Trade Facilitation Programme
was one of more than 50
projects endorsed by Member
States and the region's International
Cooperating Partners (ICPs)
during the SADC Consultative
Conference held in Namibia.
The programme aims to develop
computerised customs
procedures, networking systems
at national and regional levels as
well as introduce transit management
systems in all SADC
Member States.
The project is meant to support
closer regional integration
and harmonisation of customs
legislation and procedures, including
improved transit flows,
and to prepare for a smooth transition
to the SADC Customs
Union by 2010.
An 18 million financing
agreement for the implementation
of the project was signed by
SADC and the European Commission
during the Consultative
Conference.
SADC's Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan
(RISDP) gives priority to
strengthening regional integration
with the eventual objective
of establishing a SADC Common
Market by 2015.
The SADC Common Market
will be preceded by a Free Trade Area by 2008 and the Customs
Union in 2010.
Some progress has been made
in the transition towards the Free
Trade Area, with most Member
States having effected significant
tariff reduction in line with the
SADC Protocol on Trade.
Paul Malin, head of the European
Union delegation in
Botswana, said the Customs
Modernisation Programme was
a demonstration of the joint
SADC-EU efforts to link trade
and development.


title:
Rehabilitation work starts on Nacala railway line

Abstract:
MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE and Zambia are rehabilitating
the railway line in the Nacala
Development Corridor, which
will open a key transportation
route for the three countries.

body:
MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE and Zambia are rehabilitating
the railway line in the Nacala
Development Corridor, which
will open a key transportation
route for the three countries.
Construction work started
in November 2005 but was halted
temporarily after persistent
heavy rains on the 77-km stretch
between Cuamba and Entra-Lagos within Mozambique.
Plans to repair the stretch
have been on the drawing board
since 2000 when the three governments
began sourcing for
funds from investors and development
agencies to bring the
railway line back to life.
The rehabilitation work is
being funded through a US$29.6
million loan secured by the three
countries from the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation, a
United States-based development
agency.
Wilfred Ali, the Nacala Development
Corridor coordinator
in Malawi's Ministry of
Transport and Public Works,
said rehabilitation work
was initially slow due to
problems in moving
equipment after heavy rains washed away culverts on
the Mozambican side.
He said Zambia recently
signed aMemorandumofUnderstanding
with Edlow Resources
for the development of the Mchinji-Chipata rail link in eastern
Zambia, which will be connected
to the Nacala railway line.
The primary transport link
along the corridor is that railway
line linking eastern Zambia,
central and southern
Malawi, and northern Mozambique
to the Port of Nacala on
the Indian Ocean.
Historically, the ports of
Nacala and Beira were the nearest
ports for Malawi and Zambia.
This railway line was developed
as a concession during the 1970s from Nacala Port to Nampula.
It was later extended into
Niassa province in Mozambique
to serve the rich agricultural
areas, as well as to Malawi.
Malawi was supplied primarily
along the Sena line from
Beira. In view of the shorter route
to the sea presented by theNacala
railway line, Malawian traffic
began to shift from the Sena railway
line to the Nacala line.
The Nacala route was closed
in 1984 after the railway line
was blown up during the internal
conflict in Mozambique. The
conflict changed the fundamentals
of the transport situation
significantly. Both Zambia and
Malawi made a shift away from
rail to road transport.
Distances were substantially
increased as Zambian goods
were moved through Dar es
Salaam and South Africa.
Malawi also shifted transport
mode to road, moving its supplies
along the Tete road to
Zimbabwe and the ports of
South Africa.
The road routes from Malawi
to Lusaka and via Mbeya to Dar
es Salaam then became strategically
important for Malawi, but
resulted in road transport costs
that were exceedingly high.
In terms of the Memorandum
of Understanding between
Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia,
the strategic objectives of the
Nacala Development Corridor
are to develop adequate, reliable,
cost effective, efficient and seamless
transport, telecommunications
and energy systems, and to
foster economic growth through
the promotion and coordination
of economically viable business
in transport, agriculture, fisheries,
commerce, industry, mining
and tourism.
The corridor aims to foster
increased economic activity
through the promotion of trade,
which in turn would facilitate
greater regional integration
among the three countries.


title:
Building investment bridges SADC-EU programme links private-public sector partners

Abstract:
A JOINT initiative by SADC
and the European Union is intensifying
efforts at boosting
economic growth and development
in southern Africa
through a programme that is
designed to attract investment
into the region.

body:
A JOINT initiative by SADC
and the European Union is intensifying
efforts at boosting
economic growth and development
in southern Africa
through a programme that is
designed to attract investment
into the region.
The EU-SADC Investment
Promotion Programme (ESIPP)
has been designed to facilitate
and simplify investment procedures
within the SADC region.
Targeted sectors include tourism,
mining, agro-industry, light engineering,
and construction and
building materials sector.
In the tourism sector, a major
forum called Tourism 2006 will
take place from 3-6 October in
Windhoek, Namibia. The meeting,
which will focus on the
tourism, hospitality and related
sectors in the 14 SADC Member
States, aims to encourage international
financial, technical and
commercial partnerships.
Forum organisers say this is
“where promoters and entrepreneurs
from the southern African
region will present a carefully
selected range of new and high quality
business development
projects in the tourism, hospitality
and related sectors to interested
European and other international
and southern African
businesses.”
With regard to the mining
sector, a meeting of investors
and promoters is planned for
November in Lusaka, Zambia.
As many as 100 mining projects
are expected to be presented at
Mines 2006 in Lusaka.
ESIPP  addresses the challenge
of mobilising both intra-SADC
and foreign direct investment
into southern Africa through a
two-pronged approach.
The programme helps in
building capacity of private sector tor intermediaries, such as investment
promotion agencies,
chambers of commerce, employers'
federations or financial institutions.
With its own team of
consultants, ESIPP provides this
kind of assistance on a demand-driven,
cost-sharing basis.
In addition, the joint programme
organises sectoral partnership
meetings to bring together
investors from SADC and EU
as well as other “third countries”.
These take the form of business-to-business events such as
Tourism 2006 and Mines 2006.
During the fora, one-on-one
meetings are facilitated. Once
the partnerships are formed,
ESIPP uses the same methodology
for follow up support, that is,
on a demand-driven, cost-sharing
basis.
The joint programme has already
organised similar sector
partnership meetings focusing on
the light engineering industry
and the construction and building
materials sector in Mauritius
and South Africa, respectively.
Light Engineering 2006 was
held in Grand Baie, Mauritius,
on 14-17 February. It was a four-day
opportunity for round table
discussions, workshops and networking
involving selected companies
from SADC, EU and
“third countries”.
Light engineering incorporates
a diverse array of business
and products sectors. It includes
cutlery, hand tools and general
hardware; various metal and
plastic fabricated products; industrial
machinery, electrical
and electronic components; refrigeration
and service industry
machinery; motor vehicles and
spares; medical instruments and
many others.
Mat Construct 2005, ESIPP's
building materials and construction sector partnership
meeting, was held in Johannesburg
from 30 November to 3 December
2005. With the principal
objective of promoting partnerships
between companies from
the two regions, the forum facilitated
more than 1,500 one-on-one
meetings. A total of 258 participants
attended the forum ,
representing 102 EU and 78
SADC companies, as well as intermediary
organisations from
the region.
ESIPP says about 400 potential
partnerships gained from
the one-on-one meetings at Mat
Construct 2005 are being followed
through between EU and
SADC companies.
One of the key themes discussed
was on the construction
opportunities presented by the
2010 World Cup that will be
hosted by South Africa.
An investment forum to
build partnerships in the agro-industry is due to be held in
Zimbabwe at a date yet to be
confirmed.
The current six-year financing
agreement of the EU-SADC
joint programme was signed in
2000 with an 18-million budget.
The previous agreement had
been signed in 1994, facilitating
a mining investment forum that
was held in Lusaka in the same
year.
In line with the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development
Plan (RISDP), SADC's efforts at
attracting investment are increasingly
placing emphasis on
an integrated promotional approach.
Thus Member States are
keen on economic reforms that
make their countries more investor
friendly, allowing the private
sector to be more competitive
on the global markets.
ESIPP is seen as the vehicle
for advancing this vision, especially
insofar as it increases
intra-regional and foreign direct
investment in SADC.


title:
Southern Africa vulnerable to rising world oil prices

Abstract:
RISING INTERNATIONAL
crude oil prices are exerting upward
pressure on fuel prices in
SADC, with a number of countries
in the region already passing
on the higher costs to consumers.

body:
RISING INTERNATIONAL
crude oil prices are exerting upward
pressure on fuel prices in
SADC, with a number of countries
in the region already passing
on the higher costs to consumers.
The region remains vulnerable
to sharp increases in the
price of crude oil on world
markets. The price of a barrel
of crude oil has risen from
a round US$50 in May 2005 to
US$60 in December and
a round US$72 in May.
Pressure on oil prices to rise
is being fuelled by concerns
ranging from the West's diplomatic
confrontation with Iran, a
thin supply cushion and disruptions
of production in Nigeria
by armed militants.
Militant violence targeted at
oil facilities in Nigeria has cut more than 20 percent of the
country's 2.5 million barrels-a-day
production. Some 500,000
barrels per day of crude oil production,
most of it operated by
Royal Dutch Shell, are lost because
of the violence.
More than 300,000 barrels
per day have also been lost due
to the shut down of refineries in
the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane
Katrina battered the United
States' offshore platforms in
August 2005.
Despite assurances from
Iran that it will not cut its oil
production and exports in
retaliation to the stand-off
with the West over its nuclear
programme, some recipients
are worried that oil exports
could be used as a political
weapon.
Iran is the second largest
producer in the Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) at more than four million
barrels a day.
Shocks on the world oil market
are being felt in southern
Africa where at least three
countries have hiked fuel prices
since April.
Botswana, Namibia and
South Africa have raised the
price of petrol and diesel to cushion suppliers from rising
world prices.
Fuel price increases in South
Africa have a domino effect on
prices of goods and services in other SADC countries that import
the bulk of their requirements
from that country. The
price of fuel went up by 6.8 percent
in May.


Abstract:
ANGOLA'S OIL production is
set to rise to two million barrels
per day by the end of 2007, according
to the government.

body:
ANGOLA'S OIL production is
set to rise to two million barrels
per day by the end of 2007, according
to the government.
Amadeu Azevedo, Angola's
National Director of Petroleum,
said the country will produce
two million barrels per day by
the end of 2007, much earlier
than their previous forecasts.
The new projections are
based on promising prospects
for oil coming from explorations
in the lucrative offshore Girassol
field.
Angola is sub-Saharan Africa's
second largest oil producer after
Nigeria, and an important supplier
to the United States and China.
The country has dislodged Saudi
Arabia as China's main supplier
of crude oil.
Current output stands
at 1.4-million barrels
per day, 100 000 daily
barrels more than initially
anticipated.


title:
Power trade project for Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya

Abstract:
ZAMBIA AND the United Republic
of Tanzania are set to
benefit from an electricity trade
project that also involves
Kenya.

body:
ZAMBIA AND the United Republic
of Tanzania are set to
benefit from an electricity trade
project that also involves
Kenya.
The three countries are working
together on the interconnection
project expected to assist the
United Republic of Tanzania
and Kenya access electricity
from SADC, reduce electricity
costs and eradicate shortages.
The tripartite electricity
trade project, known as
the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya
Power Interconnection Project, is to be developed in two phases
at a projected cost of US$660
million.
The first phase, to cost
US$358 million, is scheduled to
start in late 2007 and to be completed
in 2009, and will build a
transfer capacity of 200
megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Phase two is to cost US$302
million for another transfer capacity
of 400 MW upon completion
in 2014.
Apart from transmission of
power, the towers carrying the
high voltage transmission conductors
will also carry low voltage
conductors for rural electrification
along the transmission
corridor.
The three governments
have secured grants worth
US$800,000 for preparatory activities
on the project from the
NEPAD Infrastructure Project
Preparatory Fund.
A consortium of consultants
has been hired as transaction
advisers to provide financial,
technical and legal advisory
services for the initial stage of
the project.


title:
“We need to bring SADC closer to the people”
Tjitendero a visionary with deep commitment to his region and people

Abstract:
IT IS rare to find a visionary endowed
also with the practical
skills of management, integrity
and implementation.

body:
IT IS rare to find a visionary endowed
also with the practical
skills of management, integrity
and implementation.
One such rare person was the
Hon Dr Mose Penaani Tjitendero,
who died in Windhoek,
aged 63, after a life dedicated to
his country, his region and his
family.
Honoured as a hero in his
own country, Namibia, where
he was given a state funeral and
burial at Heroes Acre, he also
provided inspiration beyond his
borders.
Dr Tjitendero was widely respected
throughout the SADC
region, and played a key role in
community building.
He was the vision, inspiration
and driving force for the establishment
of the SADC Parliamentary
Forum, persisting until
he won the support of all SADC
parliaments, for an initiative so
new and yet so obvious that it is
now taken for granted as an established
player in the region.
Most writers about Dr Tjitendero
have concentrated on his
considerable post-independence
achievements. He contributed to
drafting the Constitution for the
Republic of Namibia as a member
of the Constituent Assembly,
and emerged as the first Speaker
of the National Assembly, a post
he held for 15 years.
As Speaker, he built and reformed
the parliamentary system,
committee by committee,
to make it a transparent and effective
forum for legislation
and debate on national and regional
issues. He was an elected
member of parliament since
the pre-independence elections
in 1989 leading to Namibia's independence
in 1990.
Little has been written, however,
about his formation during
the liberation struggle as a
member of the South We s t Africa Peoples Organisation
(SWAPO), his commitment to
the independence of Namibia,
and his contribution as an educator,
notably as Assistant Director
of the UN Institute for
Namibia (UNIN) in Lusaka,
while in exile.
Mose Penaani Tjitendero was
born in Okahandja in 1943, and
left the country in 1964 through
what is now Botswana and
Zambia around the time of its
impending independence, via
Kazungula, making his way to
the United Republic of Tanzania
and the SWAPO office there.
He was involved in the radio
broadcasts from Dar es Salaam
to Namibia that were presented
in several languages, and he
was active in youth politics, rising
to a leadership role on the
youth executive.
He enrolled at the Kurisini
International School in Dar es
Salaam to get his high school
certificate, and was awarded a
scholarship for undergraduate
studies at Lincoln University in
the United States, where he read
history and political science.
He followed this with a
Masters in History from the
University of Massachusetts at
Am-herst, and a doctorate in
education from the same university.
The young and well-educated
Tjitendero then returned to
Lusaka in 1976 to share his
knowledge, as a Senior Lecturer
at UNIN, and later as Head of
Teacher Training and Assistant
Director of the institute.
Just prior to Namibia's independence,
he moved to Luanda
as Director of the UN Vocational
and Technical Training Centre in
1988-89.
A former UNESCO colleague
who worked with him
in that period says he was “a visionary
with a deep commitment
to the cause of
independent Namibia.”
Other colleagues
mentioned again and
again, his “honesty
and his principles”…
He was dedicated
to his own family and
his wife, Sandy, his life
partner for more than
30 years, but they
were often called
upon to share his time
and attention for his
wider family of
Namibians and southern
Africans, to whom
he was also committed.
A key objective of
his vision and his contribution
to the region was in
the broader role of the proposed
development community for
southern Africa.
He said the signing of the
SADC Treaty in Windhoek in
August 1992 was “not simply a
matter of transforming SADC
from a loose regional grouping
into a legal entity, but ushered in
the spirit of the treaty establishing
the African Economic Community
adopted by the OAU
Heads of State... in June 1991.”
When SADC followed up
with adoption of a community-building
programme to widen
its community beyond government,
Mr Speaker was ready
with his vision for a regional
Parliamentary Forum to “familiarise
the peoples of SADC
countries with the aims and objectives
of SADC.”
“ We need to bring SADC
closer to the people. Our people,
all our people, need to know,
understand and popularise the
aims and objectives of SADC.
“For example, what is this
concept of development, and of
a development community? We need to start from the beginning
and systematically inculcate the
values of SADC in the hearts
and minds of our constituents.”
Among the other objectives
that Tjitendero enunciated for a
regional forum of parliamentarians
in support of the SADC
ideal were the promotion of the
principles of human rights and
democracy, provision of a forum
for matters of common concern,
to facilitate networking and
popularise the concepts of development
and cooperation, as
well as inclusive participation
by other members of the community.
But, as he repeated many
times in many fora over many
years, the primary objective of a
SADC PF should be to encourage
effective implementation of
SADC policies, and to provide
services to SADC as required.
The late Dr Tjitendero seldom
worked alone, always with
a team and in partnership, and
he would expect therefore that
others are ready to continue the
work that he initiated, and in
the same spirit.


title:
New Partnership sets tone for wider participation in community building

Abstract:
THE WINDHOEK Declaration
on a New SADC-ICP Partnership
adopted by the SADC Consultative
Conference in April
opens new avenues for the implementation
of SADC's programmes
and projects, and underlines
the region's intentions
to widen participation in regional
development efforts.

body:
THE WINDHOEK Declaration
on a New SADC-ICP Partnership
adopted by the SADC Consultative
Conference in April
opens new avenues for the implementation
of SADC's programmes
and projects, and underlines
the region's intentions
to widen participation in regional
development efforts.
The partnership is a landmark
framework that will ensure more effective development
cooperation, based on
principles of ownership, alignment,
harmonisation and
streamlining of operational procedures,
rules and other practices
pertaining to the delivery
of development assistance.
Most important, the conference
endorsed the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development
Plan (RISDP) and the Strategic
Indicative Plan for the Organ on
Politics, Defence and Security
Cooperation (SIPO) as the
roadmaps for deepening regional
integration.
The conference reaffirmed
SADC's commitment to working
with other non-state players
from the region such as the private
sector and civil society organisations.
In this edition we highlight
some of the issues identified
within the framework of
SADC's priority areas.

Infrastructure Support for
Regional Integration

Infrastructure plays a pivotal role
in the overall regional development
agenda as it unlocks opportunities
such as trade facilitation,
provision of agricultural infrastructure, and access to facilities
by both business and rural communities
at affordable cost.
Opportunities exist for the
private sector and other players
in the region to participate in new
infrastructural projects in the
tourism, energy, transport,
water and communications
sectors that could be
made possible by the
New Partnership.
Member States and
the ICPs agreed on the importance of prioritised investment
in infrastructural projects.
SADC is setting up a Project
P reparation and Development
Fund to develop Member State
capacity to appraise projects.
Support is, however, required
from the ICPs for the strategic
thrust of SADC in respect of spatial
development initiatives and
development corridors.
The various pillars under the
infrastructure cluster will also
benefit from the establishment of
separate thematic groups covering
the priority sectors of energy,
transport, tourism and water. So
far only one thematic group (the
Water Strategy Reference Group)
has been established. Other
g roups will be set up in cooperation
with interested ICPs.
Another re commendation
was that all infrastructural developments
should be sensitive to
issues of environmental compliance
and social acceptability. This
will ensure that future projects
will have to satisfy environmental
standards and cultural norms
prior to implementation.
Trade, Economic Liberalisation
and Development

This is one of the areas in which
SADC has set some crucial targets
whose achievement re quires the
participation of all stakeholders.
The overall objective of this
intervention area is to facilitate
trade and financial liberalisation,
competitive and diversified industrial
development, and increased investment for deeper regional
integration through the establishment
of a SADC Common
Market by 2015.
The regional development
blueprint targets to have a SADC
Free Trade Area by 2008 and a
Customs Union by 2010.
Potential areas of cooperation
include strengthening the
institutional capacity of the
SADC Secretariat and Member
States; speeding up the regional
integration process; addressing
complications on the regional
trade architecture emanating
from overlapping membership;
and harmonisation of data on trade, investment and business
development.
The sentiment was that economic
integration processes
within SADC needed to be expedited
and the Secretariat should
come up with a roadmap on
what needs to be done.
Overlapping membership to
regional organisations presents a
serious barrier to deeper regional
integration and the region's ministers
of trade must urgently meet
to discuss options and implications
for the region.
There is still more work to be
done in terms of attaining macroeconomic convergence.While the
stability targets have been agreed
upon, the extent of convergence
and timetables needs to be reconsidered.
Sustainable Food Security

A coherent policy and strategic
framework is required to enhance
SADC's ability to attain
sustainable food self-sustenance.
The policy should promote priority
areas such as irrigation and
input provision; address the role
of women in agriculture; recognise
the importance of disaster
preparedness; and guarantee
land tenure and security.
Support is required to improve
existing SADC capacity to
monitor and coordinate programmes
to boost food security.
Training was also identified
as having a special role in enhancing
regional food security.
The training will involve both
farmers and agricultural experts.
With regard to funding of
agriculture, an urgent need was
identified for increased financing
by Member States and the
ICPs, as well as the development
of absorption capacity
within SADC to ensure available
funds are fully utilised.
Marketing and agro-processing
are also priorities in the
quest to attain food security in
SADC while Member States undertook
to implement commitments
made in the Dar es
Salaam Declaration on Agriculture
and Food Security.
Social and Human Development

The cluster on Social and
Human Development aims to
contribute to poverty reduction
and improvement of the availability
of educated, well-informed,
skilled, healthy and culturally
responsive people.
The priority sectors of intervention
are health, education,
labour and employment, and
culture, information and sports.
Member States, business and
civil society organisations have
major roles to play in the implementation
of the SADC Health
Protocol, particularly sections
dealing with control of communicable
and non-communicable
diseases, strengthening of
health systems, promotion of
joint procurement and local production
of essential medicines,
and retention and training of
human resources.
Patients will benefit from
the strengthening of regional quality control capabilities to
avoid the dumping of substandard
medicines by suppliers
from outside the region. Implementation
of the SADC Protocol
on Education and Training
is another area that will open
opportunities for the region, in
particular the CSOs and the education
sector.
Areas of possible cooperation
in labour and employment issues
are the development of a regional
framework to facilitate
free movement of labour, implementation
of tripartism and social
dialogue, and strengthening
of regional capacity to improve
occupational safety and health
standards.
Priorities and possible areas
of collaboration under the culture,
information and sports
sector include strategies to promote
and facilitate intra-regional
cultural exchange; review
of existing mechanisms
for collection and dissemination
of information; protection
and development of indigenous
knowledge and cultural
industries; and establishment
of the SADC Culture Trust
Fund to mobilise resources and
facilitate regional cultural programmes.
HIV and AIDS

The major milestones for the region
in the fight against HIV and
AIDS include the adoption of
the Maseru Declaration on HIV
and AIDS, and the development
of a regional HIV and AIDS
business plan.
These offer opportunities for
a stronger partnership between
Member States, ICPs, civil society
and business, and reflect
growing political will to fight
the pandemic.
Through the Maseru Declaration
on HIV and AIDS, SADC
has identified the five areas for
urgent actions as prevention
and social mobilisation; care ,
treatment and support; development
and mitigation of the
impact; resource mobilisation;
and monitoring and evaluation.
The SADC Secretariat was
asked to adapt and develop its
role in facilitating Member
States in implementing agreed
policies, framework and action
plans, including coordination
with the African Union
HIV/AIDS Initiative and other
global initiatives.
Member States and ICPs undertook
to improve prevention
measures as one of the main
strategies in the fight against the
disease. The prevention strategy
must take into account issues of
poverty, human rights, gender
imbalance, sexuality and sexual
violence.
Strategic Indicative Plan of the
Organ on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation

Political stability, peace and security
are necessary conditions for
sustainable development and
economic growth. SADC has
committed itself to building a
community based on a Common
Future and recognises that peace,
security, democracy and good political
governance are key integration
and development enablers.
The New Partnership identified
the need for SADC and the
ICPs to engage in open and
frank discussions on issues of
peace and security. This will
help in establishing an environment
of mutual respect and contribute
to the existing peaceful
atmosphere in the region.
The SADC region is experiencing
an unprecedented period
of peace and the creation of a
framework for the engagement
with ICPs will enhance regional
stability.
Re-integration of ex-combatants
into society, funding of demining
and mine awareness programmes,
and assistance with
management and protection of
refugees are some of the areas
where SADC will benefit from
the New Partnership.
The partnership could also
open doors for the strengthening
of the capacity of the Directorate
on Politics, Defence and Security
Affairs and the SADC Standby
Force.


Abstract:
INVADER BUSH presents a
unique opportunity for farmers
and other rural people to become
electricity suppliers to the
Namibian market, according to
the Namibia Agricultural Union
(NAU).

body:
INVADER BUSH presents a
unique opportunity for farmers
and other rural people to become
electricity suppliers to the
Namibian market, according to
the Namibia Agricultural Union
(NAU).
The bush, which has infested
26,000 hectares of land in the
country, threatens the sustainability
of the beef industry by
reducing the carrying capacity
of the land.
However, the challenge of
Namibia's bush resources can
be turned into an opportunity
for generating biomass energy
such as cooking fuel, large-scale electricity generation,
charcoal production and
ethanol production.
This would strengthen
Namibia's generation capacity
and help to address its capacity
shortages.NAU, through its Bush
Utilisation and Debushing Committee,
has compiled a project proposal that will be submitted to
donors for possible funding.
Consulting Services Africa
(CSA), which is working with
NAU on the project, said the opportunities
could yield significant
economic benefits for the
entire nation.
Invader bush can be made
into charcoal briquettes which
could substitute firewood, increase
charcoal exports to South
Africa and Europe, or be used to
power a charcoal power station.
The bush can also be used to
produce wood gas, to be used in
modified diesel generators for
electricity production.
An in-depth study was carried
out in 1999 to determine the feasibility
of using invader bush to
power the Van Eck power station
and a proposed new power station
in Grootfontein, but at that
time this option was more expensive
than the price of electricity
from Eskom of South Africa.
Namibia imports about half
of its electricity requirements
from South Africa and has been
severely affected by the power
outage caused by damage to the
Western Cape's Koeberg nuclear
station, which triggered power
blackouts in the Western Cape
and Namibia.
Demand for electricity in
South Africa is outstripping supply due to high economic
growth, coupled with lack of investment
in new generation capacity
and damage at the Koeberg
station.
The contagion effects of the
South African power crisis have
affected Namibia's business sector
and the public through electricity
blackouts and water rationing.


title:
South Africa in pilot wind energy project

Abstract:
WIND ENERGY could provide
part of the answer to SADC's
electricity problems if a pilot
project being implemented by
South Africa is successful.

body:
WIND ENERGY could provide
part of the answer to SADC's
electricity problems if a pilot
project being implemented by
South Africa is successful.
Cape Town's mayoral committee
has approved a proposed
power purchase agreement
with Darling Wind Farm,
a R70m (approx. US$12m) national
pilot project funded
jointly by the Danish International
Development Agency,
the Department of Minerals
and Energy, and the Darling Independent
Power Producing
Company.
The project will open up opportunities
for further wind energy projects and other
"green energy projects" in
the Western Cape and
further afield.
It will also be an important
step in assisting
the city to boost its electricity
supply and to reach its target
of sourcing 10 percent of its
overall energy requirements
from sustainable sources by
2020.
Approval of the committee's
recommendation will pave the
way for Cape Town residents to
purchase energy from the Darling
Wind Farm. This will be
marketed to "willing buyers" at
an initial premium of R0.25 per
kwh.
It is expected that the demand
for green energy will outstrip
the 13,200 gigawatt hours
of energy that can be supplied
annually by the farm.
Darling Wind Farm is expected
to commence generation
in 2007 and the energ y
will be sold through the city's
electricity service provider.
(Sapa)


title:
Water kiosks for peri-urban dwellers in Zambia

Abstract:
ZAMBIA'S NATIONAL Water
Supply and Sanitation
Council (NWASCO) requires
20 million to set up water
kiosk systems in peri-urban
and low-cost residential areas
to ensure the availability of
clean water.

body:
ZAMBIA'S NATIONAL Water
Supply and Sanitation
Council (NWASCO) requires
20 million to set up water
kiosk systems in peri-urban
and low-cost residential areas
to ensure the availability of
clean water.
NWASCO estimates that
approximately 1.9 million of
the 4.5 million people in peri-urban
and low-cost areas do
not have access to clean water.
The council wants to introduce
a water kiosk system
to be run by water utility
companies in targeted areas.
Under the system, consumers
will be required to
pay K20 (less than US$0.01)
for a 20-litre container of water. The system will provide
services to peri-urban and
low-cost dwellers who walk
long distances to fetch water.
Water kiosk systems have
been set up as a pilot project
in Ndola under the management
of Kafubu Water and
Sewerage Company, and in
Western province under the
Western Water and Sewerage
Company. 
(Times of Zambia)


title:
Imperatives for deeper integration and development

Abstract:
THE FUTURE of SADC lies in
Member States' ability to rise to
the challenges of aligning national
objectives to the regional
common interest as well as setting
realistic priorities for programmes,
says former SADC
Executive Secretary, Simba
Makoni.

body:
THE FUTURE of SADC lies in
Member States' ability to rise to
the challenges of aligning national
objectives to the regional
common interest as well as setting
realistic priorities for programmes,
says former SADC
Executive Secretary, Simba
Makoni.
In a SADC lecture at the
University of Namibia ahead of
the SADC Consultative Conference
in Windhoek, Makoni said
one of the challenges faced by
SADC is the question of common
membership of regional
groupings.
Overlaps exist in the membership
of SADC, Common
Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA), South
African Customs Union (SACU)
and East African Community
(EAC), with some countries belonging
to two or three organisations.
Three of these regional organisations
– SADC, COMESA
and EAC – have identical sectoral
programmes and are all
aiming to establish Free Trade
Areas and Monetary Unions.
“We have to rationalise these
overlaps in order to chart a
bright future for our region.
This will avoid duplication,
competition and conflict of interests,”
he said.
Another challenge for Member
States, he said, is a review of
their motives for joining these
organisations.
“Is it for political solidarity
or for the economic and other
benefits that derive out of membership
of such bodies? What is
it that we want out of being
members of SADC, COMESA,
SACU or EAC?,” Makoni challenged
the region.
The former executive secretary
noted that the success of
SADC initiatives lies in ensuring
that national programmes and projects are in line with regional
objectives. Regional programmes
and projects are
bound to fail unless national interests are subservient to the
common good, he warned.
He challenged SADC to
streamline the number of programmes
and projects it is implementing,
with a view to
having a leaner portfolio. He
said the region currently has
500 programmes or projects
valued at more than US$10 billion.
“It seems to me that not
much effort goes into project
identification and selection. I
believe Member States go for
all projects on offer in order to
enhance their chances of receiving
assistance, the so called
shopping basket and
fishing net approaches,” he
said.
Focus will be essential as
SADC moves towards establishing
a Customs Union and Common
Market by 2010 and 2015,
respectively. The region needs to
understand its partners well in
order to strike the right balance
or trade off.
The region needs to take control
of its destiny by becoming
financially independent.
He said the region must aim
for ownership of its programmes
and projects and this
should involve greater sacrifices
by Member States with
regard to funding of the organisation.
“Our challenge is to render
material support to regional initiatives
rather than wait for
someone in Brussels or some
other Western capital to come
with their money and its attendant
conditionalities,” he said.
Linked to that is the question
of how much of the resources for projects actually go
towards implementation of the
programmes. How much of
these are taken up by purely
administrative things like
salaries and office expenses,
and how much goes towards
actual implementation?
“More resources must be devoted
to the actual work on the
ground so that people see the
benefits of being members of
SADC. The perception out there
is that SADC only caters for the
leaders,” Makoni said.
In terms of the human resources
capacity of the SADC
Secretariat, he said competence
and professionalism must be accorded
top priority in the recruitment
process.
Under the present recruitment
system, Member States
a reallocated quotas on the
number of their nationals that
can be employed at the Secretariat
at any given time. Once a
country's quota is surpassed, its
nationals will no longer be eligible
for employment at the
Secretariat.
The momentum must be
maintained to ensure the region's
aspirations are entrusted
in the hands of individuals competent
and professional enough
to advance regional development
and integration.
“This is linked to the need to
take a critical look at the issue
of country quotas with regard
to recruitment. Do we need to
maintain the quota system or
the region will be served better
with an alternative recruitment
system?,” the former executive
secretary said.
Makoni sees a greater role
in the regional agenda for
non-state actors such as business,
academia, civil society
organisations and members of
the public. Non-state actors
have important roles to play in
ensuring that SADC projects
and programmes are implemented
and have the support
of people on the ground .
The importance of establishing
a partnership with business
and civil society was also highlighted
during the Consultative
Conference by various speakers,
most notably the SADC Executive
Secretary, Tomaz Augusto
Salomão.
The region's development
blueprints already make provisions
for the active participation
of non-state actors in the roll-out
of projects and programmes.
The challenge is to go beyond
nationalism and aim for
the common good.
“This can only be achieved
when we can all see beyond
our national flags and view all
the other countries in the region
as part of the same family,” Makoni said.
In the lecture, titled SADC:
Imperatives for Deeper Integration
and Development, Makoni also
spoke about the early days of
SADC and the motives behind
the current restructuring
process.
The lecture was jointly organised
by the Secretariat and
UNAM as part of efforts to
broaden understanding of
SADC and its objectives.


title:
Mozambique presses on with currency reform

Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE IS moving
ahead with the reform of its currency,
which will result in the introduction
of new banking notes
and coins from 1 July.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE IS moving
ahead with the reform of its currency,
which will result in the introduction
of new banking notes
and coins from 1 July.
The reform seeks to make the
Mozambican currency, the metical,
more manageable by knocking
off the last three digits. This is
a simple matter of dividing by a
thousand so that the current
1,000 meticais coin will be worth
one of what the government calls
the "new family" of the metical.
The largest of the current banknotes,
for 500,000 meticais, will
be worth 500 of the new meticais.
The new banknotes and
coins should enter circulation as from 1 July. In the months prior
to this, all goods are supposed
to display prices in both old and
new meticais.
From July to 31 December,
both "families" of the metical
will be legal tender, but the old
coins and notes will gradually
be withdrawn from circulation.
The country's main opposition
party, the Mozambique National
Resistance (Renamo), has
opposed the currency reform ,
claiming that this is unconstitutional,
because the law approving
the currency reform was
passed last November by a simple
majority, rather than a two thirds
majority. (AIM)


title:
Undersea cable network beckons for Botswana, Namibia

Abstract:
BOTSWANA AND Namibia
plan to take part in an ambitious
undersea regional cable network
project to improve the current
capacity and reliability of
telecommunication systems in
SADC.

body:
BOTSWANA AND Namibia
plan to take part in an ambitious
undersea regional cable network
project to improve the current
capacity and reliability of
telecommunication systems in
SADC.
President Festus Mogae said
Botswana has expanded connectivity
by participating in several
initiatives, including the West
African Festoon Systems, which
connects countries along the
west coast of Africa from Nigeria
to Namibia.
Considering that Botswana is
a landlocked country, Mogae invited
Namibia to become part of
the project to make use of
Namibian waters.
Participation of both Namibia
and Angola is critical as this
project qualifies a country for
two landing points and Mogae
said Botswana is also negotiating
with Angola to participate in
the project.
The project will enable
both countries to have a
reliable network of
high capacity, high speed
links, which can connect to similar networks in
neighbouring SADC countries
and internationally, thus improving
the region's global connectivity.


Abstract:
ZAMBIA APPEARS on course
to meeting the SADC target of
achieving single-digit inflation
by 2008.

body:
ZAMBIA APPEARS on course
to meeting the SADC target of
achieving single-digit inflation
by 2008.
The country's year-on-year
rate of inflation dropped to 9.4
percent in April from 10.7 percent
in March. The decline in inflation
came on the back of
lower food prices and an appreciating
exchange rate.
The Kwacha has gained in
strength against the major convertible
currencies over the past
few years. It is pegged at around
K2,900 to the US dollar compared
to K7,000 per US$1 in 2001.
Attainment of single-digit
inflation is one of the targets
set by SADC in its quest to
achieve macroeconomic convergence. It is envisaged that
the rate of inflation in all the 14
SADC Member States will
have declined to five percent
by 2012 and three percent by
2018.
A stable inflationary environment
will be essential in the
quest by the region to create a
Free Trade Area by 2008,
a Customs Union by 2010
and a Common Market by
2015.


title:
Economic summit considers growth strategies for Africa

Abstract:
TOP AFRICAN political and
business leaders have met at an
annual economic summit to
identify priorities to sustain recent
growth on the continent,
engage business as an agent for
change, draw lessons from best-performing
states, address risks,
and assess new opportunities.

body:
TOP AFRICAN political and
business leaders have met at an
annual economic summit to
identify priorities to sustain recent
growth on the continent,
engage business as an agent for
change, draw lessons from best-performing
states, address risks,
and assess new opportunities.
The summit, organised by
the World Economic Forum,
took place in Cape Town from
31 May to 2 June.
Held under the theme
“Going for Growth”, the objective
was to launch a public-private
sector partnership to address
poverty, to assess new opportunities
for growth, and to
encourage a change of perception
about the continent.
High on the agenda was a
discussion of how a legacy of
negative perception has hindered growth in Africa, and
how to use the continent's comparative
advantages to push forward
its development agenda.
There was also a focus on the
opportunities provided by
Africa's relationship with China
and India, and the challenges of
boosting physical and social infrastructure .
More than 700 participants
were expected to address the
underlying risks to Africa's development
such as whether the
average 5.3 percent growth is
adequate to create the jobs and
growth needed to turn the tide,
and how the different scenarios for developments on the global
stage affect the continent.
Also on the agenda was the
role of the media in shaping
government policies and impacting
on social behaviour
a round HIV and AIDS; and
ways of enhancing the role of
the private sector, particularly
agri-business, in food security.
Among the high-profile participants
invited to the summit
were presidents Armando
Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique,
Jakaya Kikwete of the
United Republic of Tanzania
and Thabo Mbeki of South
Africa.


title:
International flavour at Harare arts festival

Abstract:
TOP REGIONAL and international
artists converged on
Harare in April for the Harare
International Festival of the Arts
(HIFA) that transformed Zimbabwe
into southern Africa's entertainment
capital.

body:
TOP REGIONAL and international
artists converged on
Harare in April for the Harare
International Festival of the Arts
(HIFA) that transformed Zimbabwe
into southern Africa's entertainment
capital.
For six days from 25-30 April,
Harare played host to some of
Africa's best performing and visual
artists.
HIFA is an annual international
arts festival that encompasses
five main disciplines:
music, theatre, fine arts, dance
and spoken word. The festival
began in 1999 and since then it
has taken the Zimbabwean and
southern African arts scene by
storm.
It showcases the best of
Zimbabwean performances
and fine arts while at the same
time staging and exhibiting the
most exciting and creative international
and regional performances.
This year's festival brought
together musicians, poets, theatre groups, dance groups and
fine artists from Zimbabwe,
South Africa, Malawi, Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC),
Namibia, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria,
Britain and Cote d'Ivoire.
The highlight of the festival
was a musical act by Benin's Angelique
Kidjo who put up
a good performance. Kidjo
charmed a huge main-stage audience
with her dancing, driven
by her desire to have a personal
interaction with her fans.
"I interact with the audience
because I want it to share my vision
of a united Africa," said
Kidjo.
A United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador, Kidjo also spoke
about the children of Africa
and shared her views about
child physical and emotional
abuse.
Namibian group, Gazza,
was another attraction at HIFA.
Its blend of dance hall, ragga,
hip-hop and kwaito won
the group many hearts during
the festival.
Other established and upcoming
artists who took
part included poet Chirikure
Chirikure, mbira artist Chioniso
Maraire, both of Zimbabwe;
Democratic Republic of Congo
musician Lokua Kanza; Nigerian
singer Asha; Cote d'Ivoire's
reggae artist Tiken Jah Fakoly;
and South Africa's jazz artist
Steve Dyer and poet Anjie
Krog.
Kanza conducted workshops
during the festival, which were
attended by musicians from
Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland,
South Africa, Zambia and
Madagascar.
The festival aims to promote
cultural exchange programmes
throughout the continent and
beyond.
This year's theme was
“hAND in hAND”, symbolising
the solidarity among artists
from Africa and the rest of the
world. Organisers noted that
the high standard of international
and local artists who
participated at HIFA 2006
demonstrated the theory of ultimate
collaboration and exchange.


title:
World Cup debutants Angola short-listed to host 2010 AFCON

Abstract:
ANGOLA HAVE the enviable
task of carrying the hopes and
aspirations of southern Africa
at the FIFA World Cup in June
and of being the only country
from the region to be short-listed
to host the 2010 continental
football showcase.

body:
ANGOLA HAVE the enviable
task of carrying the hopes and
aspirations of southern Africa
at the FIFA World Cup in June
and of being the only country
from the region to be short-listed
to host the 2010 continental
football showcase.
The oil-rich southern African
country is the remaining SADC
candidate for the hosting of the
2010 African Cup of Nations following
a draw conducted in
Egypt on 14 May.
Angola was short-listed to
host the African soccer
showcase in four years time together
with Libya, Nigeria and
a joint Gabon-Equitorial
Guinea bid.
Bids from other SADC countries,
Mozambique, Namibia
and Zimbabwe were rejected.
The "Palancas Negras" are
SADC's sole representatives at
the World Cup set to start on 9
June and end on 9 July.
Angola, which is in Group D
together with Mexico, Iran and
Portugal, have already announced
a 23-member squad for
the tournament. The squad will
be led by Fabrice “Akwá”Maieco
and includes other star players
such as Nsimba “Zé Kalanga”
Baptista, and Flávio Amado.
The team pre pared thoroughly
for its maiden World Cup appearance
having played a number
of friendly matches against
some of the world's best teams
during the past two months.
The friendly matches included
a 0-1 loss to South Korea in
April. Other warm-up matches
were scheduled against former world champions, Argentina, in
Italy on 30 May, Turkey on 2 June,
and the United States on 5 June.
The preparations have also
included participation in the annual
regional Cosafa tournament
where the team is through
to the semi-finals after easily accounting
for Mauritius and
Lesotho.


title:
Regional Strategic Action Plan on Integrated Water Resources Development and Management

Abstract:
“THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN region is largely a
water deficit area. This underlines the importance
of planning, development and managing the resource
wisely...”

body:
Annotated Strategic Plan 2005-2010
Programme Implementation Manual 2005-2010

“THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN region is largely a
water deficit area. This underlines the importance
of planning, development and managing the resource
wisely...”
So begins the Foreword to SADC's second regional
strategic action plan on the management of
water resources.
The plan contains a review of the history and
context of the application of Integrated Water Resources
Management in the SADC region, as well
as progress and goals of implementation; and impact
on the development agenda, in terms of
poverty alleviation, hydropower and regional integration.
The plan's mission is “to provide a sustainable
enabling environment, leadership and coordination
in water resources strategic planning, use and infrastructure development through application of integrated
water re sources management at member
state, regional, river basin and community level.”
The publication is well designed and produced,
and user friendly. The plan is presented in two short
volumes: the Annotated Strategic Plan, and the Programme
Implementation Manuel. Both cover the
period of 2005-2010.
A review of the first phase implementation of
the SADC Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated
Water Resources Management (1999-2004)
has also been published, containing lessons and
best practices.
It is intended to inform, to record and to highlight
the efforts of the many individuals who
work towards the sustainable development
of water resources.
Both publications are available from
the SADC secretariat.

E-mail:  registry@sadc.int

Website: www.sardc.int


title:
Managing the HIV and AIDS Pandemic in the Southern African Development Community

Abstract:
HE SADC HIV and AIDS Strategic
Framework and Programme of Action
2003-2007 provides a multi-dimensional
response to the pandemic in southern
Africa. It is aimed at intensifying measures
and actions to address the devastating
and pervasive impacts of HIV and
AIDS in a comprehensive and complementary
way.

body:
THE SADC HIV and AIDS Strategic
Framework and Programme of Action
2003-2007 provides a multi-dimensional
response to the pandemic in southern
Africa. It is aimed at intensifying measures
and actions to address the devastating
and pervasive impacts of HIV and
AIDS in a comprehensive and complementary
way. The focus of the response is on the prevention of HIV and AIDS,
care and support, and the mitigation of
the impact in order to ensure sustainable
human development in the SADC
region. This 33-page booklet is available
from the 
SADC Secretariat, 
P. Bag 0095,
Gaborone, Botswana.

E-mail: registry@sadc.int

Website: www.sadc.int


Abstract:
THE PICTURE of Mbuyisa
Makhubo carrying the body of
his 13-year-old friend, Hector
Petersen, has become an iconic
image symbolising the struggle
of the youth of South Africa –
and the beginning of the end of
apartheid.

body:
THE PICTURE of Mbuyisa
Makhubo carrying the body of
his 13-year-old friend, Hector
Petersen, has become an iconic
image symbolising the struggle
of the youth of South Africa –
and the beginning of the end of
apartheid.
The photograph, taken by
Sam Nzima of The World newspaper,
appeared in newspapers
and on television channels all
over the world, sparking outrage
and a new awareness
which hardened opposition
within and outside South
Africa to the brutality of the
apartheid authorities.
On that day, 16 June 1976,
more than 20,000 Soweto schoolchildren staged a peaceful protest again the imposition of Afrikaans
as the language of instruction for black pupils and against the discrimination
they suffered under the inferior “Bantu education” curriculum.
The Bantu education system, which had been enforced for black South
Africans since 1953, was characterised by separate schools and universities,
poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained
teachers.
Some 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed and property
destroyed in the violence that ensued during the next few weeks, after
police fired on the student demonstration.
The courage of the Soweto students in June 1976 is today commemorated
by a national holiday in South Africa, Youth Day, which honours all
the young people who lost their lives in the struggle against apartheid and
Bantu education.
Thirty years on, South Africa recognises the courage of the youth who
helped to bring an end to apartheid.
The 16 June student uprising epitomises the role played by young people
in the struggle to unshackle southern Africa from colonial rule. The
youth were at the forefront in the struggle for independence in all countries
in southern Africa.



title:
South Africa documents Mpumalanga history

Abstract:
SOUTH AFRICA has embarked on a project to document
the pre-colonial history of Mpumalanga province to educate
young people about the region's past and promote
unity.

body:
SOUTH AFRICA has embarked on a project to document
the pre-colonial history of Mpumalanga province to educate
young people about the region's past and promote
unity.
The Mpumalanga Heritage Research Project is an indepth
research by a team of prominent historians, archaeologists,
geologists, and rock art experts, led by Professor
Peter Delius from Wits University.
It covers human history stretching back
40,000 years, with mining, ruined stone-walled
cities of African empires, anti-colonial warriors,
liberation struggle heroes and Stone Age San
rock art.
Mpumalanga Prime Minister, Thabang
Makwetla, said the project report will be
published in a version easily accessible to
the public, and will be used for books, websites,
promotional material for tourists and
branding of Mpumalanga.
"The most important benefit for the
province and the country of this type of research work is for us to promote unity in our
diversity," he said.
Mpumalanga also has the oldest gold
mines in South Africa, and this wealth stimulated
contacts with the outside world long
before European colonialism.
The study also confirms that Mpumalanga's
historical gold-mining town of Pilgrim's Rest installed
electric street lights before major global metropolises such
as London, and that the other mining town of Barberton
had the first stock exchange in Africa. 
(BuaNews)


body:
CURRENCY CHECKLIST
Country Currency (US $1)
Angola Kwanza (100 lwei) 80.58
Botswana Pula (100 thebe) 5.51
DRC Congo Franc 435.00
Lesotho Maloti (100 lisente) 6.10
Madagascar Ariary 9,150.00
Mauritius Rupee (100 cents) 30.70
Malawi Kwacha (100 tambala) 137.50
Mozambique Metical (100 centravos) 26,650.00
Namibia Dollar (100 cents) 6.43
South Africa Rand (100 cents) 6.31
Swaziland Lilangeni (100 cents) 6.30
Tanzania Shilling (100 cents) 1,239.00
Zambia Kwacha (100 ngwee) 3,045.00
Zimbabwe Dollar (100 Cents) 101,195.54

May 2006



body:
EVENTS DIARY 2006
June
31 May – 2 June South Africa
Africa Economic Forum

Organised by theWorld Economic Forum, the summit brings
together the private sector, civil society and political leaders
to discuss trade and investment opportunities in Africa.

21-23 South Africa
SADC Integrated Committee of Ministers

The ICM is comprised of at least two ministers from each
SADC Member State. Its role is to ensure proper policy
guidance and coordination of cross-sectoral activities of
SADC. The meeting will review the activities of SADC
directorates to ensure rapid implementation of programmes
that would otherwise wait for the Council of Ministers.

21-23 South Africa
Regional Adjudication on the SADC Media Awards

A SADC sub-committee is to adjudicate on the entries for
the 2006 media awards. This year the media awards will
focus on HIV and AIDS to encourage dissemination of
information on the pandemic.

29 – 8 July South Africa
Grahamstown National Arts Festival

The festival is one of the most important events on the South
African cultural calendar, and the biggest annual celebration
of the arts on the African continent. Running for between
eight and 10 days, the festival captures the rich diversity of
South Africa's arts industry.

July
1-2 Gambia
30th Tanzania International Trade Fair
The international exhibition that takes place in Dar-es-Salaam will host trade delegations from throughout Africa .
The fair offers opportunities to do business with Tanzania
and neighbouring countries. It will showcase general
consumer to specialised industrial products and
machinery.



10-11 Tanzania
4th International Workshop on Technology for Education in
Developing Countries

The goal of TEDC 2006 is to bring together researchers, and
educators to discuss various issues involved in developing
new techniques and on novel uses of technology for
education in developing countries.

August
13-18 Canada
International AIDS Conference 2006

Organised by International AIDS Society, the theme of the
16th International AIDS Conference will be “Time to
Deliver”. Participants will share the latest evidence, ideas
and lessons learned in HIV and AIDS research, policies and
programmes. The conference will focus on the shared
prevention, treatment and care obligations of those engaged
to respond to the pandemic.

10-19 Lesotho
SADC Summit
The Summit of Heads of State and Government is the
ultimate policy-making institution of SADC. The Maseru
Summit will witness the official handover of the rotating
SADC Chair from President Festus Mogae of Botswana to
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho. SADC Council
of Ministers meet in advance of Summit to prepare policy
recommendations for adoption.


body:
Public Holidays in SADC
 June – August 2006
1 June International Children's Day Angola
5 June Whit Monday Madagascar
14 June Freedom Day Malawi
16 June Youth Day South Africa
25 June Independence Day Mozambique
26 June Independence Day Madagascar
30 June Independence Day DRC
1 July Sir Seretse Khama Day Botswana
3 July Public Holiday Botswana
3 July Heroes' Day Zambia
4 July Unity Day Zambia
6 July Independence Day Malawi
7 July International Trade Fair Tanzania
17 July President's Day Botswana
17 July King's Birthday Lesotho
18 July Public Holiday Botswana
22 July Public Holiday Swaziland
TBA July Umhlanga ReedDance Swaziland
1 August Parents' Day DRC
7 August Farmers' Day Zambia
8 August Peasants' Day Tanzania
9 August National Women's Day South Africa
14 August Heroes' Day Zimbabwe
15 August Assumption Day Madagascar
15 August Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mauritius
15 August Defence Forces Day Zimbabwe
26 August Heroes' Day Namibia
29 August Ganesh Chathurthi Mauritius


body:
PUBLICATIONS
SADC and Donors - Ideals and
Practices: From Gaborone to Paris and
Back

by Elling N. Tjnneland

Botswana, Gaborone, 2006

36pp.

This report sets out to take stock of the current
relations between SADC and its international
cooperating partners, that is, the external
donor agencies providing support and
assistance. It identifies obstacles and
opportunities for making progress and
discusses the current efforts, inspired by the
Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, to
provide modalities and mechanism for a new
partnership between SADC and donors.

Available from The FOPRISA Coordinator c/o
BIDPA, P. Bag BR29, Gaborone, Botswana.

E-mail : foprisa@bidpa.bw

Website: www.foprisa.net


The New Partnership for Africa's
Development Progress Report -
Towards Development

By Prof. Firmino G. Mucavele

South Africa, Midrand, NEPAD, 2006

21pp.

Progress report for NEPAD covering the
period 2002 to 2006. It highlights some of the
NEPAD's major achievements that include
creation of a conducive environment for
sustained development.

Among other issues, NEPAD witnessed the
successful resolution of conflict in Cote
d'Ivoire, ongoing efforts in Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and
successful elections in the United Republic of
Tanzania, Liberia and Burundi.

Available from the NEPAD Secretariat, 
P.O Box
1234, Midrand, Halfway House 1685, South
Africa.

E-mail: mundiak@nepad.org

Website: www.nepad.org



Rules of Origin under EPAs:
Key Issues and New Directions

by Eckart Naumann

South Africa, Trade Law Centre for Southern
Africa, 2005

30pp

Rules of origin form a critical component of any
trade agreement or preferential trade
area, and thus an important role in the
implementation of trade policy. They are used
as a tool for determining the “economic
nationality” of a product, rather than merely
deeming the last geographic location from
which a product is shipped as its
nationality. As a result, the terms and conditions
contained in Rules Of Origin (ROO) are some of
the most important determinants of market
access as highlighted in this working paper.

Available in electronic format from Trade Law
Centre for Southern Africa, P.O. Box 224,
Stellenbosch 7599, South African.
 
E-mail: trudihartzenberg @tralac.org

Website: http://www.tralac.org


Namibia Trade Directory 2006:
A Review of Namibian Trade and
Industry

Edited by Sandra van Rooyen

Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia Trade Directory

(Pty) Ltd, 2006

235pp.

The directory presents the ideal opportunity
for the Namibian private and public sector
players to disseminate specific information on
their products and services to the rest of the
world. It is valuable reference and
comprehensive information tool as it provides
facts on company profiles, vital contacts and
classified listings.

Available from Ministry of Trade and Industry,

P. Bag 13340, Windhoek, Namibia

E-mail: Sandra@mac.com.na

Website: www.namibiatradedirectory.com





Abstract:
AN UNPRECEDENTED peaceful and stable environment
in southern Africa signals new opportunities
for a region that has witnessed successive
conflicts for the greater part of the last 50 years.

body:
AN UNPRECEDENTED peaceful and stable environment
in southern Africa signals new opportunities
for a region that has witnessed successive
conflicts for the greater part of the last 50 years.
For the first time since the late 1940s when
South Africa consolidated its then policy of
apartheid and African nationalism gave birth to
liberation movements in most SADC Member
States, southern Africa is enjoying relative peace,
political stability and security.
Lasting peace has returned to Namibia after independence
in 1990, to Mozambique following the
signing of the 1992 peace accord that ended 16 years
of civil war, and to South Africa after majority rule
and the end of the apartheid system in 1994.
The guns have fallen silent in Angola while small
pockets of armed insurgents periodically disturb the
generally peaceful and tranquil environment in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Guided by the Strategic Indicative Plan of the
Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation
(SIPO) - the region's 15-year blueprint on political
and security matters - SADC has been undertaking
various actions aimed at contributing to the maintenance
and consolidation of peace and security.
Structures have been designed to make the initiatives
to preserve peace and security more effective.
Implementation of SIPO is divided into four
main sectors: political, defence, state security and
public security.
Judging by the outcomes of elections held in the
past two years, the regional political situation is characterised
by an acceptance of political pluralism.
Regional cooperation in the political sector
builds on strong historical ties among Member
States, and a number of structures have been created
to facilitate regional integration and defence
cooperation.
One such structure is the
Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy
Committee (ISPDC), comprising
the ministers of foreign affairs
from SADC Member States.
At its annual meeting in
Namibia in June, the ISPDC observed
that the region generally
remained politically stable and
peaceful, and that the international
environment was
favourable towards the region
with regard to the flow of public
and private investment.
The real prize of peace and
stability in the region is the consolidation
of current macroeconomic
successes enjoyed by
Member States.
The return to sustainable
peace to Angola, DRC, Mozambique,
Namibia and South
Africa has strengthened their
ability to effectively exploit the
vast mineral and other resources
at their disposal, and to develop
policies for the provision of social
services and eradication of
poverty.
In the case of the DRC, the
country is home to one of the
world's largest deposits of diamonds,
copper and cobalt. DRC
(then Zaire) was the fourth
largest producer of industrial
diamonds in the 1980s and the
mineral continues to account for
over half of its annual exports.
The DRC also has vast untapped
agricultural capacity
and could be the next food-basket
of Africa, if the current peace
process can be sustained.
Straddling the equator and
spanning two tropical zones, its
climate favours the cultivation
of a wide range of tropical and
sub-tropical crops. More than
half of the DRC's land is arable
and suitable for farming
but currently just a fraction
is being utilised.
Angola, too, has vast
agricultural potential
and is beginning to reap a peace dividend from the
stability now existing in the
country.
Petrol-dollars have fuelled a
restoration boom in the country
torn by 27 years of civil war that
ended in 2002, and donors and
investors are also helping with
reconstruction, especially of
roads, railways and housing.
Angola is the second largest
producer of crude oil in sub-Saharan
Africa after Nigeria and
pumps 1.4 million barrels a day,
a figure the government sees rising
to two million barrels per
day by the end of 2007.
Since the end of the civil war
in 1992, Mozambique's economy
has grown on the back of economic
reforms and infrastructural
developments. It registered average
Gross Domestic Product
growth of about eight percent a
year from 1995 to 2004, with the
government and International Monetary Fund forecasting 7.9
percent growth in 2006.
Namibia has also enjoyed the
benefits of peace and stability
since its independence 16 years
ago.
The mining sector is the traditional
backbone of the economy
and generates the biggest
share of Namibia's foreign-exchange
earnings. Namibia is the
world's fifth-largest producer of
uranium and has large deposits
of diamonds.
It has contributed significantly
to regional integration and
hosts the SADC Parliamentary
Forum and the SADC Tribunal.
The fall of apartheid in South
Africa opened up enormous opportunities
for the region, putting
behind a lengthy period of
economic and military destabilisation.
The new South Africa has
been a major regional and international player in conflict resolution
efforts and plays host to the
Pan African Parliament (PAP)
and the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD)
among other continental bodies.
PAP and NEPAD are two of the
most important institutions of the
African Union.
Another dividend from the
return to multiracial democracy
in South Africa has been its ability
to host major international
events such as the Rugby World
Cup in 1995, the soccer African
Cup of Nations in 1996 and the
World Summit on Sustainable
Development in 2002.
The country will host the
2010 FIFA World Cup, the first
time such an event will be held
in Africa. The World Cup is
going to attract international attention
to the SADC region,
with spin-off benefits for all the
Member States.


Abstract:
SADC HAS strengthened its
peace support capacity by building
a standby army whose role
will be to provide peacekeeping
duties in times of conflict.
A total of 1,330 peacekeepers
have been trained at the Harare-based
Regional Peacekeeping
Training Centre (RPTC) since its
establishment in 1995.

body:
SADC HAS strengthened its
peace support capacity by building
a standby army whose role
will be to provide peacekeeping
duties in times of conflict.
A total of 1,330 peacekeepers
have been trained at the Harare-based
Regional Peacekeeping
Training Centre (RPTC) since its
establishment in 1995.
The target is to have a 4,000-
5,000 strong regional standby
force by 2010 that will respond
to requests for peacekeeping duties
in the SADC region or in
other parts of the world.
Besides training army personnel,
the RPTC also trains civilians
who have an important role in
peace support missions where
they facilitate the smooth transition
from war situations to peace.
They provide the necessary
support services to military personnel
and lay the groundwork
for the establishment of crucial infrastructure to ensure a
smooth return to peace.
“Civilians are key in peace
support missions because they
manage the political and humanitarian
offices and their role
is to advise other players on how
to handle the whole process,”
said Joe Muzvidziwa, director of
RPTC.
Since 1991, SADC troops
have contributed to more than
15 peacekeeping missions within
and outside Africa.
Zimbabwe has been offering
training to the region on peacekeeping
duties since 1995. Previously,
the centre was a facility for
the Zimbabwean government and
was transformed into a regional
training centre when the Danish
government funded the construction
of the centre following a request
from SADC Member States.
The formation of a stand-by
force is in line with the African Union Commission's Article 13
on stand-by armies, which requires that each of the five
African regions should have a
minimum of 4,000 peacekeepers.
Namibian ambassador to
Zimbabwe, Kakena Nangula,
speaking at the college graduation
ceremony in March, said the
creation of the standby force was
a crucial condition for the attainment
of deeper regional integration
and cooperation as well as
the spirit of “prosper thy neighbour”.
“It is only when we are united
and speak with one voice that
our region can participate in
global debates and other activities
from a position of strength,”
she said.
Namibia chairs the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation which deals
with issues such as peacekeeping
and conflict prevention.


title:
Countries urged to decide on multiple membership

Abstract:
SADC MEMBER States have
been urged to resolve the question
of multiple membership as
the region moves towards establishing
a Customs Union by 2010.
Several SADC countries belong
to other economic blocs
with different trade arrangements
which presents challenges
because legally no country
can belong to more than one
customs union.

body:
SADC MEMBER States have
been urged to resolve the question
of multiple membership as
the region moves towards establishing
a Customs Union by 2010.
Several SADC countries belong
to other economic blocs
with different trade arrangements
which presents challenges
because legally no country
can belong to more than one
customs union.
“By 2010, SADC's own Customs
Union will be in place and
each country has to choose where
it wants to belong. The ICM has
thus urged the Member States to
submit their positions to the Secretariat
on this issue,” said SADC
Executive Secretary, Tomaz Augusto
Salomão, at the end of the
two-day Integrated Committee
of Ministers (ICM) meeting held
in South Africa in June.
Overlaps exist in the membership
of SADC, Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), South African Customs
Union, East African Community
and the Regional Integration
Facilitation Forum (RIFF).
RIFF is a voluntary and nonbinding
arrangement under
which participating countries
implement measures aimed at
facilitating the flow of investment
into their economies and
across the region.
Not only do the RIFF measures mirror those called for
under the SADC and COMESA
treaties, but also several elements
of the programmes already
on the agenda of other
sub-regional organizations.
It is made up of 14 countries –
Burundi, Comoros, Kenya,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius,
Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The ICM requested ministers
of trade to submit recommendations
on overlapping trading
arrangements to the Council of
Ministers meeting in August 2006.
Six countries – who are
members of both SADC and
COMESA – are currently negotiating,
outside the SADC configuration,
on Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPAs )
with the European Union.
The countries – DRC, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia
and Zimbabwe – are negotiating
under the Eastern and Southern
Africa (ESA) banner.
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,
Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland
and the United Republic of
Tanzania are negotiating as
SADC.
South Africa participates as
an observer after having concluded
its own trade agreement
with the EU in the late 1990s.


title:
Visa-free entry for key tourist source countries by 2008

Abstract:
THE REGIONAL Tourism Organisation
of Southern Africa
(RETOSA), a SADC institution
responsible for promoting the region's
tourism sector, is aiming
for visa exemption for citizens
travelling between southern
African states, as well as introduction
of the SADC UniVisa for
visitors from key source markets,
by the end of 2008.

body:
THE REGIONAL Tourism Organisation
of Southern Africa
(RETOSA), a SADC institution
responsible for promoting the region's
tourism sector, is aiming
for visa exemption for citizens
travelling between southern
African states, as well as introduction
of the SADC UniVisa for
visitors from key source markets,
by the end of 2008.
This was the recommendation
of a meeting of SADC
tourism stakeholders in Swaziland
in May, which discussed
the findings of a study on the
implications of a SADC Uni Visa
and visa exemption.
According to RETOSA, the
tourism stakeholders agreed
that visa exemptions should
apply to key source markets for
the SADC region.
Countries not listed as key
source markets would be on the
UniVisa system, allowing them
to travel throughout the entire
SADC region with only one
visa, said RETOSA.
<pVisa exemptions for SADC
citizens were also discussed at
the Swaziland meeting and it
was agreed that this should be
the number one priority. About
three-quarters of Member
States are already exempting citizens of some fellow SADC
countries.
The SADC Integrated Committee
of Ministers (ICM),
which met in South Africa in
June, noted that this region
continues to achieve a low
global market share in tourism
due to low arrivals from global
source markets caused by impediments
such as visa restrictions.
The ICM resolved that the
SADC ministers responsible for
tourism should meet soon to finalise
the modalities for the Uni Visa implementation, in consultation
with key stakeholders.


title:
China, India become major trading partners for Africa

Abstract:
SADC IS poised to benefit from
the commodities boom triggered
by Chinese and Indian demand
and is set to cement existing relations
with these new economic
powerhouses.

body:
SADC IS poised to benefit from
the commodities boom triggered
by Chinese and Indian demand
and is set to cement existing relations
with these new economic
powerhouses.
Political and business leaders
from the region and other
parts of Africa, meeting in South
Africa for the World Economic
Forum on Africa in June, agreed
on the need to establish a new
partnership with China and
India so that they contribute to
the continent's development.
Widely seen as the “new centres
of economic power”, China
and India have emerged as
Africa's major trading partners
in the past five years.
The rapid economic growth
of China and India has boosted
their ties with Africa, and the
continent's trade with the two
countries has tripled in just five
years. Investment and aid have
also increased.
Tanzanian president, Jakaya
Kikwete, described the Asian
countries as models for change
that can significantly contribute
to Africa's transformation.
“They give Africa hope that
it is possible to transform our nations
from abject poverty and
put them on a development
path. One day, with the right
policies and the right actions, we
too can get there,” said Kikwete.
China and India have
emerged from underdevelopment
and widespread poverty to
become economic giants.
On a practical level, they can
contribute to Africa's development
by providing markets for
African goods, as well as through
being inexpensive sources for
technology and medicine.
Mandisi Mpahlwa,
South Africa's Minister of
Trade and Industry, said
the “new centres of economic
power” understand the issues that Africa is
grappling with.
“They have the experience of
similar conditions, such as huge
numbers of African people
whose livelihoods depend on
agriculture. That is very different
from the developed world,” said
Mpahlwa.
Trade between China and
Africa has more than trebled since
2000, rising from US$10 billion in
2000 to US$35 billion in 2005.
Chinese investment in Africa
is also growing fast, with some
800 Chinese firms doing business
on the continent.
China's appetite for raw materials
is helping to push African
economies to their fastest growth
in three decades. Chinese-made
products have provided cheaper
options for African consumers.
Much of China's African
trade and investment is energy-related.
Once the biggest oil exporter
in Asia, China became a undernet
importer of oil in 1993 as domestic
demand grew and local
production of crude oil declined.
It imports more than 40 percent
of its oil requirements and
about 25 percent of that is from
Africa. China has oil investments
in Angola, Sudan, Nigeria, Chad,
Algeria, Gabon and Equatorial
Guinea.
India has also been actively
promoting trade with Africa in
recent years. To boost the country's
trade with the Sub-Saharan
African region, the Indian government
launched the “Focus:
Africa” programme covering the
period 2002-07.
Target countries identified
during the first phase of the programme
include Mauritius,
Kenya and Ethiopia, but this has
been expanding to include more
countries.
India provides financial assistance
to various trade promotion
organisations, export promotion councils and apex chambers
in the form of market development
assistance under the
“Focus: Africa” programme.
Indian carmaker, Tata Motors,
has made significant inroads
into South Africa's lucrative
vehicle industry.
Through the SADC-India
Forum, southern Africa and
India have resolved to work together
in the areas of agriculture,
promotion of small and
medium scale industries, drugs
and pharmaceuticals, human resources
development, water resources
management, and information
and communications
technology.
The first session of the forum
was held in Windhoek, Namibia,
in April.
A SADC-India Business
Forum to spearhead promotion
of trade and investment on both
sides was proposed during the
Windhoek meeting.


Abstract:
BEITBRIDGE AND Chirundu
border posts have been
selected for the pilot phase of
the SADC one-stop border initiative
that aims to facilitate
trade and free movement of
persons between Member
States.

body:
BEITBRIDGE AND Chirundu
border posts have been
selected for the pilot phase of
the SADC one-stop border initiative
that aims to facilitate
trade and free movement of
persons between Member
States.
At present people travelling
from South Africa to Zimbabwe and vice versa have to complete
immigration formalities
on either side of the Beitbridge
Border Post. The same applies
to travellers between Zimbabwe
and Zambia who have to be
cleared on either side of
Chirundu Border Post.
Under the initiative, travellers
would be cleared just once for passage into another
country.
The project is meant to harmonise
customs and immigration
procedures at border
points within the SADC region.
Delays are often encountered
at border posts in the region due
to duplication of work ,and the
purpose of the one-stop border
initiative is to remove the barriers
to trade through improvement
of operational procedures.
The initiative will require the
harmonisation of the customs
and immigration procedures of
South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It will go a long way in
improving efficiency and decongesting
the two border posts,
considered to be among sub-Saharan
Africa's busiest ports of
entry.


title:
Food security in southern Africa - More investment needed for irrigation

Abstract:
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS
has been made in strengthening
southern Africa's capacity to
feed itself despite indications
that investment in agriculture is
declining.

body:
More investment needed for irrigation
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS
has been made in strengthening
southern Africa's capacity to
feed itself despite indications
that investment in agriculture is
declining.
A review of progress in agriculture
and food security by the
SADC Integrated Committee of
Ministers (ICM) in June revealed
that although the overall
cereal deficit in the region has
increased this year, food security
for most Member States has
improved compared to last year.
Speaking after the ICM in South
Africa, SADC Executive Secretary,
Tomaz Augusto Salomão
said the increase in the deficit
was due to a substantial reduction
in maize production in
South Africa.
However, some countries
such as Malawi, Mozambique,
South Africa and Zambia, have
reported surplus maize production
while Namibia, United Republic
of Tanzania and Zimbabwe
have recorded significant increases
in production.
Maize is the major cereal
crop in southern Africa. The
other cereal crops include
wheat, barley, rice, sorghum and
millet.
Production of cassava also
improved with 22.03 million
tonnes expected in 2006, up 19
percent from last years' production
of 18.47 million tonnes
Attributing the improved
food situation to the implementation
of the Dar es Salaam Declaration,
and improved rainfall
in the 2005/2006 season, the
SADC ICM noted that the region
is likely to require less humanitarian
assistance.
The region has recently experienced
highly erratic rainfall
patterns which have negatively
affected agricultural production
and regional food security.
In addition, as the SADC Directorate
of Food, Agriculture
and Natural Resources (FANR)
says, the last three decades have
seen a decline in financing inflows
into agricultural development
from the public, private
and donor sectors.
“The most significant decline
was in multilateral aid to
African agriculture,” says FANR
in a document on sustainable
food security prepared for the
SADC Consultative Conference
held in Namibia in April.
Perennial food shortages
prompted SADC leaders to call
an extraordinary summit in
2004, whose main outcome was
the Dar es Salaam Declaration.
The document is a framework of
short, medium and long term
measures needed to improve
food security in the region.
A communiqué issued after
the FANR Cluster Ministers
meeting held in South Africa in
April to review progress on the
implementation of the Dar es
Salaam Declaration noted that,
although some progress has
been made in improving the
availability and accessibility of
key agricultural inputs such as
improved seed and fertilizers to
small-scale farmers, declining investment and national budgetary
allocations to agriculture
remain a major concern.
In Zambia, budgetary allocation
to agriculture was a mere
two percent in 2001, rising to
seven percent in 2004, before declining
to about four percent in
2005, according to a presentation
on Resource Allocation for Agriculture
by Jones Govereh of the
Food Security Research Project.
In the United Republic of
Tanzania, there has been a gradual
decline in public sector investment
in agriculture over the
last two decades. Budgetary allocation
to the sector fell from 21
percent in 1980 to 2.1 percent in
1998 before rising marginally to
6.5 percent in 2002/03 farming
season, according to a Country
Strategic Opportunities Paper
prepared through collaboration
between the government and
the International Fund for Agricultural
Development.
The Dar es Salaam Declaration
calls for governments to progressively
increase budgetary allocations
for agriculture to at
least 10 percent of the national
total budgets as recommended in
the African Union's Maputo Declaration
on Agriculture and Food
Security adopted in July 2003.
investment
in agriculture over the
last two decades. Budgetary allocation
to the sector fell from 21
percent in 1980 to 2.1 percent in
1998 before rising marginally to
6.5 percent in 2002/03 farming
season, according to a Country
Strategic Opportunities Paper
prepared through collaboration
between the government and
the International Fund for Agricultural
Development.
The Dar es Salaam Declaration
calls for governments to progressively
increase budgetary allocations
for agriculture to at
least 10 percent of the national
total budgets as recommended in
the African Union's Maputo Declaration
on Agriculture and Food
Security adopted in July 2003.


Abstract:
THE SUCCESSFUL elections in
the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) on 30 July are a
major step toward national reconciliation
and reconstruction.

body:
Elections a major step toward reconciliation and reconstruction
THE SUCCESSFUL elections in
the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) on 30 July are a
major step toward national reconciliation
and reconstruction.
Final poll results are expected
to be announced by the
Supreme Court before 31 August,
with the inauguration of
the president-elect provisionally
set for 10 September.
In the event that there is no
clear winner from the 30 July
presidential poll, the inauguration
would be postponed to 10
December, after a second round
of voting to determine the winner.
DRC law requires that the
winner of the presidential election
garners at least 50 percent
of the votes to avoid a run-off.
The chairperson of the
Independent Electoral Commission
(IEC), Apollinaire
Malu Malu, said the management
of the electoral process
went according to plan.
Over 25.6 million people
were eligible to vote in the first
democratic elections since the
DRC attained independence in
1960.
The polls were contested by
33 presidential candidates, including
five women. More than
9,700 parliamentary candidates
contested 500 legislative seats.
The elections attracted a lot
of attention from various international
organisations, which
sent teams to observe the elections.
There were over 4,000 national
and 1,500 international
observers to monitor the
process. More than 70 international
journalists were on the
ground, covering the elections.
SADC sent a 200-member
observer team led by John
Pandeni, Namibia's Minister
of Regional and
Local Government,
Housing and Rural
Development.
In a preliminary statement issued
after the polls, the SADC
team described the elections as
“peaceful, credible, well managed
and transparent.”
“Despite the complexity of
the process in a country emerging
from armed conflict and a
long transition coupled with resource
and infrastructure constraints,
the people of Democratic
Republic of the Congo have
expressed their will in an impressive manner that will remain
in the annals of history of
not only of the people of Congo
but also of Africa and the world
as whole,” said SADC.
The SADC Election
Observer Mission is guided by
the SADC Principles and Guidelines
Governing Democratic
Elections.
Under the guidelines, SADC
Member States have agreed to
guarantee the full participation
of all citizens in their country's
political processes.
This includes, among others,
the need for political tolerance;
regular intervals for elections as
provided for by the respective
national Constitutions; equal opportunity
for all political parties
to access the state media; and
equal opportunity to exercise the
right to vote and be voted for.
Other countries where these
guidelines have been applied are Mauritius, the United Republic of
Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Among other organisations
that sent observer teams to the
DRC were the African Union
(AU), the SADC Parliamentary
Forum (SADC PF) and the European
Union.
“I congratulate the Congolese
people for their patience,
courage and faith in the future
which they have demonstrated
throughout the long years of
war experienced by the DRC as
well as during the three years of
political transition,” said Alpha
Omar Konare, AU commission
chairperson.
Konare encouraged
DRC political parties and
their supporters to respect the
electoral verdict and said disputes
should be addressed only
through legal means.
The SADC PF, a regional organisation
of parliamentarians
from SADC Member States, deployed
a 115-member delegation
under the leadership of the
Deputy Speaker of Malawi's
National Assembly, Jones
Chingola.
South African President
Mbeki said the elections were a
decisive moment in the modern
history of the DRC and Africa
and a major step on the road to
reconciliation, reconstruction
and development.
The southern African region
hopes to extract immense benefits
from the vast central African
country, which boasts of rich diamond
fields and a vast market
for trade and investment.
With a population of 60 million
people, the DRC is set to
provide the much-needed market
to benefit the rest of the
SADC region.
The DRC has vast untapped
agricultural capacity and could
be the next food-basket of
Africa, only if current peace
holds.
Straddling the equator and
spanning two tropical zones, its
climate favours the cultivation
of a wide range of tropical and
Mediterranean crops. More than
half of the DRC's land is arable
and suitable for farming but
currently just a fraction is being
utilised.
The landmark election has
resulted from several peace-building
initiatives, culminating
in the 18 December 2005
referendum that embraced
changes to the national Constitution.
Through the referendum, the
Congolese decided that elections
should take place in 2006
to elect a popular government.
The holding of the elections
was postponed several times
this year to allow the IEC time to
prepare for the polls.
Preparations were hampered
by unforeseen hurdles mostly to
do with the immense size of the
country, coupled with the poor
state of the communications infrastructure.
South Africa assisted by providing
material and logistical
support in the run-up to the
polls. It contributed material for
printing the ballot papers and
assisted in the distribution of
voting papers to 14 hubs across
the country.


title:
Lesotho - Country driven by a shared national vision

Abstract:
“BY 2020, Lesotho shall be a
stable democracy, united, prosperous nation at peace with itself
and its neighbours. It shall
have a healthy and well-developed
human resource base. Its
economy will be strong, its environment well-managed and
its technology well established.”

body:
“BY 2020, Lesotho shall be a
stable democracy, united, prosperous nation at peace with itself
and its neighbours. It shall
have a healthy and well-developed
human resource base. Its
economy will be strong, its environment well-managed and
its technology well established.”
This is the vision statement
that has been the rallying point
for all Basotho since 2004 and is
expected to guide the development
agenda of this kingdom of
just over two million people up
to 2020.
The Vision 2020 was the culmination
of wide national consultations
that started in 2000.
Inspired by the Basotho values
of peace, unity, tolerance, selfrespect,
order and sharing, the
Vision 2020 blueprint was officially
endorsed as representing
the developmental aspirations
of the Basotho in 2004.
It is envisaged that by the
year 2020, Lesotho shall be a stable
democracy where the principles
of good governance will be
anchored on the respect for
human rights, the rule of law,
political openness, political participation
and tolerance.
This form of governance
will be based on five pillars of
democracy that encompass: supremacy of the will of people,
transparency, a devoted and efficient
public service, justice
for all and efficient chieftainship.
Changes to the country's
electoral system, from First Past
The Post (FPTP) to Mixed Member
Proportional (MMP) representation,
and the restructuring
of the defence forces in the past
few years have substantially improved the political environment.
The Vision 2020 programme
also envisages that Basotho shall
be a united nation with cherished
norms and values that will enhance a sense of belonging,
identity, and pride in every citizen.
The long-term national vision
foresees a prosperous
Lesotho, with a robust economy
whose performance will be underpinned
by good economic
policies. Its vibrant economy
with a strong industrial base
will fully exploit the potential
for locally available natural resources.
The country's key textile and
clothing industry, which has not
been performing well since
2005, is showing signs of recovering
from the slump caused by
the removal of privileges into
the lucrative European and
American markets.
Lesotho's single largest employer,
the textile industry has
made a remarkable comeback,
with several factories that were
closed being reopened. The
number of jobs which had
shrunk from just more than
50,000 to below 40,000 over the
past two years, has climbed
back to around 47,000.

Lesotho was one of the victims
of the 2005 phase-out of the
30-year-old Multi-Fibre Agreement
that protected smaller textile
industries in developing
countries by insulating them
from Chinese competition.
The phase-out, courtesy of a
World Trade Organisation ruling,
opened the United States
and European markets to market
forces, which allowed
Chinese textile and
clothing companies
to export to these
markets.
Lesotho has
also set its sights
on deepening its cooperation
with other countries in
the areas of trade, investment
and economic advancement as
part of the Vision 2020 strategy.
One of the areas it has been
deepening its cooperation is
tourism where the country has
just developed a strategy to take
advantage of South Africa's
hosting of the soccer World Cup
in 2010.
One of the measures proposed
by the Lesotho Tourism
Development Corporation is the
establishment of an “African
Pavilion” during the tournament
at which southern African
culture will be showcased
through handicrafts and works
of arts.
The corporation has also set
its sight on improving existing
and developing new infrastructure
ahead of the World Cup as
well as an improvement of facilities
at the country's border
posts.
The country has set out to
improve its education system, with emphasis on the improvement
of quality, efficiency and
effectiveness. The target is to
ultimately achieve universal
primary education and to improve
access to early secondary
education while securing high
quality and performance standards.
Lesotho also hopes to have
met all international environmental
standards by 2020. The
Basotho people will be empowered
in designing and managing
biodiversity conservation
projects relevant to their own
communities and environmental
education will be integrated
at all levels of learning.
Culture plays a crucial role in
the lives of the Basotho and it is
hoped that by 2020 all the country's
citizens will share common
goals based on their heritage.
They will also continue to show
respect for their national symbols
such as the national anthem
and flag.
The target is to create a country
characterised by sustained
political stability, political tolerance
and peaceful coexistence
among its people and with its
neighbours.
It is further envisaged that
Basotho shall be a healthy nation
with a well-developed
human resource base. The country
will have a good quality
health system with facilities and
infrastructure accessible and affordable
to all Basotho, irrespective
of income, disabilities, and
geographical location and
wealth. (Lesotho Government online)


title:
Integrated Committee of Ministers sets priorities for SADC 2006/07

Abstract:
THE INTEGRATED Committee of Ministers (ICM) is one of the new institutions
established in the restructuring of SADC, to ensure the
smooth implementation of regional programmes and projects.

body:
THE INTEGRATED Committee of Ministers (ICM) is one of the new institutions
established in the restructuring of SADC, to ensure the
smooth implementation of regional programmes and projects.
The role of ICM is to ensure proper policy guidance and coordination
of cross-sectoral activities. That mandate involves the review of the activities
of SADC directorates to ensure rapid implementation of programmes.
The ICM meets once a year to review progress. The 2006 meeting
was held in South Africa in June, during which the ministers reviewed
the implementation of 2005/2006 priorities of the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and of last year's ICM decisions.
Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan

Successful implementation of the
RISDP holds the key to the attainment
of regional integration
objectives. Member States were
urged to mainstream the RISDP
into their national development
plans and the ICM resolved to
recommend to the Council of
Ministers in August to approve
the introduction of a Policy and
Planning element in the structures
of priority directorates.
This will strengthen the capacity
of directorates for operational
planning, monitoring
and reporting.
The RISDP has broad targets
and priorities, five of which
have been identified for immediate
implementation. These
are in the areas of:
 peace, security and democracy;
 trade and economic liberalisation;
 infrastructure and services
development;
 human and social imperatives,
such as HIV and AIDS
and food security; and,
 cross-cutting issues with a
critical bearing on these core
integration areas.
The ICM approved and
adopted cluster reports on the
implementation of programmes
and activities, including
priorities for the
next financial year.
Challenges faced in
the implementation of
regional programmes include inadequate human resources
capacity for the directorates
as some senior positions
are still to be filled, while others
remain frozen due to budgetary
constraints.

Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment

Member States plan to expedite
the decision on the extension of
an agreement on textiles between
the Southern African Customs
Union (SACU) countries and
Malawi, Mozambique, the United
Republic of Tanzania and Zambia
(MMTZ) due to end in July.
The agreement, known as the
SACU-MMTZ Textiles and
Clothing Quota Arrangement,
allows duty-free access for
MMTZ textiles and clothing exports
into SACU countries.
The SACU-MMTZ Textiles
and Clothing Quota Arrangement
is in line with the implementation
of the SADC Trade
Protocol, which came into force
in 2000, paving the way for the
creation of a free trade area in
SADC over an eight-year period.
The MMTZ countries have
for the past five years been able
to export their clothing and textile
products to the SACU region
on the basis of what is termed a “single stage transformation”
rule of origin.
This rule is used to ensure
that Member States at least add
a certain minimum value of
local content to imported products
before they can re-export
to other SADC countries.
The actual quotas vary on the
basis of current production capacity
and the arrangement was
in place for a period of five years
commencing 1 August 2001.
SACU comprises Botswana,
Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland
and South Africa. Its members already enjoy duty-free trade
among themselves and the
SACU-MMTZ agreement is an
attempt to broaden such treatment
to other countries in SADC
under the Trade Protocol.
Meanwhile, progress has
been made on the review of the
SADC rules of origin and the
Secretariat is expected to finalise
recommendations on the
rules. The recommendations
will quicken the implementation
of the Protocol on Trade.
Member States must submit
their gazetted tariff phase-down
schedules for 2006 to the
Secretariat. Tariff phase-down
is one of the provisions of the
SADC Protocol on Trade approved
by Heads of State and
Government during the SADC
Summit in 1996, and came into
force in September 2000.
The protocol aims to create a
Free Trade Area in the SADC
region by 2008.
A task force was formed
during the ICM comprising ministers of trade and finance
from selected Member States
whose role will be to spearhead
activities leading to the formation
of the SADC Customs
Union by 2010.
Social and Human Development and Special Programmes

There are plans to improve interventions
on combating communicable
and non-communicable
diseases.
This will involve improvement
of the coordination and
facilitation of programmes on
the prevention and control of
major communicable and noncommunicable
diseases, including
traumas and accidents,
and the development of a regional
strategy to accelerate
HIV and AIDS prevention in all
Member States.
Of particular concern is the
limited progress made in reducing
incidence of tuberculosis
despite having been declared TB an emergency in
Africa, including the SADC region.
Ministers attending the ICM
noted that the Cluster on Social
and Human Development continued
to face the problem of
limited policy guidance and direction
at the ministerial level,
especially in the areas of labour
and employment, culture, information
and sports.
The ICM endorsed the
Human and Social Development and Special Programmes
Directorate's business plan and
priorities for 2007/08, as well
as actions that would address
some of these challenges and
constraints and facilitate effective
implementation of the
RISDP.
Identified priorities include
coordination and implementation
of business plans for the
protocols on health and education
and training; strengthening
of national quality assurance
systems within the context
of the Regional Qualifications
Frameworks; and
implementation of the
SADC/African Development
Bank project on open and distance
learning.
Infrastructure and Services

The Infrastructure and Services
Directorate facilitates programmes
that promote access
to transport, communications,
energy, water and tourism by
rural communities, and seeks
to promote community participation
in the mainstream business
as a vehicle for poverty reduction
and attainment of Millennium
Development Goal
targets.

Projects that the directorate
is undertaking include the following.


WESTCOR

Western Corridor Project
(WESTCOR) is a regional project
conceived through the combined initiative of the SADC
Secretariat and the power utilities
of Angola, Botswana, Democratic
Republic of Congo
(DRC), Namibia and South
Africa. There are plans to include
other SADC countries.
The project intends to exploit
the hydroelectric energy
of the Inga rapids on the
Congo river in the DRC and
will add about 3,500
megawatts of power to the regional
grid. It will also develop
associated telecommunications
and transmission infrastructure in the western part
of SADC.
The consortium has established
an office in Gaborone,
Botswana, and is in the
process of mobilising resources to start the project by
constructing power transmission
lines to countries in need
of energy.
Energy sector reforms

The ICM said Member States
need to speed up reforms of
their power utilities to improve
access to electricity by rural
communities and quicken the
pace towards attainment of
MDGs.
The meeting also directed
the SADC Secretariat to facilitate
the sharing of regional
modalities for best practices regarding
access, ownership, and
financing options for rural electrification.
Under its rural electrification
programme, the region has
set a target of electrifying 70
percent of rural households by
2018.
In view of the fact that the
majority of SADC's population
lives in rural areas, an efficient
and integrated infrastructure
system - including access to
electricity - will unleash the
production potential of these
communities and contribute to
poverty eradication.
2010 promotion strategy

The SADC Secretariat and the
Regional Tourism Organisation
of Southern Africa are formulating
a tourism strategy to benefit
from visitors to the 2010 FIFA
World Cup.
Member States are currently
preparing proposals on how to
benefit from the 2010 tournament.
These include how the
Member States can utilise the
various Trans-frontier Conservation
Parks that have been established.
Air transport

Significant progress has been
made by the region in terms of
institutional reforms aimed at
facilitating implementation of
the air transport liberalisation
process in line with the SADC
Protocol on Transport, Communications
and Meteorology.
Article 9.2 of the protocol requires
SADC countries to implement
gradual air transport liberalisation
of intra-regional air
transport markets for regional
airlines.


Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources

The food security situation for
most Member States has improved
this year as compared to
last year.
However, the cereal production
for 2006 is expected
to be lower than 2005.

Total regional cereal production
for 2006 is assessed at 21.31
million tonnes, which is 15 percent
lower than last year's production
of 24.99 million tonnes.
This is due to a substantial reduction
in maize production in
South Africa from 11.45 million
tonnes in 2005 to the 2006 forecast
of 6 million tonnes.
Regional maize harvest for
2006 is estimated at 15.78 million
tonnes, representing a 20
percent decrease over last
year's harvest of 19.74 million
tonnes.
Other harvests are estimated
at 2.82 million tonnes for
wheat; 713,000 tonnes rice and
1.84 million tonnes for
sorghum/millet.
Cassava production was up
19 percent over last year at
22.03 million tonnes. Only 18.47
million tonnes were produced
in 2004/05.
Transboundary animal diseases

To avert the avian influenza,
SADC has approved a ban on
imports of poultry and poultry
products and other birds from
infected countries.
The ICM approved the ban
in compliance with recommendations
of the World Organisation
for Animal Health.
The ICM also approved a
five-year programme on
strengthening institutions for
risk management of transboundary
animal diseases
(TADs) which aims to enhance
animal health through improved
capacity for detection,
identification, monitoring and
surveillance of TADs in the region.
The programme is estimated
at US$21.86 million and the
proposal was expected to be
presented to the African Development
Bank in July for funding.


title:
Tanzania develops drought-resistant wheat variety

Abstract:
TANZANIAN SCIENTISTS
have developed a new wheat variety
which is high-yielding, matures
fast and is drought-resistant.

body:
TANZANIAN SCIENTISTS
have developed a new wheat variety
which is high-yielding, matures
fast and is drought-resistant.
Called Riziki, the wheat variety
is the product of six years of
trials and matures in only 90
days, yielding up to three
tonnes a hectare.
The Riziki variety is also resistant
to major fungal diseases
affecting the crop, especially
stem and leaf rust.
Richard Ndondi, principal
agricultural research officer
with the Arusha-based Selian
Agricultural Research Institute,
said the variety was suitable for regions of the United Republic
of Tanzania that normally
receive marginal rainfall.
Released by the country's
Ministry of Agriculture, Food
Security and Cooperatives early
this year, the new wheat variety
will prove successful in Hanang
district, a major wheat growing zone hit by drought in recent
years.
Ndondi said four more
wheat seed varieties will be released
by the ministry before
the end of this year. According
to him, currently there are nine
wheat seed varieties grown in
the country. (Arusha Times)


Abstract:
A ZIMBABWEAN engineering
student has invented a mini hydroelectric
plant capable of generating
electricity for irrigation.

body:
A ZIMBABWEAN engineering
student has invented a mini hydroelectric
plant capable of generating
electricity for irrigation.
According to Christopher
Chinhongo, a student at the
Harare Polytechnic, the mini
plant is powered by water from a
dam through pipes that force turbines,
sprockets and the flywheel
to turn as they generate
electricity.
It is already in use in some
villages in the Macheke resettlement
area to the north-east of
the capital, Harare.
The development of the
mini power plant comes at a
time southern Africa is facing
electricity generation shortfalls,
which are projected to worsen
from 2007, unless new projects
take off.
Rising demand for electricity
caused by high economic
growth and lack of investment
in new generation capacity are
blamed for the power shortage.
Zimbabwe has significant
small hydropower potential,
particularly in the Eastern Highlands.
Feasibility studies that
have been carried out show that
there are a number of perennial
rivers with sufficient capacity
that can be tapped for mini
hydro power development.
A United Nations Development
Programme-sponsored
study conducted in 1996
identified 12 potential
hydro sites on irrigation
dams and a further 32
run-of-river sites.
Potential also exists at many
irrigation dams throughout
Zimbabwe to develop small-scale
hydroelectric projects to
partially offset the energy importation
requirements of the
country.
Existing micro hydropower
schemes include the Rusitu Project in the Eastern Highlands,
which is the country's first and
only small hydropower plant to
be developed as an independent
public-private partnership and
connected to the national grid.
The 750 kilowatt (kW) project
was commissioned in June 1997
and has been selling power to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority.
Claremont Hydropower Project,
also in the Eastern Highlands,
was one of the earliest
private sector small hydro
plants to be developed in Zimbabwe
in 1962 with a capacity of
450kW.


title:
Mozambique signs up for e-schools project

Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE HAS become
the eighth African country - and
the third from SADC - to sign up
for the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD)
e-schools programme.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE HAS become
the eighth African country - and
the third from SADC - to sign up
for the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD)
e-schools programme.
The southern African country
signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the
NEPAD e-Africa Commission,
Microsoft and HP to join Ghana,
Kenya, Lesotho, Senegal, South
Africa, Rwanda and Uganda as
the only countries to sign up for
the e-schools project.
The NEPAD e-schools project
aims to equip young Africans
with information and communication
technology (ICT) skills to
enable them to compete
favourably in the information
society and global economy.
First announced in 2003 at the
Africa summit of the World Economic
Forum in Durban, South
Africa, the e-schools project focuses
on providing ICT solutions
that will connect schools across
Africa to the NEPAD e-schools
network and the Internet.


Abstract:
A GROUP of researchers says a
new antibiotic found in South
African soil could be the solution
to two dangerous germs
that are bedevilling hospitals.

body:
A GROUP of researchers says a
new antibiotic found in South
African soil could be the solution
to two dangerous germs
that are bedevilling hospitals.
The antibiotic is yet to be
tested in humans and is years
away from showing up
on pharmacy shelves but the
researchers said it has plenty of
potential, especially since no
other similar drugs have landed
on the market since 2000.
They hope to use the antibiotic
to fight several bacteria that
have developed resistance
against existing drugs. One
is an infection known as
methicillin-resistant staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), which
can cause pneumonia in hospital
settings and skin infections
in the general population. Another
is vancomycin-resistant
enterococcus (VRE).
In mice, the antibiotic,
known as platensimycin, destroyed
both MRSA and VRE.


title:
Cahora Bassa becomes a “technically complex issue”

Abstract:
NEGOTIATIONS TO finalise
the deal allowing Portugal to
sell the giant Cahora Bassa dam
to Mozambique have stalled because
Eurostat is yet to make a
technical ruling on the impact of
the deal on the Portuguese economy.

body:
NEGOTIATIONS TO finalise
the deal allowing Portugal to
sell the giant Cahora Bassa dam
to Mozambique have stalled because
Eurostat is yet to make a
technical ruling on the impact of
the deal on the Portuguese economy.
Eurostat is the European
Union's statistical body whose
responsibility is, among other
things, to assess member states'
public expenditure and national
accounts.
The two countries signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
on 2 November 2005 under
which Mozambique would pay
US$950 million for an 85 percent
controlling stake in Hydroelectric
of Cahora Bassa (HCB),
the company that operates the
dam.
Currently, Portugal holds 82
percent of the shares, while the remainder
is held by Mozambique.
Mozambique would pay the
amount in tranches, with the official
handover initially scheduled
for December.
President Armando Guebuza
raised the issue after meeting
Portugal's Prime Minister, José
Socrates, during the Summit of
the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) held
on 18 July in Bissau, the capital of
Guinéa Bissau.
“I did not negotiate with Eurostat
or the European Union. I
negotiated with Portugal and it
is from that country that I await
a response,” he said.
Former Portuguese Prime
Minister and current President
of the European Commission,
José Manuel Durão Barroso, has told Guebuza that the sale of
Cahora Bassa is "a technically
complex issue" which will take
"some time to solve".
Barroso stressed that Eurostat
"is trying to determine
whether this operation is compatible
with the obligations assumed
by Portugal under the
convergence plan for budget
deficit reduction."


Abstract:
THREE SOUTHERN African
countries that share the Limpopo
Trans-Frontier Conservation Park
are putting together investment
incentives to spin benefits from
South Africa's hosting of the soccer
World Cup in 2010.

body:
THREE SOUTHERN African
countries that share the Limpopo
Trans-Frontier Conservation Park
are putting together investment
incentives to spin benefits from
South Africa's hosting of the soccer
World Cup in 2010.
Mozambique, South Africa
and Zimbabwe agreed on a
s h a red investment drive at a
conference held on 28 July in
Polokwane, South Africa.
The three countries are directly
involved in the soccer fiesta
through one of the 10 host stadiums
- the Peter Mokaba Stadium
in Polokwane. The stadium is less
than 300 kilometres from both
Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The Limpopo trans-frontier
park is made up of South Africa's
Kruger National Park, the
Limpopo National Park in
Mozambique, and Zimbabwe's
Gonarezhou National Park.
The programme by the three
countries is backed by a Master
Plan launched by the SADC
Council of Ministers in February to develop a joint strategy to improve
infrastructure ahead of the
World Cup. The strategy is
known as the Trans-Frontier Conservation
Areas 2010 Soccer
World Cup.
Local and foreign companies
wishing to invest in the
Limpopo region will be granted
incentives ranging from tax
relief to investment grants.
The Limpopo initiative is targeting
US$1.4 billion worth of
investment and expects to create
5,000 jobs in the next three to
five years with spin-off impact
on the surrounding areas of
Mozambique and Zimbabwe.


Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE AND Zimbabwe
have removed three zeroes
from the value of their money as
part of currency reforms aimed at
making business and other transactions
manageable.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE AND Zimbabwe
have removed three zeroes
from the value of their money as
part of currency reforms aimed at
making business and other transactions
manageable.
The Bank of Mozambique introduced
a “new family” of metical
banknotes on 1 July. The new
notes bear the face of the country's
first post-independence
president, Samora Machel.
The old banknotes and coins
will remain legal tender until 31
December when they will be removed
from circulation.
In a midterm monetary policy
review at the end of July, the governor
of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe,
Gideon Gono, announced
a "new family" of bearer cheques
effective from 1 August, after removing
three zeroes from all denominations.
The old notes will
cease to be legal tender from 21
August at the latest.


title:
Thermal power station planned for Swaziland

Abstract:
A PRIVATE company in Swaziland
has announced plans to construct
one of southern Africa's
largest thermal power stations to
contribute to easing the region's
electricity shortages.

body:
A PRIVATE company in Swaziland
has announced plans to construct
one of southern Africa's
largest thermal power stations to
contribute to easing the region's
electricity shortages.
The power station is expected
to produce about 3,500
megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Peter Canham, one of the
project promoters, said the electricity
to be produced will satisfy
local demand while the surplus
can be exported to other
countries in the region.
"It will satisfy the local demand,
as we will be facing
shortages from next year when
South Africa stops supplying
the country," Canham said.
The project is worth over
US$1 billion and should provide
about 15,000 jobs.
The Swaziland Electricity
Board is carrying out a feasibility
study on the project before
construction can start.
Swaziland currently has an
installed capacity of 51 MW and
relies on South Africa for about
80 percent of its electricity.


title:
Natural wealth key to poverty reduction in Africa, study

Abstract:
POVERTY CAN be eradicated
for Africa's 800 million inhabitants
if the continent's wealth of
natural resources is effectively,
fairly and sustainably harnessed.

body:
POVERTY CAN be eradicated
for Africa's 800 million inhabitants
if the continent's wealth of
natural resources is effectively,
fairly and sustainably harnessed.
However, rapid deforestation,
widespread land degradation,
wasteful water use and climate
change must be urgently
addressed, according to a new
report.
“The report challenges the
myth that Africa is poor,” the
UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) executive director,
Achim Steiner, said of the Africa
Environment Outlook 2 (AEO 2).
“Indeed, it points out that its
vast natural wealth can, if sensitively,
sustainably and creatively
managed, be the basis for an
African renaissance - a renaissance
that meets and goes beyond
the internationally agreed
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs),” he added.
According to AEO-2, African
countries face stark choices.
“If policies remain unchanged,
political will found
wanting and sufficient funding
proves to be elusive, then Africa may take a far more unsustainable
track that will see an erosion
of its nature-based wealth
and a slide into even deeper
poverty,” the study noted.
Beyond home-grown issues
such as deforestation and water
wastage, the report notes some
imported challenges, ranging
from genetically modified organisms
and the cost of alien invasive
species to a switch of
chemical manufacturing from
the developed to the developing
world.
It also cites a wide range
of international environment
treaties to which many African
countries are now parties as
well as new cooperative agreements
covering shared river
basins and ecosystems such as
the Limpopo and the Zambezi,
and the Congo basin's globally
important forests.
Initiatives such as the African
Union's New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD)
also promise to propel the continent
onto a more prosperous
path that balances economic, social
and environmental concerns.
Several African countries,
such as the Gambia and Zambia,
are mainstreaming the environment
in their Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers and other countries
are starting to use taxation
and other market mechanisms
to conserve ecosystems including
forests.
“I am convinced that we are
fast reaching a watershed in
Africa's response and that the
pieces of a sustainable jigsaw
puzzle are being steadily put
into place,” Steiner said.
He noted that African governments
are showing an increased
willingness to cooperate
and engage over a wide range of
pressing regional and global issues.
“The economic importance
of the environment is increasingly
recognized by Africa's
leaders as an instrument for development,
for livelihoods, for
peace and for stability. I sincerely
believe we have a real opportunity
to take this impetus a
long way,” he concluded.
Among the sources of possible
wealth the report cites the
"huge but relatively untapped"
potential for tourism based
around nature and cultural sites;
suitable land to feed its people;
abundant but little used water
resources for irrigation, drinking
water and power generation;
and Africa's status as "a
mining giant", producing nearly
80 percent of the world's platinum, more than 40 percent of
the globe's diamonds and more
than a fifth of its gold and cobalt.
The report calls for a transition
for Africa from being a
major exporter of primary resources
to being one with a vibrant
industrial and manufacturing
base.
The report warns against the
pitfalls in development, noting,
for example, that pure market
forces alone in food production
could lead to greater land degradation,
and industrial expansion
could deprive the general public
of water.
AEO 2 was produced
through a participatory and collaborative
process involving
many African experts and government
officials. Overall coordination
was provided by
UNEP, while sub-regional coordination
was provided by a network
of six collaborating centres.
The six collaborating centres
are the Southern African Research
and Documentation Centre
(SARDC); National Environment
Management Authority
(NEMA); Indian Ocean Commission
(IOC); Centre for Environment
and Development in
the Arab Region and Europe
(CEDARE); Network for Environment
and Sustainable Development
in Africa (NESDA); and
Agence Internationale pour le
Development de l'Information
Environnementale (ADIE).


Abstract:
THE UNITED Republic of Tanzania
has banned plastic bags
and containers and ordered people
to stop farming and logging
on Africa's highest mountain,
among other environmental
measures.

body:
THE UNITED Republic of Tanzania
has banned plastic bags
and containers and ordered people
to stop farming and logging
on Africa's highest mountain,
among other environmental
measures.
Manufacturers were given
six months from 1 April to find
alternative materials after the
government outlawed the importation,
manufacture
and sale of plastic bags
and plastic containers for
drinks. From 1 October
manufacturers and
importers will be penalised
for using plastic wrapping
material.
The announcement by Tanzania
marks the first time an
African country has banned all
plastic bags outright.
South Africa introduced laws
in May 2003 forcing shopkeepers
to hand out thicker, stronger
plastic bags that are more easily
re-used or face a R100,000 fine
or 10 years in jail.
The Tanzanian government
also ordered farmers and people
logging trees on Mount Kilimanjaro
to leave the mountain
by June.


title:
2010 World Cup a unifying event for SADC

Abstract:
SOUTH AFRICA has stepped
up preparations for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, the biggest single-
event sporting activity in
the world, which is set to be a
major unifying occasion for the
country and the entire SADC
region .

body:
SOUTH AFRICA has stepped
up preparations for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, the biggest single-
event sporting activity in
the world, which is set to be a
major unifying occasion for the
country and the entire SADC
region .

The whole of South Africa -
from the business community
and soccer administrators to
the media and fans - responded
enthusiastically to the call by
P resident Thabo Mbeki to
show the world that the 2010
soccer showpiece will be the
“most successful World Cup
ever.”
Unveiling the 2010 World
Cup logo in Berlin, Germany, in
July, President Mbeki promised
to make the tournament a
unique event that celebrates
Africa “in all its magnificent
splendour, its vibrancy and its
diversity.”
He dismissed sceptics who
doubted South Africa's ability to
stage the tournament, which has
been held alternately in Europe
and the Americas since it started
in 1930.
The only other time that pattern
was broken was in 2002
when it was hosted jointly by
Japan and South Korea.
President Mbeki's pledge
and the coming down of the curtain on the 2006 FIFAWorld Cup
in Germany in July have triggered
a lot of interest within
South Africa and neighbouring
countries.
Soccer administrators have
started preparations to ensure
all the necessary facilities will be
in place by 2010.
About R8.5 billion (US$1 is
approx. R7) has been budgeted
for infrastructure development,
with five existing stadiums earmarked
for renovations while another
five new stadiums will be
built ahead of the tournament.
“Other costs will go towards
the upgrading of infrastructure,”
said Danny Jordaan, chief
executive of South Africa's 2010
World Cup Local Organising
Committee.
South Africa's hosting of the
tournament will create an opportunity
for soccer lovers to experience
tourism in the southern
African region.
From the beautiful stadiums
of Germany, soccer lovers will
have a chance to sample African
cultural tourism.
The hosting of the World
Cup is set to increase pre-tournament
activities throughout
southern Africa to ensure increased
direct and spillover benefits
in the region.
Southern Africa has developed
a joint strategy to improve
infrastructure ahead of
the soccer World Cup.
The strategy, known
as the Trans - Frontier
Conservation Areas
2010 Soccer World Cup
Strategy, will be used
to develop and market
various trans-frontier
parks and trans-frontier
conservation areas
in southern Africa as
premier tourist destinations
for the region .
Together with SADC
neighbours, South
Africa boasts of a range of landscapes and a teeming cast
of free-range animals, giving the
World Cup lovers a double treat
never experienced in any of the
developed countries that have
hosted the trophy before.
South Africa's World Cup
ambassador and retired
Ghanaian football star, Abedi
Pele, said “Africa will do it the
African style,” brushing aside
thoughts that South Africa
should adjust to the Western
standards.
The country has previously
successfully hosted big events
such as the Rugby World Cup finals
in 1995, the African Cup of
Nations in 1996 and Cricket
World Cup finals in 2003, which
it co-hosted with Zimbabwe and
Kenya.
A 23-year-old soccer fan,
Lebo Mashile, summed up the
mood among supporters when
she talked about how valuable
the tournament was to the region.
She said, "Yes, we are rough
around the edges but our core is
tremendously valuable. What
hosting the World Cup means is
that our generation can dream
as big as they want to dream.
And it gives South Africans and
all Africans the chance to show
they can do anything and excel
at anything by world-class standards."
André Pruis of the South
African Police Services and
chairperson of the joint operations
and intelligence structure
for the 2010 World Cup has
promised tight security for all
the visitors in 2010.
The government is also developing
a "transport master
plan" that will improve South
Africa's public transport system
ahead of 2010.
The plan proposes the development
of new routes for formal
public transport to conform to
the growing population and urban
expansion.


title:
SABC gets broadcasting rights for 2010, 2014 finals

Abstract:
SOUTH AFRICAN Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC) has
won broadcasting rights for the
2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup
finals.

body:
SOUTH AFRICAN Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC) has
won broadcasting rights for the
2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup
finals.
SABC was also awarded the
broadcasting rights for all
FIFA competitions between
2007 and 2014, which include
the two FIFA World Cup
final competitions and two
FIFA Confederations Cups
due to take place during this
period.
The agreement consists of
all audiovisual rights for both
free and pay TV as well as radio.
It is expected to create opportunities
for other players in
the communication industry
within South Africa and in the
SADC region.
SABC has already committed
to ensuring wide access for the
entire South African media industry,
including potential sublicensees.
The South African broadcaster
will also benefit from the
fund that has been set aside to
upgrade infrastructure ahead of
2010.
"The SABC ... will move from
analogue to high-definition digital,"
said Danny Jordaan, chief
executive of South Africa's 2010
World Cup Local Organising
Committee, explaining how the
fund will be used.
SABC also hosts the Southern
African Broadcasting Association
(SABA), an association of
national broadcasters in the region.


title:
The limits to free trade in agricultural products

Abstract:
CAN DEVELOPING countries trade their way
out of poverty?

body:
CAN DEVELOPING countries trade their way
out of poverty?
International trade has grown dramatically in
the last two decades in the global economy, and
trade is an important source of revenue in developing
countries. Yet, many low-income countries
are still poor.
This book recasts the so-called Coffee Paradox
- the coexistence of a "coffee boom" in consuming
countries and of a "coffee crisis" in producing
countries.
While coffee bar chains have expanded rapidly
in consuming countries, international coffee
prices have fallen dramatically and producers received
the lowest prices in decades.
The paradox exists because what farmers sell
and what consumers buy are increasingly "different"
coffees.
Reviewers describe this book as, "A masterful
job showing the limits to 'free' trade in agricultural
products as well as providing some concrete
proposals as to what must be done to promote
greater equity."
Published in 2005 by Zed Books in London, it
is distributed in southern Africa by David Philip,
an imprint of New Africa Books, Cape Town, 99
Garfield Road, Claremont 7700, P.O. Box 46962,
Glosderry 7702, South Africa.
The Coffee Paradox: Global Markets, Commodity
Trade and the Elusive Promise of Development, by
Benoit Daviron and Stefano Ponte. 295pp.


title:
The New Conditionality – The Politics of Poverty Reduction Strategies

Abstract:
POVERTY REDUCTION Strategies
(PRSs) are the new buzzwords in development
aid.
This book presents detailed, fieldlevel
research on the application of
PRSs in three countries: United Republic
of Tanzania, Vietnam and Honduras.

body:
POVERTY REDUCTION Strategies
(PRSs) are the new buzzwords in development
aid.
This book presents detailed, fieldlevel
research on the application of
PRSs in three countries: United Republic
of Tanzania, Vietnam and Honduras.
It describes the changing relations
between the governments of these
countries, donor agencies and civic organisations
that have taken part in
formulating the new generation of
PRSs.
Poverty Reduction Strategies run up
against a central paradox: in giving decisive
policy-making powers to external
agencies, the very process of drawing up
development strategies to prioritise reducing
poverty can gravely undermine the
consolidation of democratic forces, structures
and ideas in developing countries.
Edited by Jeremy Gould. 180pp.

Available from Zed Books, c/o David
Philip, Cape Town.

E-mail: info@newafricabooks.co.za

Website:  www.zedbooks.co.uk


title:
Remembering heroes Solidarity shaped liberation struggles

Abstract:
“THE BLOOD of all these sons and daughters of Namibia watered the
tree of our liberty and will always be remembered by present and future
generations of the Republic of Namibia.”

body:
“THE BLOOD of all these sons and daughters of Namibia watered the
tree of our liberty and will always be remembered by present and future
generations of the Republic of Namibia.”
These words taken from Where Others Wavered, Autobiography of Sam
Nujoma aptly portray the story of the liberation struggle for not only
Namibia but most of southern Africa.
A striking common factor in all the liberation struggles was the importance
attached to regionalism. Regional solidarity played a key role
in shaping the future of an independent southern Africa.
As a result, the heroes in the liberation of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa and Zimbabwe were not limited to those countries' sons
and daughters but include the citizens of other countries in the region.
Mozambique this year commemorates the 32nd anniversary of victory
in the war against colonialism. It was in Lusaka on 7 September
1974 that the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) and
the Portuguese government signed an agreement ending the war and
paving the way for full independence nine months later.
The day is celebrated as Victory Day and is a public holiday. In remembrance
of its heroes, Mozambique also commemorates Armed
Forces Day on 25 September each year to mark the anniversary of the
start of the armed struggle for national liberation.
Angola's independence in 1975 had geo-strategic implications for
southern Africa as the country became a battleground of ideologies, the
African nerve-centre of the Cold War between the former Soviet Union
and the United States.
Angola's foreign policy at the time of its independence was motivated
by a desire by the country's first post-independence president,
Agostinho Neto, and his government to fend off attacks from internal
and external forces.
Neto saw the struggles for independence in the rest of Africa as directly
connected to his own government's long-term survival.
Neto died on 17 September 1979 before seeing his dream of creating
a peaceful neighbourhood. A holiday, Founder of Nation and National
Heroes' Day on 17 September, was set aside in his honour in Angola.
Heroes' Day in Zimbabwe is commemorated on 14 August but the
story of the country's struggle is incomplete without mention of thousands
of people in neighbouring countries who stood by their Zimbabwean
brothers and sisters. Thousands of Mozambicans and Zambians
supported the struggle to liberate their neighbour, and monuments
have been established in those countries for remembrance.
Heroes' day is marked as a public holiday, following by acknowledgement
of the essential role of the Defence Forces on their day, 15 August.
The same can be said of Namibia's struggle for independence which
produced many heroes within and outside the country's borders, and
strengthened regional solidarity despite the loss of lives and destruction of
property due to destabilization by the apartheid South African regime.
Namibia remembers its Heroes on 26 August each year.


Abstract:
SADC IS set to embark on a project to collect
the history of the liberation struggle in the region,
through the SADC History Project,
whose patron is Ambassador Hashim Mbita.

body:
SADC IS set to embark on a project to collect
the history of the liberation struggle in the region,
through the SADC History Project,
whose patron is Ambassador Hashim Mbita.

Mbita was Executive Secretary of the
Liberation Committee of the Organisation
of African Unity (OAU) for more than 20
years, until his mission was accomplished
with the democratic elections in South
Africa in 1994.
The Liberation Committee was wound up on 15 August 1994 with a
special ceremony hosted by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in Arusha, attended
by 10 heads of state and government, two vice-presidents and nine foreign
ministers. The ceremony paid tribute to the courage of the freedom fighters
who fought and won independence.
SADC has now taken up the task of documenting that history. An office
has been established in Dar es Salaam under the leadership of Professor
A. Temu, and preliminary preparations have been done.
Focal points who are the lead researchers have been identified for all
eight countries, and contracts have been issued. Milestones have been established
for the two-year project, and now that resources have been
sourced, the main challenge is to ensure the cooperation of those people
who have stories to tell.
The project is operational in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In an inspirational address to the researchers last year, Mbita stressed
the need to “record the inspiration, commitment, determination, sacrifices,
means, strategies and experiences gained at different stages.”
He said the “decolonisation struggle which engulfed the African continent
during the last 60 years was basically one, though fought in various
parts and against different colonizing powers.
“History should be reflected in proper perspective through the
African eye because many a time it has been written from outside the
continent,” Mbita said.
The project was approved by the Summit of SADC Heads of State and
Government when they met in Botswana in August 2005 to mark the Silver
Jubilee of the regional community. The project is funded entirely by
SADC governments.


body:
CURRENCY CHECKLIST
Country Currency (US $1)
Angola Kwanza (100 lwei) 80.38
Botswana Pula (100 thebe) 5.93
DRC Congo Franc 436.00
Lesotho Maloti (100 lisente) 7.23
Madagascar Ariary 9,275.00
Malawi Kwacha (100 tambala) 139.25
Mauritius Rupee (100 cents) 30.95
Mozambique Metical (100 centravos) 26,18
Namibia Dollar (100 cents) 6.93
South Africa Rand (100 cents) 6.93
Swaziland Lilangeni (100 cents) 7.05
Tanzania Shilling (100 cents) 1,288.00
Zambia Kwacha (100 ngwee) 3,550.00
Zimbabwe Dollar (100 Cents) 250.00

August 2006



body:
EVENTS DIARY 2006
August
11-14 Lesotho
Standing Committee of Senior Officials of SADC

The technical advisory committee to Council of Ministers
meets in advance of Council and is chaired by the country
chairing SADC, as are the Council and Summit. Current SADC
chair is Botswana.
15-16 Lesotho
SADC Council of Ministers

The Council is responsible for supervising and monitoring the
functions and development of SADC and ensuring that policies
are properly implemented. Council comprises ministers of
foreign affairs, international cooperation, economic
development or planning and finance from each Member
State. Council precedes the Summit and prepares policy
recommendations for adoption by the leaders.
17-18 Lesotho
SADC Summit

The Summit of Heads of State and Government is the ultimate
policy-making institution of SADC. The Maseru Summit will
witness the official handover of the rotating SADC Chair from
President Festus Mogae of Botswana to Prime Minister
Pakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho.
13-18 Canada
International AIDS Conference 2006

Organised by the International AIDS Society, the theme of the
16th International AIDS Conference will be “Time to Deliver”.
Participants will share the latest evidence, ideas and lessons
learned in HIV and AIDS research, policies and programmes.
The conference will focus on the shared prevention, treatment
and care obligations of those engaged to respond to the
pandemic.

20-26 Sweden
World Water Week
The World Water Week in Stockholm is the leading annual
global meeting place for capacity-building, partnershipbuilding
and follow-up on the implementation of international
processes and programmes in water and development.
September
11-15 South Africa
Highway Africa @ 10 Conference

More than 500 journalists from 40 African countries are
expected to attend the tenth anniversary of the Highway Africa
conference. The conference will assess the state of Africa's
media and focus on the role that it plays in democra cy and
development.
26-29 Germany
Africa Business Summit

The summit aims to increase European investment in Africa by
raising private sector awareness of the many commercial
opportunities in Africa. Organised by NEPAD, the summit will
also address specific policy issues that confront the European
private sector in the African market place and to develop
partnerships among African and European businesses.
October
3-6 Namibia
Tourism 2006

This is the third in a series of investment promotion meetings
held under the auspices of the EU-SADC Investment Promotion
Programme (ESIPP). Tourism 2006 is a unique forum aimed at
encouraging SADC countries to engage in international,
financial, technical and commercial collaboration for
development of tourism and hospitality in the region.

25-27 Italy
World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD)

The WCCD aims to analyse and evaluate new developments in
the field of communication. The congress will focus on the
importance of communication to development and come up
with recommendations on how to apply it in developmental
policies.


body:
Public Holidays in SADC
 August – October 2006

1 August Parents' Day DRC
7 August Farmers' Day Zambia
8 August Peasants' Day Tanzania
9 August National Women's Day South Africa
14 August Heroes' Day Zimbabwe
15 August Assumption Day Madagascar
15 August Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mauritius
15 August Defence Forces Day Zimbabwe
26 August Heroes' Day Namibia
29 August Ganesh Chathurthi Mauritius
6 September Somhlolo Day Swaziland
7 September Victory Day Mozambique
17 September Founder of Nation and National Heroes' Day Angola
24 September Heritage Day South Africa
25 September Armed Forces Day Mozambique
30 September Botswana Day Botswana
1 October Public Holiday Botswana
2 October Public Holiday Botswana
4 October Independence Day Lesotho
4 October Reconciliation Day/Peace Day Mozambique
9 October Mother's Day Malawi
14 October Mwalimu Nyerere Day and Climax of “The Uhuru Torch Race” Tanzania
21 October Divali Mauritius
24 October* Eid ul Fitr Mauritius, Tanzania
24 October Independence Day Zambia
* Depends on visibility of the moon


body:
PUBLICATIONS
The Millennium Development Goals -
Raising the Resources to Tackle World
Poverty

Edited by Fantu Cheru and Colin Bradford

South Africa, Cape Town, Zed Books in
association with Helsinki Process, 2005
238pp.

The is an up-to-date and detailed analysis of the
diversity of new proposals and mechanisms
currently being discussed in order to raise the
necessary financial resources to achieve the MDGs
by 2015. Some key issues examined include official
development assistance, foreign direct investment,
remittances by migrants, commodity export prices,
and new ideas to secure sustainable debt relief,
including special drawing rights, debt cancellation,
revaluation of International Monetary Fund gold
reserves, debt arbitration and other proposals.
Available from Zed Books,

c/o David Philip,

Cape Town, 99 Garfield Road, Claremont 7700,

P.O. Box 46962, Glosderry 7702.

E-mail : info@newafricabooks.co.za

Website: www.zedbooks.co.uk


Status of Food Security and Prospects for
Agricultural Development in Africa

Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, African Union, 2006
26pp.

This review of the agriculture sector and its
contribution to GDP, export earnings and
employment reveals the unchallenged prominence
of the sector in the economies of most African
countries. For the continent as a whole, the
agriculture sector accounts for approximately 60
percent of total employment, 20 percent of total
exports and 15 percent of GDP.
Available from African Union,

P.O. Box 3243, 
Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.

E-mail: webmaster@africa-union.org

Website: www.africa-union.org










The New Partnership for Africa's
Development Progress Report -
Environmental Assessment and Reporting in
Africa: Knowledge Base 2005

South Africa, Green Point, Empowerment for
African Sustainable Democracy EASD/UNEP, 2005

This compact disk (CD) contains a knowledge base
of documents on state of the environment reporting
in Africa. It includes city, provincial, national, subregional and regional state of the environment
reports as well as resources such as training
manuals and publications on environmental
indicators.
Available in CD format from EASD, 
P.O Box 165,
Green Point, South Africa.
 
E-mail: info@easd.org.za

Website: http://easd.org.za


The WTO Agreement on Agriculture
Impact on Farmers

by Agnes Chaonwa

Zimbabwe, Harare, Trades Centre, 2005
14pp

The booklet highlights the primary objective of
the World Trade Organisation Agreement on
Agriculture, which aims to reform the principles
and disciplines on agricultural policy as well as
to reduce distortions in agricultural trade caused
by agricultural protectionism and domestic
support, among others.
Available from Trades Centre, Harare.

E-mail: tradesc@tradescentre.co.zw

Website: www.tradescentre.org.zw




Understanding the WTO Dispute
Settlement System

by Felix Maonera

Zimbabwe, Harare, Trades Centre, 2005
32pp

Dispute settlement is explained as the central
pillar of the multilateral trading system, making
the trading system more secure and predictable.
Without a means of settling disputes, there would
be no way of enforcing the rules.
Available from Trades Centre, Harare.
 
E-mail: tradesc@tradescentre.co.zw

Website: www.tradescentre.org.zw







Mainstreaming ICTs:
Africa lives the information Society

by Spurr, Nicola

South Africa, Johannesburg, WOMEN'SNET, 2005
114pp.

Ten case studies are highlighted reflecting on the
innovative and creative ways in which Information
and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have
been used to promote people-centred development
in various sub-Saharan African countries.
Available from WOMEN'SNET, 
31 Quinn Street,
Newton, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa.

Website: www.womensnet.org.za





Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICAN countries are optimistic
that a booming regional economy and political stability
are the right ingredients for increased inflows
of foreign direct investment (FDI) and deeper
regional integration.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICAN countries are optimistic
that a booming regional economy and political stability
are the right ingredients for increased inflows
of foreign direct investment (FDI) and deeper
regional integration.

Buoyed by prospects of a six percent economic
growth in 2006, SADC Member States have moved
to strengthen the region's competitiveness as an investment
destination.
The economy of the 14-member SADC expanded
by five percent in 2005 and is expected to better
that performance this year on the back of strong
performances by countries such as Angola.
Angola achieved the highest real Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth in 2005 of 15.6 percent,
followed by Botswana at 8.3 percent, Mozambique
at 7.7 percent and the United Republic of Tanzania
with 6.9 percent growth.
Regional economic powerhouse, South Africa,
registered a modest five percent real GDP growth
last year, according to figures released in August at
the SADC Summit in Maseru, Lesotho.
Angola's impressive growth has been driven by
firming international oil prices and a subsequent
scramble for its oilfields by investors.
There is a similar scramble for Madagascar's oilfields,
with a number of international oil firms targeting
the Indian Ocean island's vast reserves of
the “black gold”.
Statistics from the SADC Committee of Central
Bank Governors show that there is great potential
for investment within SADC. One of the indicators
is the gross national savings as a proportion of
GDP where countries such as Botswana, Lesotho
and Mauritius had average savings of more than
20 percent per annum since 2000.
In terms of sources of FDI in SADC, the increasing
role of South Africa as an investor in the region, and
specifically in the services industries, is significant.
Since the mid-1990s, and particularly after 1997,
there has been a distinct trend for the “internationalisation”
of South African companies where they
have made forays into southern African markets,
particularly in the retail sector.
To sustain the robust economic
growth, leaders of the 14-
member economic bloc approved
the SADC Protocol on
Finance and Investment, which
aims to harmonise financial and
investment policies of Member
States and ensure that changes
in policies in one country do not
affect other countries.
The protocol is an important
stepping stone for a region
whose target is to become a free
trade area by 2008 and a customs
union two years later.
It was signed by seven Member
States - Democratic Republic
of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar,
Mauritius, Mozambique, South
Africa and the United Republic
of Tanzania. Other Member
States require certain internal
processes such as approval of
their parliaments or the concurrency
of their Attorney General
before signing international
agreements.
The SADC Protocol on Finance
and Investment will
enter into force 30 days after
ratification by at least nine
Member States.
The protocol will facilitate
the creation of a favourable investment
climate within SADC;
attainment of macroeconomic
stability and convergence; cooperation
in taxation matters; and
coordination and cooperation on
exchange control policies.
Through the protocol, Member
States will facilitate and create
favourable conditions to attract
investment into their
countries via appropriate administrative
measures and the
expeditious clearance of project
approvals.
According to information
from national investment promotion
agencies, it currently
takes between two
days and four weeks to
have an investment
project approved in
the region.
Some countries such as the
United Republic of Tanzania
have stationed officials from all
key departments within the Tanzania
Investment Centre to provide
information assisting investors
to obtain approvals and
permits. This one-stop investment
facility ensures that investors
do not have to move
from one government department
to another.
In the interest of creating a
predictable investment climate,
SADC Member States have also
agreed not to arbitrarily amend
or modify - to the detriment of
investors - the terms, conditions
and any benefits specified in letters
of authorisation given to investors
on approval of projects.
Governments have also
agreed to support the development
of local and regional entrepreneurs
and enhance regional
productive capacity through
skills development, small-tomedium
enterprise development
and appropriate investment
in support infrastructure.
A greater role is envisaged
for public-private partnerships
(PPPs). Member States have resolved
to cooperate on policies
and related issues that will encourage
and facilitate the use of
PPPs to ensure regional development.
The PPP concept will be crucial
in the implementation of infrastructural
projects. The role of
the private sector has been identified
in some of SADC's infrastructure
projects such as the
Transport and Trade Facilitation
on the Walvis Bay/Trans
Caprivi Corridors Project.
This project aims to, among
other things, develop guidelines
on the creation of one-stop
border posts within the two
corridors and develop infrastructure.
It will be implemented
by the Namibian government,
the Walvis Bay Corridor
Group and transport operators.
With regards to the protection
of investments, the protocol provides an undertaking that
Member States will not nationalise
or expropriate investments,
except “for a public purpose,
under due process of law, on a
non-discriminatory basis and
subject to the payment of
prompt, adequate and effective
compensation”.
The Member States undertook
to eventually harmonise
their respective domestic policies
and legislation within the
spirit of non-discrimination of
investors.
“State Parties shall pursue
harmonisation with the objective
of developing the region
into a SADC investment zone,
which shall, among other things,
include the harmonisation of investment
regimes, including
policies, laws and practices in
accordance with the best practices
within the overall strategy towards regional integration,"
reads part of the protocol.
The Member States will
strive to attain macroeconomic
convergence, one of the main
building blocks in the quest to
establish a SADC Free Trade
Area and Customs Union.
The challenge for Member
States will be to promote and
establish predictability, confidence,
trust and integrity by
adhering to and enforcing open
and transparent policies, practices,
regulations and procedures
on investment.
SADC countries also recognise
the need to adhere to best
practices in terms of safeguarding
domestic health, safety or
environmental measures and
agree not to disregard international
treaties they have ratified
for the sake of getting investment.
Highlights of the Finance and Investment Protocol
FROM THE date of entry into
force of the protocol, Member
States agree to take steps to:
 Converge on stability-oriented
economic policies;
 Cooperate in taxation matters
and coordinate their tax
regimes within the region;
 Cooperate and coordinate
exchange control policies;
 Harmonise the legal and operational
frameworks of their
respective central banks;
 Cooperate among their central
banks with regards to
payments, clearing and settlement
systems;
 Harmonise banking supervisory
standards and practices;
 Establish a Development Finance
Institutions Network
to increase cross-border
capital flows;
 Strengthen domestic capital
and financial markets with
the intention of creating a
regional capital and financial
market;
 Strengthen cooperation
among respective stock exchanges;
 Cooperate with regard to
anti-money laundering;
 Establish a Project Preparation
and Development
Fund to provide technical
assistance towards project
identification, selection
and feasibility studies. The
Fund will also be used to
finance selected projects;
and
 Establish a Peer Review
Panel which will meet once
a year to conduct macroeconomic
monitoring and surveillance.


title:
Ministerial taskforce to recommend action to fast-track implementation

Abstract:
SADC HAS established a ministerial
taskforce to recommend
action on fast-tracking implementation
of agreed policies to
unleash the potential of the regional
economic community.

body:
SADC HAS established a ministerial
taskforce to recommend
action on fast-tracking implementation
of agreed policies to
unleash the potential of the regional
economic community.
The taskforce comprises ministers
of finance, economic development,
planning, trade and
industry from all SADC Member
States.
SADC Heads of State and
Government established the
ministerial taskforce at their
Summit in Lesotho in August, to
work with the Secretariat to define
a roadmap for “eradicating
poverty and propose measures
for fast-tracking implementation.”
The leaders directed the taskforce
to present recommendations
to an extra-ordinary summit
scheduled for “not later
than October” at a venue to be
advised.
The SADC leaders were
highly critical of the slow pace
at which regional programmes
and projects are being implemented.
Difficulties caused by overlapping
membership of Regional
Economic Communities
(RECs) could have contributed
to delays in achieving regional
integration targets such as the
SADC Free Trade Area and
Customs Union scheduled for
2008 and 2010, respectively.
Most SADC members belong
to more than one REC, some of
which have plans to create a
customs union. World Trade Organisation
rules, however, require
that a country should not
belong to more than one customs
union.
Overlaps exist in the membership
of SADC, the Southern
African Customs Union
(SACU), the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa
(Comesa), East African Community
(EAC) and the Regional Integration
Facilitation Forum (RIFF).
The African Union Summit
in Banjul, The Gambia, in July
issued a moratorium on the
recognition of new RECs while
recognizing only eight existing
ones across the continent. In east
and southern Africa, only
SADC, EAC and Comesa are
among the eight.
The African Union decision
brings yet another dimension,
adding to the complexity within
which SADC Member States
have to make urgent decisions
on the issue of overlapping
membership.


Abstract:
MEMBER STATES will have to
shoulder greater responsibility
for funding of SADC programmes
and projects if the region
is to progress faster towards
attainment of a common vision.

body:
MEMBER STATES will have to
shoulder greater responsibility
for funding of SADC programmes
and projects if the region
is to progress faster towards
attainment of a common vision.
The structure of SADC funding
was a major cause for concern
during the 2006 Summit in
Lesotho, with the Heads of State
and Government agreeing that
the current financing scenario is
unsustainable and does not
show sufficient commitment to
regional development.
Currently, 61 percent of the
SADC budget comes from international
cooperating partners,
with the remainder being contributions
from Member States.
“We need to show commitment
by contributing significantly
more from our own resources
towards programmes and projects,” said President
Festus Mogae of Botswana, the
outgoing SADC chairperson.
The summit mandated the
Secretariat to accelerate the
process leading to the establishment
of a SADC Regional Development
Fund, which will finance
development projects
based on mobilisation of Member
States' own resources such
as insurance and pension funds,
as well as other regional funding
sources.

Toward a SADC Protocol on Gender
THE ANNUAL SADC Summit
held in Maseru endorsed the
process of drafting a SADC Gender
Protocol and directed the
SADC secretariat to ensure that
thorough consultations are undertaken
with Member States.
The endorsement of the
process to draft the SADC Gender
Protocol will accelerate activities
towards consideration of the protocol, which is to be
presented to the next SADC
Summit of Heads of State and
Government, in Lusaka, Zambia
in 2007.
A taskforce to guide the
p rocess was constituted in
March this year comprising the
SADC Gender Unit, government
and civil society representatives.


Abstract:
THE COUNCIL of Ministers
has directed the SADC Secretariat
to refine the regional organisation's
institutional framework
to enhance its restructuring
process and create a more efficient
and focused body.

body:
THE COUNCIL of Ministers
has directed the SADC Secretariat
to refine the regional organisation's
institutional framework
to enhance its restructuring
process and create a more efficient
and focused body.
The Secretariat will work in
consultation with the Troika to
produce recommendations on
refining the restructuring
process that SADC embarked on
six years ago. He is expected to
report back to Council at its next
meeting in February 2007.
It was noted that at the current
stage of regional integration,
there was no need to centralise
and prioritise all areas of
cooperation.
The Troika comprises the
SADC chairperson, Prime Minister
Pakalitha Mosisili of
Lesotho; deputy chairperson,
President Levy Mwanawasa of
Zambia; and immediate past
chairperson, Botswana's President
Festus Mogae.
SADC Executive Secretary,
Tomaz Augusto Salomão, stated
his priorities as being the stabilisation
of the Secretariat and improvement
of its capacity to implement
the key priorities of
SADC.


title:
SADC wants EU funding de-linked from EPA negotiations

Abstract:
SADC HAS established a technical
committee to engage the European
Union, with a view to delinking
development fund programming
and the Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA)
negotiations.

body:
SADC HAS established a technical
committee to engage the European
Union, with a view to delinking
development fund programming
and the Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA)
negotiations.
The European Union (EU)
has expressed concern over the
configuration of SADC Member
States into two groupings for the
EPA negotiations and is insisting
on a fast-tracked SADC Customs
Union as one condition for the
negotiations.
The objective is to push
SADC Member States into resolving
the issue of multiple
membership in Regional Economic
Communities (RECs) so
that they can undertake the EPA
negotiations as a single bloc.
This approach has stalled the
roll-out of the 10th European Development
Fund (EDF) programming.
Member States with dual
membership of both SADC and
the Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa (Comesa)
are negotiating as the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) regional
grouping. These are the
Democratic Republic of Congo,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
SADC-EU talks were
launched in Windhoek, Namibia
in July 2004, with seven countries
negotiating under the SADC configuration.
These are Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland and the United
Republic of Tanzania.
South Africa participates as
an observer, after concluding its
own trade agreement with the
EU in the late 1990s.
The SADC Council of Ministers,
meeting ahead of Summit in
Lesotho in August, resolved to
engage the EU over the matter
and concluded that any conditions
set by the EU must take
due regard of SADC's regional
integration timelines.
“Council reiterated the
SADC position that the EPA negotiations
and the 10th EDF Programming
are to be based on the
SADC integration agenda outlined
in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan
(RISDP) and the Strategic Indicative
Plan of the Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation
(SIPO),” said Timothy
Thahane, chairperson of Council
and Lesotho's Minister of Finance
and Economic Planning.
The ministers also noted that
multiple memberships of RECs
was a political and sovereign
issue, over which only individual
Member States can take a decision
and cannot be dictated
upon by anyone.
The EDF is the EU's main instrument
for development cooperation
in the African Caribbean
and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Each funding period is concluded
for five years and the cycles
have generally followed those of
EU partnership agreements with
ACP countries since the conclusion
of the first partnership convention
in 1964.
The ninth EDF was concluded
at the same time as the Cotonou
Agreement reached in 2000 between
the EU and the ACP countries.
The EPAs will replace the
trade chapters of the Cotonou
Agreement and the one-way
trade preferences with reciprocal
trade arrangements between the
ACP and the EU.
Substantive negotiations,
started in January 2005, are expected
to run until June 2007. These negotiations
are about market access
for agricultural and non-agricultural
products and fisheries, trade
in services, development cooperation,
other trade-related issues and
legal provisions.
A SADC/EU ministerial
Troika meeting is scheduled for
16-17 November in Maseru,
Lesotho, under the theme "Accelerating
Implementation of the
SADC Regional Integration and
Development Agenda"


Abstract:
BOTSWANA, ZAMBIA and
Zimbabwe have signed an agreement
for the construction of a
bridge at their common border
on the Zambezi river.

body:
BOTSWANA, ZAMBIA and
Zimbabwe have signed an agreement
for the construction of a
bridge at their common border
on the Zambezi river.
Leaders of the three countries
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) in
Harare in August, signifying
their commitment to greater
intra - regional trade and the
cross - border movement of
persons.
A one-stop border control
facility will be put in
place at the Kazungula
bridge once the legal and administrative framework
has been developed.
The countries will explore
suitable financing for the bridge,
to be constructed on the basis of
competitive bidding in accordance
with agreed procurement
and tendering procedures.
"In all instances, the parties
will make equal contributions
towards all the costs of the design
and construction of the
bridge and the border control
facilities," the MOU says. A
technical steering committee
will be established to coordinate
the project.


title:
Limpopo-Shashe to have Transfrontier Conservation Area

Abstract:
BOTSWANA, SOUTH Africa
and Zimbabwe have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
for the establishment of the
Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier
Conservation Area, which will
eventually cover 140,000 hectares.

body:
BOTSWANA, SOUTH Africa
and Zimbabwe have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
for the establishment of the
Limpopo-Shashe Transfrontier
Conservation Area, which will
eventually cover 140,000 hectares.
There are conservation areas
in all three countries at the confluence
of the two rivers which
will form one big international
park. Large areas of the proposed
park are still in private
hands and it has taken 16 years to draw up the international
agreement.
Transfrontier conservation
areas are a fairly new concept
based on the principle that the
flow of nature, including rivers,
wind, vegetation and animals,
are not bound by political
boundaries.
Neighbouring countries can
derive greater financial benefit
from the natural resources that
they share, in a process that also
promotes peace and stability.


title:
SADC strengthens HIV and AIDS interventions

Abstract:
A TWO-YEAR US$5.3 million
funding arrangement to fight
the spread of HIV and AIDS has
been signed by SADC with a
number of donors under the
leadership of Swedish International
Development Cooperation
Agency (Sida).

body:
A TWO-YEAR US$5.3 million
funding arrangement to fight
the spread of HIV and AIDS has
been signed by SADC with a
number of donors under the
leadership of Swedish International
Development Cooperation
Agency (Sida).
The SADC Secretariat has
also secured US$30 million from
the African Development Bank
to support a programme to fight
the triple communicable diseases
of HIV, tuberculosis (TB)
and malaria.
The Council of Ministers
said SADC is determined to
“forge ahead and scale down
the pandemic by scaling up our
interventions.”
He announced the setting up
of a ministerial committee to
oversee the development of the
Regional Fund for HIV and
AIDS.
Thahane also announced the
first donations from Member
States. South Africa and Swaziland
have remitted their pledges
of R1 million (about
US$139,000) and US$30,000, respectively.
Lesotho has pledged
US$100,000 to the fund, while
Angola has pledged
US$200,000.
“It is important that we take
the lead in the fight against HIV
and AIDS through availing of
the resources needed,” said Thahane,
noting that the SADC HIV
and AIDS programme faces numerous
challenges, resulting in
limited success in prevention interventions.
“This is tied to the feminisation
of HIV and AIDS in the region
due to gender inequality,
low socio-economic status of
women, gender-based violence;
and inadequate access to
treatment among women in
most Member States,” Thahane
said.
According to the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV
and AIDS (UNAIDS), only three southern African countries have
achieved the “Three by Five”
target. These are Botswana,
Mauritius and Namibia.
The “Three by Five” initiative,
launched by UNAIDS
and the World Health Organisation
in 2003, is a global target to provide three million
people living with AIDS in
low- and middle-income countries
with life-prolonging ARV
treatment by the end of 2005,
as well as counselling on the
accompanying nutritional
needs.
The limited progress in the
fight against HIV and AIDS, Thahane
said, is "coupled with the
lack of a locally driven research
agenda in SADC Member States
and the slow implementation of
national, regional, continental
and global commitments."


title:
Brazil assists Angola, Mozambique to strengthen public health research

Abstract:
BRAZIL PLANS to launch a
project to boost public health research in Portuguese-speaking
African countries.
The project will begin in Angola
before being introduced to
Mozambique and elsewhere.

body:
BRAZIL PLANS to launch a
project to boost public health research in Portuguese-speaking
African countries.
The project will begin in Angola
before being introduced to
Mozambique and elsewhere.
Under the plan, Brazilian researchers
will teach a two-year
Masters course in public health
research at the Angola National
School of Public Health in Luanda,
starting in October.
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
(Fiocruz), a leading research
centre linked to Brazil's
Ministry of Health, is coordinating
the project with support
from the Brazilian federal research
funding agency, Capes,
and the Angolan government.
Together, the three institutions
are providing just over
US$1 million for the project.
“Students from Angola and
Mozambique already attend
Fiocruz for Masters and PhD courses, but they seldom find
work opportunities in their
countries when they go back,”
said Maria do Carmo Leal,
Fiocruz's vice-president of education,
information and communication.
The aim of the project is to
help Portuguese-speaking countries
to consolidate local research
infrastructure that could absorb
researchers trained elsewhere.
The master's programme at
the new Angolan institute will
focus on research relating to Angola's main public health issues,
such as infectious diseases.
Students will spend three
months of their second year in
Brazil doing research and writing
their dissertations in collaboration
with supervisors at Fiocruz .
They will be given free access
to over 10,000 scientific journals
via a website currently used by
Brazilian scientists.
The project also includes
plans to renovate Angola's technical
colleges and to equip their
libraries.


Abstract:
ZAMBIA used a new computerised
voter system during the
28 September tripartite elections
as part of measures to improve
the administration of elections
and boost voter confidence.

body:
ZAMBIA used a new computerised
voter system during the
28 September tripartite elections
as part of measures to improve
the administration of elections
and boost voter confidence.
The country voted for the President
of the Republic, members of
parliament and city councillors.
For the first time, the Electoral
Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
used an electronic system in
which voter details were loaded
onto a database, making it less
prone to manipulation in the verification
of voters' identification.
Previous polls have been conducted
using national identification
documents.
The new system uses “biometrics”,
that is, fingerprints,
palm prints or iris scans to provide
an accurate identification
and verification of a voter.
The ECZ also produced Geographical
Information System
(GIS) maps for all constituencies.
GIS is a system of creating, storing,
analyzing and managing spatial
data and associated attributes.
The use of the “biometrics”
system was complemented by a
set of new security measures announced
on 22 August by the Inspector-
General of Zambia Police,
Ephraim Mateyo.
The security measures included
the use of unarmed police
officers to guard polling stations.
“The move will ensure that
members of the public will vote
without any intimidation,” said
Mateyo.
Police officers were also not
allowed to take firearms to their
houses.
Officers-in-charge of police
stations were allowed to authorise
applications for public rallies
by political parties. Previously,
only provincial commanding
officers were allowed
to authorise political processions
in consultation with the
inspector-general of police.
More than 700 candidates
contested for 150 elected parliamentary
seats while four opposition
leaders filed nominations
to challenge President Levy
Mwanawasa who was seeking
the second tenure of office after
assuming power in 2001.
The parliamentary election
was contested by 705 candidates
from the country's nine provinces.
The Eastern province, Zambia's
breadbasket, had the
biggest number of parliamentary
candidates, with 136 vying
for 19 seats. The Copperbelt
province, which is the copper
production base of the southern
African country, had 100 candidates
contesting for 22 seats.
The MMD was the only party
to field candidates in all constituencies.
Zambia uses a unicameral
parliamentary system, with 150
members of parliament elected
by popular vote using the simple
majority or first-past-the post
system. Eight members are
appointed by the president.
Members of parliament serve
five-year terms.
The president is elected by
direct popular vote for a five-year
term.
SADC sent a team to observe
the conduct of the Zambian elections
to ensure they conformed
with the SADC Principles and
Guidelines Governing Democratic
Elections.
These include, among others,
the need for political tolerance;
regular intervals for elections as
provided for by the respective national
Constitutions; equal opportunity
for all political parties to
access the state media; and equal
opportunity to exercise the right
to vote and be voted for.
Zambian polls well-managed and credible: SADC
THE SADC Election Observer
Mission described the Zambian
elections as peaceful, transparent,
well-managed and credible.
The mission, headed by the
Minister for Good Governance
of the United Republic of Tanzania,
Philip Marmo, said the civil
behaviour and enthusiasm
demonstrated during the campaigning
period, vote casting
and counting bear testimony of
total commitment and adherence
to the laws and regulations
governing electoral processes in
Zambia.
“SADC is proud of Zambian
political leadership and the electoral
management authorities,”
Marmo said. He praised the Electoral Act and the Electoral
Code of Conduct, saying the
legislation fully complies with
SADC Principles and Guidelines
Governing Democratic
Elections.
SADC sent a 49-member observer
mission comprised of 37
men and 12 women. The mission
deployed one week before
the elections and covered all
nine provinces.
President Levy Mwanawasa
was re-elected for a second
five-year term. His party, the
Movement for Multiparty
Democracy also took the majority
seats in parliament, winning
in more than 50 percent of the
constituencies.


title:
DRC presidential runoff set for 29 October

Abstract:
FINAL RESULTS of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC)
presidential election were delayed
after some opposition parties
petitioned the Supreme Court
over the legality of dates for the
run-off set for 29 October.

body:
FINAL RESULTS of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC)
presidential election were delayed
after some opposition parties
petitioned the Supreme Court
over the legality of dates for the
run-off set for 29 October.
The first round of voting on
30 July did not produce a
winner with a clear majority
of the valid votes cast.
Preliminary election results
were announced on 20 August and a presidential run-off was called after Pre s i d e n t
Joseph Kabila and his closest
challenger, former rebel leader
Jean-Pierre Bemba, failed to
amass the required 50 percent-
plus-one of total votes cast to
avoid a second round of polls.
The run-off will be between
Kabila and Bemba, who won
44.81 percent of votes and 20.03
percent, respectively.
Antoine Gizenga came third
with 13.06 percent in this first democratic election since the
country's independence from
Belgium in 1960.
The DRC Constitution states
that the second round of the presidential
elections shall be held
within 15 days after the announcement
of the initial election results.
The challenge could stall the
completion of the electoral
process, which would have seen
the president-elect inaugurated
on 10 December.
Neither of the main political
alliances - Alliance for the Presidential
Majority of President Kabila
and Bemba's Regrouping of
the Congolese Nationalists -
reached the target of 251 elected
Members of Parliament required
to have a majority of seats.
President Kabila's coalition
led the polls with 111 seats in parliament
against Bemba's party
that won 64 seats, and both were
seeking addition coalitions.


title:
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, SADC chairperson

Abstract:
THE PRIME MINISTER of
Lesotho, Pakalitha Mosisili, is the
2006/07 chairperson of SADC. He takes over the rotating SADC
chair from President Festus
Mogae of Botswana who led the
region from August 2005.

body:
THE PRIME MINISTER of
Lesotho, Pakalitha Mosisili, is the
2006/07 chairperson of SADC.
He takes over the rotating SADC
chair from President Festus
Mogae of Botswana who led the
region from August 2005.
Born on 14 March 1945, Mosisili
has been Lesotho's prime
minister since 29 May 1998
when he first led his party, the
Lesotho Congress for Democracy
(LCD), to a near-total victory
in the elections.
He is a member of the African
Languages Association of Southern
Africa and the Southern
African Pedagogical Society, and
has contributed significantly to
the development of African languages
in the SADC region.
He started as an assistant
teacher in the early 1970s and
rose to become a lecturer in
African languages at various tertiary
institutions in the region, including
the National University
of Lesotho, and the Universities
of Fort Hare, Transkei and Zululand,
all in South Africa.

Mosisili was elected as member
of parliament for the Qacha's
Nek constituency in 1993 and
sworn in as Minister of Education
and Training, Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, later renamed
the Ministry of Education and
Manpower Development.
He was appointed Deputy
Prime Minister in February
1995 and later became the minister
responsible for home affairs
and local government, the
position he held until the 1998
general elections.
He heads the SADC Troika
at a time when southern Africa
is enjoying relative peace and
political stability and has scored some successes on the
economic front.
Political stability has returned
to Angola, the Democratic
Republic of Congo and Mozambique,
with these countries leading
a resurgence of the SADC
economy in the past five years.
Mosisili's deputy is Zambia's
President Levy Mwanawasa.
The SADC Troika for the next 12
months includes these two leaders
and the outgoing chairperson,
Botswana's President Festus
Mogae.
The United Republic of Tanzania
will chair the Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation
for the coming year, with
Angola as deputy. Namibia, the
immediate past chair, completes
the Organ Troika.


Abstract:
ZAMBIA WILL host the 27th
SADC summit in Lusaka next
year after joining the SADC
Troika as deputy chair.

body:
Zambia to host Summit 2007
ZAMBIA WILL host the 27th
SADC summit in Lusaka next
year after joining the SADC
Troika as deputy chair.
Following his election as
deputy chairperson, President
Levy Mwanawasa
thanked SADC members for
the trust they have in him
and his country.
The tradition is that the
deputy chair of SADC hosts
the next summit during which
it will take over the chair.


Abstract:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania is committed to the
realisation of SADC's regional
integration agenda, President
Jakaya Kikwete pledged in
his first address to summit
following his election last
year.

body:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania is committed to the
realisation of SADC's regional
integration agenda, President
Jakaya Kikwete pledged in
his first address to summit
following his election last
year.
The new Tanzanian leader
assured colleagues of his country's
continued cooperation
and commitment to SADC.
“I would wish to assure you
that among the people of Tanzania
there will be no shortage
of fervour and enthusiasm in
working with their kith and kin
of southern Africa to realise the
aims and aspirations of SADC,”
Kikwete said.
He will chair the SADC
Troika on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation for the
coming year, and he promised
to continue the legacy left by
his predecessor, Benjamin
Mkapa, who played a pivotal
role in advancing regional integration.
He noted that some people
have referred to him as “the
new Mkapa” during his tour of
regional capitals to introduce
himself. As of August, he had
visited nine SADC countries since his election and inauguration
in December 2005.
Mkapa is credited with
spearheading significant macroeconomic
reforms in the United
Republic of Tanzania.
He also left a regional legacy
in the agricultural sector
through hosting a summit of
SADC leaders on agriculture
and food security that set development
targets and plans, including
a regional food reserve.
He was at the helm of SADC
when the regional organisation
produced its 15-year blueprint,
the Regional Indicative Strategic
Development Plan, which was
launched in A rusha, and the
Strategic Indicative Plan for the
Organ on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation.


Abstract:
SUMMIT DEFERRED a decision
on the readmission of Seychelles
and resolved to engage
in further consultations.

body:
SUMMIT DEFERRED a decision
on the readmission of Seychelles
and resolved to engage
in further consultations.
Seychelles has applied to rejoin
SADC after pulling out of
the regional bloc in 2004, citing
financial constraints.
Its readmission has been
stalled by discussions over how
much the country must pay before
coming back. SADC had initially
written off arrears amounting
to US$2.6 million previously
accumulated by Seychelles.
The SADC Secretariat was
mandated to engage Seychelles
in further consultations on the
way forward.


title:
Foreign direct investment trends in southern Africa

Abstract:
AS SOUTHERN Africa steps
up efforts to lure Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI), a survey of
global flows into Africa reveals
some issues and trends relevant
to current initiatives.

body:
AS SOUTHERN Africa steps
up efforts to lure Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI), a survey of
global flows into Africa reveals
some issues and trends relevant
to current initiatives.
One such global trend, reflected
in the SADC region, is
the growth of FDI flows in the
services sector.
According to the United Nations
Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), service
industries accounted for 49
percent of total FDI flows in
1990, growing to 60 percent by
2002.
A 2005 study conducted by
the Namibian Economic Policy
Research Unit (NEPRU) confirms
that this global trend is
seen in southern Africa, albeit
with a few exceptions.
The period beginning 1990
saw a strong push towards privatisation
and trade liberalisation.
Before that, most infrastructure
services such as transport
and telecommunications
were predominantly state owned
enterprises.
Despite new efforts by SADC
Member States, after the privatisation
period, to direct FDI towards
manufacturing and other
areas such as mining, investment
flows have tended to
favour the services sector, with
new areas such as banking and
retailing becoming increasingly
popular.
The NEPRU study notes yet
another trend - the role of
South African companies increasing investments in the region,
particularly in the services
sector.
NEPRU says the rapid movement
of South African companies
into the region could be
partly explained by the “internationalisation
of South African
corporates” such as South
African Breweries, Anglo
American, Old Mutual,
Sasol and others that are
now listed in London,
New York, Frankfurt
and Paris.
“The comparative efficiency
and business experience of these
firms in a southern African context
and in Africa more broadly,
have led to a new era of multinational
corporate activity in
Africa - with South African
firms emerging as the new
multinational corporations,”
says NEPRU.
However, investment by the
South African private sector in
other countries in the region has
not been without criticism, particularly
where it has represented
an extension of the country's retail
networks throughout southern
Africa and further afield.
For instance, in 2002, a South
African retail firm, Game Stores,
was dragged before the Zambia
Competition Commission, accused
of unfair trade practices
by a local company. The commission
ruled in favour of the
Zambian company.
“For those countries in the
region that do not have competition
law and policy and a competent
enforcement agency, such practices would go unchecked,”
says NEPRU in its study report.
“Otherwise the benefits to regional
integration from such
intra-regional investment and the
associated trade flows will accrue
asymmetrically and so bring the
risk of attempts to stall processes
to enhance regional integration.”
Angola, South Africa lead in attracting FDI flows
The NEPRU study confirms
UNCTAD figures that show Angola
and South Africa as by far
the most important destinations
for FDI in southern Africa.
The largest chunk of investment
into South Africa flowed
from the privatisation of
Telkom in 1997, which resulted
in the purchase of a 20 percent
stake by SBC from the United
States and Telkom Malaysia
Berhad. The unbundling of
cross-shareholding between the
London-based Anglo American
and the related mining conglomerate De Beers substantially
accounted for South
Africa's FDI performance in
2001.
In 2005, South Africa's FDI
came through the R33 billion
acquisition of a local bank,
ABSA, by the British-based
bank, Barclays.
Foreign investment into Angola
has mainly been through
the oil industry, whose offshore
operations survived decades of
civil war. The advent of peace has opened the country to massive
FDI, particularly into infrastructural reconstruction and
mining.
FDI in SADC countries 1997-2003
(US$ millions)
Country 1992-1997
Annual Average 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Angola 304 1,114 2471 879 2,146 1,643 1,415
Botswana -10 96 37 57 31 405 86
Democratic Republic of Congo -6 61* 11* 23* 82 117 158
Lesotho 25 27 33 31 28 27 42
Madagascar 13 16 58 69 84 8 50*
Malawi 10 12 59 26 19 6 23*
Mauritius 27 12 49 277 32 33 70
Mozambique 46 235 382 139 255 155 337
Namibia 106 77 20 186 365 181 84
South Africa 1045 561 1,502 888 6,789 757 762
Swaziland 45 109 100 91 51 47 44
United Republic of Tanzania 90 172 542 282 467 240 248
Zambia 93 198 163 122 72 82 100
Zimbabwe 72 444 59 23 4 26 20*
Total 1,860 3,134 5,486 3,093 10,425 3,727 3,439
* = Estimate

Source: World Investment Report 2004, UNCTAD


While the bulk of the SADC
states have received FDI in the
services sector in the last 15
years, Lesotho's major attraction
has been its textiles industry.
Until recently, Lesotho enjoyed
preferential access into the US
market through the Africa
Growth and Opportunities
(AGOA) trade preferences.
However, the trade preferences
ended last year, opening
Lesotho's once thriving garment-
making industry to the
chilly winds of international
competition and leaving more
than 10,000 Basotho factory
workers to face an uncertain future.
The current global trading
system does not favour small
nations and as NEPRU says, “…
the experience of Lesotho offers
lessons to the region.”
Factors influencing investment decisions
Economic and political stability;
Large and expanding markets;
Low and stable interest and
inflation rates;
Effective competition policy;
Low transaction and business
costs for labour and
trade regulation, entry and
exit rules;
Human capital with diverse,
modern skills;
Low cost infrastructure such
as efficient communication
systems and transportation
links; and
Free trade and foreign exchange
regimes.
The BusinessMap Foundation
Rapid increase in South-South FDI inflows
Although Africa has been attracting
as low as two percent
of global FDI, a key emerging
trend acknowledged by UNCTAD
is the South-South dimension.
UNCTAD says that, over the
last 10 years, there has been a
rapid increase in South-South
FDI flows into developing countries,
Africa included.
In fact recent trends show
that “South-South flows have
grown far faster than North-
South flows,” according to another
report, entitled Africa in
the World Economy - The Nation -
al, Regional and International
Challenges, published in December
2005.
The report says the key source
of South-South investment into
Africa is Asia as represented by
China, Taiwan and India. The investment
is into industries such
as mining, IT, automotive, steel
and pharmaceuticals.
The report says the second
major source of South-South investment
into Africa is from
South African firms which in
2004 had as many as 600 projects
throughout the continent.
Much less investment is coming
into the continent from
South America, says the report,
noting the contribution of
Brazilian firms that are "starting
to move quite actively into the
.....­ Lusophone countries in
Africa, Angola and Mozambique
in particular."


title:
Loss of textile market costs African jobs

Abstract:
AFRICAN TEXTILE producers
and exporters are reeling from the
impact of new World Trade Organization
rules opening up to free
market forces a sector previously
protected for more than 30 years.

body:
AFRICAN TEXTILE producers
and exporters are reeling from the
impact of new World Trade Organization
rules opening up to free
market forces a sector previously
protected for more than 30 years.
January 2005 marked the expiry
of a quota system in industrial
nations which, as a side effect,
had provided a ready market for
textiles and apparel from Africa
and other developing countries.
The result is that more than
250,000 jobs have been lost in
Africa, affecting more than one
million family members, reports
the International Textile, Garment
and Leather Workers' Federation
(ITGLWF).
Most jobs have been lost in
Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland,
Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius,
Zambia, Madagascar, Tanzania,
Malawi, Namibia and Kenya.
The ITGLWF is calling on
African governments to convene
an urgent continental conference
on the future of the clothing, textile
and footwear industries so
that governments, trade unions
and producers can develop
plans to respond to the current
crisis, increase efficiency, attract investment and improve the
welfare of workers.
The Multi-Fibre Arrangement
(MFA), set up in 1974, was designed
to protect producers in the
world's biggest markets - the US,
Canada and the European Union
(EU) - from the more efficient ones
emerging in Asia at the time.
For decades, there was a limit
to the amount of textiles other
countries could export to the
largest markets. This limit mainly
affected the world's major
producers, such as China, India,
Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Republic
of Korea. But these restrictions
brought advantages to
the many smaller textile-exporting
countries that stepped in to
fill the gap.
Textile companies from the
major Asian producers set up
subsidiaries in less developed
countries such as Lesotho, a
country that enjoyed duty-free
access to the US under the
African Growth and Opportunity
Act of 2000. As a result, textiles
and clothing became Lesotho's
economic mainstay, and at one
point the industry employed
56,000 workers, accounting for virtually every manufacturing
job in the country.
Today, Lesotho provides a
telling example of the grave impact
of the expiry of the MFA.
"Most if not all our foreign investors
come from Asia, mainly
Taiwan and China," says Daniel
Maraisane, head of the main
clothing workers' union. With the
end of the quota system, those investors
"say it's now easier and
cheaper to manufacture in China
and India. So they are starting to
go back home....- There's simply
no way little Lesotho can compete
with such giants."
By the end of 2004, six of the
country's 50 clothing factories
had already closed in anticipation
of the deadline, leaving 6,600
workers without jobs or termination
benefits. The surviving companies,
faced with shortfalls in export
orders, placed 10,000 workers
on short-term work, using
them only when needed.
"If things go on like this,"
says Maraisane, "we are afraid
that unemployment, which already
stands at 40 per cent, will
end up reaching 70 percent . "

(Africa Renewal)


title:
Stronger ties for Africa and China - “ Friendship, Peace, Cooperation and Development”

Abstract:
RELATIONS BETWEEN China
and Africa are poised to grow
stronger after both sides agreed
to strengthen economic, cultural
and political ties.

body:
RELATIONS BETWEEN China
and Africa are poised to grow
stronger after both sides agreed
to strengthen economic, cultural
and political ties.
Economic cooperation was
one of the main issues that
emerged from the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) held in Beijing in November.
Chinese President Hu Jintao
announced a set of measures,
spanning the whole spectrum of
relations between China and
Africa. The measures covered
political, economic, technological,
social and cultural relations
and are aimed at creating a win-win
situation for both parties.
These include a US$3 billion
preferential loan package and a
US$2 billion “preferential buyers'
credits” to Africa in the coming
three years.
The Asian country, an emerging
world economic power, also
promised to set up a US$5 billion
China-Africa Development Fund
to encourage Chinese companies
to invest in Africa. The fund will
be used to provide start-up capital
to Chinese companies wishing
to invest in Africa.
In a move expected to benefit
several SADC countries, China
pledged to double aid to Africa
by 2009 and to cancel all debt
owed to it by African countries
that became due in 2005.
Hu announced that China will
also train more than 10,000
African professionals in various
fields; set up 10 centres of agricultural
excellence in the three
years; build schools and clinics;
and cooperate with African countries in politics and multilateral
issues.
China pledged to establish
up to five trade and economic
zones in Africa by 2009 in a
move that will see the Asian
country opening up its market
to African producers by increasing
from 190 to 440 the number
of duty-free export product
from least developed African
countries with diplomatic ties
with China.
This year marks the 50th anniversary
of the inauguration of
diplomatic relations between
the People's Republic of China
and African countries.
In a move aimed at bolstering
Sino-African political ties, the
Chinese will build a conference
centre for the African Union.
One of the highlights of the
summit was the holding of the
first meeting of the China-Africa
Business Council in Beijing, signalling
new efforts by China
and Africa to boost cooperation
in private sector.
The business council was
first established in 2005 to create
a service network and communication
platform for Chinese
and African businesses.
The two sides agreed on the
need to create favourable conditions
to maximise the role of private
businesses, which will inject
new life into Sino-African relations.
With domestic market competition
tightening at home,
Chinese private businesses view
Africa as a viable market with a
lot of opportunities.
The Chinese enterprises
pledged to help their African
counterparts strengthen local infrastructure
and improve living
standards.
Bilateral trade between China
and Africa totalled US$40 billion
in 2005 while the Asian country
invested US$6.3 billion in Africa
during the same year, according
to official Chinese statistics.
Africa's exports to China as a
proportion of trade with industrialised
countries have grown
from 0.43 percent in 1990 to 8.96
percent in 2004, and these are set
to expand as a Chinese-driven
commodity price boom takes
the world by storm.
The most significant opportunity
opened-up to Africa by
China's rapid growth is the enhanced
incentive provided by
rising commodity demand and
prices.
Many African economies, including
most SADC Member
States, have rich primary product
resources.
The FOCAC summit also
presented an opportunity for
both China and Africa to
strengthen cultural ties.
Cultural exchanges and cooperation
have become an important
part of Sino-African relations
and have promoted mutual
friendship.
To date, China has signed
156 cultural cooperation contracts
with African countries,
and more than 50 cultural
groups representing the Chinese
government have visited
Africa. Over 170 African state
cultural troupes have visited
China.
The FOCAC summit was attended
by more than 1,700 delegates
who included 48 African
leaders and representatives of
over 20 international organisations.
FOCAC is a mechanism for
collective dialogue and cooperation
jointly established by China
and Africa to cope with new
challenges and facilitate common
development.
Since the launch of the
FOCAC in 2000, two ministerial
conferences have been held in
Beijing and Addis Ababa.
The theme for the summit
was “friendship, peace, cooperation
and development”.


title:
Polls in DRCongo and Madagascar complete SADC elections calendar

Abstract:
WHEN HE was sworn in as president
a few days after his father's
death, few outside the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) gave the
then 29-year-old Joseph Kabila
much chance of bringing peace to
the country.

body:
Joseph Kabila - A unifying force in DRC
WHEN HE was sworn in as president
a few days after his father's
death, few outside the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) gave the
then 29-year-old Joseph Kabila
much chance of bringing peace to
the country.
Many doubted his commitment
to comply fully with the 1999 Lusaka
Accords that called for the withdrawal
of all foreign troops from
the DRC and an end to fighting.
Within a few months of assuming
power and despite his youth
and relative inexperience, the new
DRC president proved the sceptics
wrong by reviving the faltering
Lusaka agreement, opening the
country to United Nations peacekeepers
and commencing work on
the country's poverty-stricken
economy.


Excerpts from the
SADC Election Observer Mission Preliminary Statement on DRC Elections
THE SADC Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation re-deployed
its Electoral Observer Mission
to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo to observe the run-off Presidential
and Provincial Elections from
18 - 31 October 2006. The Mission was
redeployed in terms of the provisions
of the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation and
the SADC Principles and Guidelines
Governing Democratic Elections.
As provided for in the Principles
and Guidelines, His Excellency
Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the President
of the United Republic of Tanzania
and Chairperson of the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defence and Security
Cooperation appointed Hon.
Brigadier-General Adam Mwakanjiki
(Rtd.) to lead the Mission.
The Mission comprised of 52
members, 7 of which were female,
drawn from 7 Member States and
the Secretariat. The Mission recognized
the complementarity of its
work with that of electoral observation
teams under various organizations
operating in SADC region such
as the Parliamentary Forum (PF)
and Electoral Commissions Forum
(ECF) of SADC countries. The Mission
also recognized SADC national
observer teams and SADC citizens that came under Civil Society Organizations.
This presence augmented
the voice and the eyes of SADC
from all walks of life.
SADC began its formal electoral
observation in June 2006 during the
Parliamentary and first round Presidential
elections. Like in the first
round, the redeployment of SADC
Mission also began with the Extra-
Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial
Committee of the Organ (MCO)
on Politics, Defence and Security
Cooperation held on 19 - 20 October
2006 in Kinshasa.
The Mission covered the width
and length of the country through
field observer teams pre-positioned
in Kinshasa, Kisangani, Kananga,
Bukavu, Lubumbashi and Mbanza-
Ngugu. The field teams worked in
coordination with MONUC and
other international observers especially the AU and other National
Observer Teams from SADC Member
States. ...
The SADC Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation and
the SADC region as whole congratulate
the people of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo for peaceful and
transparent elections. The orderly
manner in which voters cast their
votes coupled with strict adherence
to the electoral law and procedures
made the process unquestionably legitimate
and credible. Transparency
was particularly ensured through
the presence of representatives of the
candidates who, at the end of vote
counting, received a signed copy of
certificate of results at each counting
centre


SADC Electoral Observer Mission
has therefore no reservations
in commending the Independent
Electoral Commission for its efforts
to ensure a successful conclusion of
these complex elections. It is legitimate
in this regard, to state that the
29th October 2006 Run Off Presidential
Elections of the DRC were
peaceful, transparent, well managed
and credible. ...
Issued on 31 October 2006
Kinshasa, DRC.
He began a series of high-level
meetings at home and abroad. He
met in Kinshasa with the presidents
of Angola, Namibia and
Zimbabwe, who were his father's
staunchest allies during the civil
war against Ugandan and Rwandan-
backed rebel movements, a
war which left more than a third of
this huge and wealthy country
outside the control of Kinshasa.
The allies had pledged to continue
support for the new president
despite the heavy toll on their
own economies caused by their
participation in the three-year war.
The new President Kabila met
with South Africa's President
Thabo Mbeki shortly after taking
the oath of office and just before
leaving for talks in Paris, Washington
and New York.
He met President Jacques Chirac
in France, attended a prayer
breakfast with the newly inaugurated
President George W.
Bush in Washington and met
senior officials of that new
administration including
Secretary of State Colin
Powell. Kabila also met
with top UN officials, including
members of the Security
Council in New York.
The meetings were all crucial,
both for DRC and for the Great
Lakes region. The rebels and their
backers controlled much of the eastern
part of the country and insisted
that they would pull out only when
a democratic government was elected
by all citizens of DRC and when
Rwandan border security was guaranteed,
from Hutu militias accused
of the genocide of Tutsis and moderate
Hutus in 1994.
The UN agreed to
send about 5,500, mostly
African, peacekeepers
to the DRC under
the 1999 Lusaka Peace
Accords. However, except
for a handful of observers,
the UN would
not deploy the force
until conditions for peacekeeping had improved.
Born on 17 June 1971, Kabila
spent most of his early years in
exile with his father, Laurent, who was a fierce opponent
of late former Zairean
leader, Mobutu Sese
Seko.
He attended school
in the United Republic
of Tanzania following
which he went for military
training in China.
At the time of his father's
death in 2001, the young Kabila
was commander of the DRC
army and took over as president of
the then volatile country.


Abstract:
MADAGASCAR COMPLETED southern Africa's
2006 elections calendar with
presidential polls scheduled
on 3 December.

body:
MADAGASCAR COMPLETED southern Africa's
2006 elections calendar with
presidential polls scheduled
on 3 December.
The elections attracted a
strong field of 14 candidates
vying for the right to lead the
Indian Ocean island for the
next five years.
Incumbent President Marc
Ravalomanana was expected to
win ahead of the 13 challengers
who include one woman -
human rights activist, Elia Ravelomanantsoa.
Other candidates were the
former speaker of the National
Assembly, Jean Lahiniriko; former
church minister, Richard Andriamanjato;
and Roland Ratsiraka,
mayor of the port city of Toamasina
and nephew of the former
president, Didier Ratsiraka.
Nominations for candidacy
were confirmed by the country's
High Court on 19 October,
with three other applicants
being rejected.
President Ravalomanana assumed
power after defeating
Didier Ratsiraka in the controversial
2002 poll in which both
candidates claimed victory,
until the latter fled to France.
The poll was moved ahead
of the initially scheduled date
at the end of December or beginning
of January to avoid disruption
by the bad weather expected
during that period.
Since coming to power in
2002, Ravalomanana has embarked
on widespread economic
and social reforms that
stirred the southern African
country out of decades of recession.
He has won the support of the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund who are
supporting his economic liberalisation
policies.
In 2004, Ravalomanana led a
bid for his country to join
SADC and the Indian Ocean island
was formally accepted
into the regional family at the
25th Summit in Botswana in
2005.
Although current poverty
levels are high, Madagascar's
economic potential is enormous.
The country is the
largest producer of vanilla in
the world in value terms, but its
farmers have suffered from
perpetually low commodity
prices.
With an economy largely dependent
on agriculture - which
along with fishing and forestry
contributes at least 25 percent of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) - the island also produces
coffee, cassava, bananas,
maize, sugarcane, potatoes and
rice.
Mining and tourism sectors
have shown signs of recovery
and the government has projected
increases in mineral exports
from about US$100 million
to US$150 million per year
over the next 10 years.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Country Last elections Incumbent Winner Next elections Term of office Last elections Party with majority
Next elections Term of office Year of
independance
Angola 1992 J.dos Santos,MPLA Dos Santos TBA 5 MPLA 1992 TBA 5 1975
Botswana 2004 F. Mogae, BDP Mogae 2009 5 2004 BDP 2009 5 1966
DRC 1960 J.Kabila, AMP Kabila 2006 5 2006 AMP 2011 5 1960
*Lesotho 2002 P. Mosisili, LCD Mosisili, PM 2007 5 2002 LCD 2007 5 1966
Madagascar 2001 D. Ratsiraka,AREMA M.Ravalomanana, TIM 2006 5 2002 TIM 2007 5 1960
Malawi 2004 B. Muluzi,UDF Mutharika,UDF 2009 5 2004 UDF 2009 5 1964
Mauritius 2003 Offmann/by national assembly Jugnauth/ by national assembly 2007 5 2005 Social Alliance 2010 5 1968
Mozambique 2004 J. Chissano,Frelimo A. Guebuza,Frelimo 2009 5 2004 FRELIMO 2009 5 1975
Namibia 2004 S. Nujoma, Swapo H. Pohamba, Swapo 2009 5 2004 SWAPO 2009 5 1990
South Africa 2004 T. Mbeki, ANC Mbeki, ANC 2009 5 2004 ANC 2009 5 1994
*Swaziland N/A Barnabas Sibusiso Dhlamini Themba Dlamini N/A 2003 2008 5 1968
Tanzania 2005 B. Mkapa, CCM J. Kikwete, CCM 2010 5 2005 CCM 2010 5 1961
Zambia 2006 L. Mwanawasa, MMD Mwanawasa, MMD 2011 5 2006 MMD 2011 5 1964
Zimbabwe 2002 R. Mugabe, ZANU PF Mugabe, Zanu PF 2008 6 2005 Zanu PF 2010 5 1980
Southern Africa elections calendar



Abstract:
A BOOMING tourism industry
in SADC will contribute
significantly to the socio-economic
development of the region,
says Namibia's President
Hifikepunye Pohamba.

body:
A BOOMING tourism industry
in SADC will contribute
significantly to the socio-economic
development of the region,
says Namibia's President
Hifikepunye Pohamba.
Addressing more than 300
delegates who attended the
SADC-European Union (EU)
Tourism 2006 Forum in
Namibia, Pohamba said the
tourism potential in the SADC
region is exceptionally high and offers opportunities for
further development.
Tourism accounts for an average
of 14 percent of the SADC
Gross Domestic Product and 15
percent of regional employment,
according to statistics from the
EU-SADC Investment Promotion
Programme (ESIPP).
Industry players and investors
agreed to join hands in
creating a vibrant tourism sector.
With the demand for travel
to the region expected to increase significantly over the
next four years, SADC offers
attractive investment opportunities
for companies involved
in the tourism, hospitality and
related sectors.
Thousands of tourists are
expected to visit the region in
2010 when South Africa hosts
the soccer World Cup.
The SADC-EU Tourism 2006
Forum gave an opportunity to
tourism promoters and entrepreneurs
to present projects to
European financial institutions
including the European Investment
Bank for funding.
The three-day event was
aimed at facilitating the formation
of business partnerships between
EU and entrepreneurs
and investors in the SADC region.


Abstract:
ANGOLA AIMS to be the second
largest economy in sub-Saharan
Africa within the next five
years.

body:
ANGOLA AIMS to be the second
largest economy in sub-Saharan
Africa within the next five
years.
The country's Finance Minister,
José Pedro de Morais, said
Angola has one of the fastest
growing economies in the
world, with the estimated rate
for 2006 reaching 20.6 percent,
based on an oil production increase
and recovery in other
economic sectors.
The country's economy has
grown by an average of 12.5 percent
and, as a result, its per capita
income is estimated at
US$2,000, which puts Angola in
the group of countries with high
standards of living.
The government's accounts
have improved significantly,
registering a surplus of 8.5 percent
of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in 2005, up from
1.1 percent in 2004.
According to the Minister,
the non-oil sector has seen improvements
in the agricultural
field, thanks to progress in landmines
clearance, introduction of
irrigation systems and the social
reintegration of displaced
populations.
The construction sector
is also growing due
to the number of public
and private projects that are being implemented in
all provinces.
A new city, Nova Cidade de
Luanda, is being built south of
Luanda to house four million
people from the overcrowded
capital, to which more than half
of the country's population migrated
during the 27-year civil
war.
According to Gabinete de Reconstrução Nacional (National
Reconstruction Office), which
was set up in 2005 to oversee
Angola's post-war reconstruction programme, Chinese
building companies
will undertake the project ,
paid for by Angola's oil
wealth.
Another project is the Cabinda
Urbanisation Project, a pilot
scheme of 44 fifteen-storey residential
blocks to be built near
Cabinda by the China International
Fund (CIF).
CIF also has contracts for reconstruction
of the Benguela and
Mocamedes railways, some diamond
partnerships with the
state-owned Empresa de Diamantes
de Angola and some civil
construction projects.


Abstract:
CHINA SAYS it will soon appoint
a private Chinese entrepreneur
to run the Tanzania-
Zambia Railway Authourity
(Tazara) in partnership with the
Tanzanian and Zambian governments.

body:
CHINA SAYS it will soon appoint
a private Chinese entrepreneur
to run the Tanzania-
Zambia Railway Authourity
(Tazara) in partnership with the
Tanzanian and Zambian governments.
The Chinese were given a
one-year period to select and
recommend to the two countries
a private firm to operate Tazara.
The move follows conclusion
of the World Bank and
Chinese government studies
which have been handed over
to the two countries for recommendation
on the way forward
of the privatisation process.
In 2005, the Tanzanian and
Zambian governments, through
Tazara's Council of Ministers, issued
a joint communiqué declaring
that the Chinese would be
given a first right of refusal in
considering Tazara's Private Sector
Participation (PSP) options.
A report has since been submitted
to the two governments
with recommendations on how
best PSP could be introduced in
Tazara.


title:
Interactive website for South Africa's presidenc

Abstract:
SOUTH AFRICA'S presidency
has introduced a new, interactive
website which is expected
to enhance accountability in
the government's highest office.

body:
SOUTH AFRICA'S presidency
has introduced a new, interactive
website which is expected
to enhance accountability in
the government's highest office.
The website - www.thepresidency.
gov.za- allows users to
make suggestions and comments
which would be taken up
by the presidency's communications
unit.
It also offers the public “an
insightful look into the internal
workings of the institution” and
will present the presidency as a
body that “symbolises excellence
in government,” according
to Director-General of the
Presidency, Frank Chikane.
The interactive nature of the
website will allow the media
and academics to engage with
the presidency and use the information
available to ensure
greater accountability.
The website takes Internet
users through the diaries of the
president and deputy president,
special projects being undertaken
by the presidency as
well as the leaders' thinking on
topical issues such as moral regeneration,
affirmative action,
sexism and the African renaissance.
It also provides links to the
websites of all the government
departments, provincial governments,
the six metropolitan
councils and all of South Africa's
political parties as well as links
to the United Nations, the European
Union and others. (BuaNews)


title:
Botswana firm invents fingerprint device

Abstract:
A BOTSWANA firm has invented
a fingerprint authentication
devise that is set to bring a new
dimension to cellphone and
computer security.

body:
A BOTSWANA firm has invented
a fingerprint authentication
devise that is set to bring a new
dimension to cellphone and
computer security.
According to Pule Mmolotsi,
owner of Gaborone-based Worldwide
Technologies, people will
no longer worry about their telephone
codes being stolen or others
reading their private files in
case of shared computers.
With the new system, a person
can verify that he/she is the
authentic owner of a cellphone or computer pin code by placing
a fingerprint on a sensor on the
device. The dialling tone will
automatically come on once the
device identifies the fingerprint
as belonging to the owner of the
phone.
Mmolotsi said he developed
the technology with research associates
from Malaysia.
“The final product is going to
be ready by January next year and it would be followed by a
launch probably in March,” he
said.
Mmolotsi is currently engaged
in a massive campaign to
promote his product in
Botswana and other countries.
He has also received several
licensing enquiries from companies
in Australia, Ghana, South
Africa and Indonesia. (BOPA)


Abstract:
BIO-DIESEL is being considered
as low-cost alternative fuel for
powering cellphone base stations
as cellular companies target
Africa's rural areas for expansion
of telecommunication services.
With feedstock of groundnuts,
pumpkin seeds and palm oils,
the base stations will be cheaper
to operate than stocking conventional
diesel generators.
The project is expected to
lower the cost of operating base
stations in rural areas.
Already cellphone company
MTN has embarked on an expansion
project that has seen it
introduce mobile phones in
rural areas in countries such as
South Africa and Nigeria. (Business Day)

body:
BIO-DIESEL is being considered
as low-cost alternative fuel for
powering cellphone base stations
as cellular companies target
Africa's rural areas for expansion
of telecommunication services.
With feedstock of groundnuts,
pumpkin seeds and palm oils,
the base stations will be cheaper
to operate than stocking conventional
diesel generators.
The project is expected to
lower the cost of operating base
stations in rural areas.
Already cellphone company
MTN has embarked on an expansion
project that has seen it
introduce mobile phones in
rural areas in countries such as
South Africa and Nigeria. (Business Day)


Abstract:
BOTSWANA'S MOBILE
phone industry is about to receive
a major shake-up with the
start of open registration for
cell phone-specific website addresses.

body:
BOTSWANA'S MOBILE
phone industry is about to receive
a major shake-up with the
start of open registration for
cell phone-specific website addresses.
The general public can now
register websites ending with
“.mobi” as the backers of the
mobile net hope to overturn
consumer apathy.
Only 10 percent of cell
owners use their phones to
surf the net due to concerns over cost, speed and poor content.
Sites ending “.mobi” are designed
for phones and must
meet agreed standards.
The organisation charged
with overseeing the domain
name registration, Mobile Top
Level Domain, expects 200,000
mobile sites to be registered in
the next year.
It costs about US$25 to register
a “.mobi” site for a minimum
two-year period. (The Voice)


title:
Animal antibiotic to control parasites in livestock

Abstract:
AN ANIMAL ANTIBIOTIC to
control internal and external
parasites in livestock has been
developed in Zimbabwe by the
Scientific and Industrial Research
and Development Centre
(SIRDC).

body:
AN ANIMAL ANTIBIOTIC to
control internal and external
parasites in livestock has been
developed in Zimbabwe by the
Scientific and Industrial Research
and Development Centre
(SIRDC).
The antibiotic, Sirdamectin ,
is being registered with the
Medicines Control Authority
of Zimbabwe for commercial
production, and SIRDC is
working with the Medical
Control Authority of Zimbabwe
to get its manufacturing facility
qualified.
The introduction of the drug
made locally will significantly
reduce the cost of fighting animal
diseases, the SIRDC chief
executive, Robson Mafoti, said,
adding that his organisation is
working with the department
of veterinary services in carrying
out an efficacy trial for the
drug.
Large numbers of cattle die
from tick-borne diseases in the
SADC region, especially during
the rainy season.
Mafoti said that Sirdamectin
is one of the most effective animal
drugs ever produced.
"Our animal antibiotic Sirdamectin
will revolutionise
the agricultural sector. Sirdc
continues with its research
agenda in order to come up
with other products, some of
which we shall soon be commercialising."


title:
Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila - UN Under-Secretary-General and Special
Adviser on Africa

Abstract:
AFRICA IS well represented
in a top United Nations post
with the appointment of Ambassador
Legwaila Joseph
Legwaila of Botswana as
Under- Secretary-General and
Special Adviser on Africa.

body:
AFRICA IS well represented
in a top United Nations post
with the appointment of Ambassador
Legwaila Joseph
Legwaila of Botswana as
Under- Secretary-General and
Special Adviser on Africa.
Legwaila is well known and
widely respected throughout
Africa, and has held key decision-
making positions during
events that were major turning
points for the region and continent.
He served as Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary-
General during the delicate
process of Namibia's transition
to independence in 1989 and
1990.
Later, in South Africa in
1993 and 1994, he was the Special
Representative of the Secretary-
General of the Organization
of African Unity (OAU), as the continent's representative
at a key moment in its history,
watching over the first
democratic elections that formally
ended the system of
apartheid.
Previously, he had served as
the Special Envoy of the Chairperson
of the Frontline States to
the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Legwaila was Botswana's
ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United
Nations in New York for more
than 20 years.
During this period, he also
served as his country's concurrent
High Commissioner to
Guyana from 1981 and Jamaica
from 1982, and concurrent Ambassador
to Cuba from 1983; all
until 2001.
He served most recently as
the Secretary-General's Special
Representative for the
United Nations Mission in
Ethiopia and Eritrea
(UNMEE).
Legwaila is widely known
throughout the UN system, and
is respected for his integrity
and dedication. A notable ingredient
in his success is his
sense of humour.
Born on 2 February 1937,
Legwaila Joseph Legwaila
began his career as a primary
school teacher in Botswana.
From 1973-1980, he worked
in the Presidency with
Botswana's founding President,
Chief Seretse Khama, before
being posted to New York as
ambassador.
He served three times as
Vice-President of the UN General
Assembly – in 1981, 1987
and 1991. He represented
Botswana on the Security
Council, and served as the
Council President in February
1995 and March 1996.
Legwaila's appointment
was announced by the UN
Secretary-General, effective
May 2006. He replaces Ambassador
Ibrahim Gambari of
Nigeria.
Source: Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, United Nations
(OSAA) www.un.org/africa/osaa/bio.html  

Legwaila: “2007 the Year of Results ”
LEGWAILA SPOKE recently of the key targets
for the coming year and the important role of
the private sector in reaching the targets of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“In the past few years, Africa has been accorded high priority on the global development
agenda. I am happy to note that the
years 2005 and 2006 have witnessed many
positive developments in Africa, as well as
strong support by the international community.
The increased international support has resulted
in notable commitments in support of
Africa's development in a number of areas, especially
in increased development aid and
debt relief .
“Building on the progress of the past two
years, the most important thing now is to use
the window of opportunity created by the
growing momentum of international support
to turn these commitments into concrete
results, and to set the African countries
firmly on the path to sustainable
growth and development.
“While 2006 has been called “The Year of Action”
by the UN Millennium Development Project,
it is my sincere hope that we will manage
to turn 2007 into the “Year of Results”.
“Meeting the Millennium Development
Goals in Africa will require sustained efforts by
all stakeholders, and the private sector has a
key role to play in this task.
“The Millennium Development Goals and
the development of the private sector are inextricably
linked. The existence of a vibrant private
sector is one of the most important preconditions
to growth, poverty reduction and development
in Africa.
“The Millennium Development Goals cannot
be achieved without the active involvement of the
private sector, through job generation, investment
and promotion of trade. Equally, the Millennium
Development Goals are of great relevance to the
success of the private sector, to the extent that the
need to achieve the goals is spurring countries to
create favourable institutional environment, adequate
infrastructure, and access to financing.”


title:
SADC rolls out 2007 schools essay competition

Abstract:
THE SADC Secretariat has
launched the 2007 secondary
schools essay competition targeting
students within the 14-
member regional economic
community.

body:
THE SADC Secretariat has
launched the 2007 secondary
schools essay competition targeting
students within the 14-
member regional economic
community.
The competition aims to increase awareness among the youth about regional co-operation
and integration affairs .
The essays are expected to
answer the question: “What do
you think are the causes of
poverty in the SADC region
and what steps should be taken
by SADC Member States and non-state actors to eliminate
poverty?”
The winner will receive a
cash prize of US$1,500 while the
first runner-up will get $1,000
and the second runner-up gets
$750.
The 2007 essay competition
has, for the first time since its
launch eight years ago, attracted
sponsorship — from the
Southern Africa Trust (SAT),
which is funded by the Department
for International Development
(DFID).
The length of the essay
should be between 2,000 and
2,500 words and can be written  in English, French or Portuguese,
the three official languages
of SADC.
The essay competition was
approved by the SADC Council
of Ministers in August.
Entries are to be forwarded
to the SADC national contact
point or the Ministry of Education
in the respective countries.
Deadline for submission of entries
is 31 May 2007.
The winners will be awarded
their prizes during the official
opening ceremony of the
27th SADC Summit of Heads
of State and Government to be
hosted by Zambia in 2007.


title:
Mozambique and Mauritius renew cultural agreement

Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE AND Mauritius
have revived their 1993
agreement that will cater for
cultural exchange and preservation
of sites of historical importance,
as well as account
the joint production and marketing
of social, cultural and
artistic products.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE AND Mauritius
have revived their 1993
agreement that will cater for
cultural exchange and preservation
of sites of historical importance,
as well as account
the joint production and marketing
of social, cultural and
artistic products.
Education and Culture
Minister Aires Aly from
Mozambique and his Mauritian
counterpart Mahendra
Gwressoo. signed the agreement.
The agreement is envisaged
to enhance the development of
inter-governmental programmes
and the interchange
between institutions, academics
and the producers of art and
culture in both countries.
The two countries have
shared some historical experiences
dating back to the colonial
era. Between 1760 and
1762, slaves were trafficked to
Mauritius from the southern
Mozambican province of Inhambane.


Abstract:
THE KINGDOM of Lesotho
marked its 40th independence
anniversary on 4 October with a
new flag that was hoisted to
erase the memories of military
rule.

body:
THE KINGDOM of Lesotho
marked its 40th independence
anniversary on 4 October with a
new flag that was hoisted to
erase the memories of military
rule.
The new flag has three
colours — blue for rain, white
depicts peace and green indicating
prosperity.
It is inscribed with a coneshaped
hat worn by the country's
indigenous Basotho people.
The flag replaced the one
designed by a military government.
The old flag has similar
colours but portrayed a
shield, a knobkerrie and
spears.


Abstract:
ART IS an important instrument
that can be used to build
bridges among the citizens of a
country, between people of various
nationalities and between
generations.

body:
ART IS an important instrument
that can be used to build
bridges among the citizens of a
country, between people of various
nationalities and between
generations.
This came out of an exhibition
in Germany in October by
a young Namibian artist, Imke
Rust. The Berlin exhibition was
opened by Namibia's Ambassador
to Germany, Peter Katjavivi.
Rust's Memories exhibition
focused on the absence of her
grandfather who was detained
in a camp in South
Africa during the Second
World War.
Katjavivi described the exhibition
as raising “wider questions
about the separation of
families.”
He stressed that Namibians
from other communities, as
well as people from other countries,
could relate to her work.
Namibia has been through
many conflicts, had many men
and women detained and separated
from their families.
The ambassador also emphasised
that it was appropriate
to have this exhibition in
Berlin, where families had been
separated in the past.
He praised Rust's art as “not
being conventional, but powerful
and provocative”, and “of
making us question our memories,
our societies, and our behaviour”.


Abstract:
THE AFRICA Environment Outlook is
produced by the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) in Nairobi through its
Division of Early Warning and Assessment,
at the request of the African Ministers
Conference on Environment
(AMCEN), while monitoring and analysis
is undertaken by regional collaborating
centres.

body:
THE AFRICA Environment Outlook is
produced by the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) in Nairobi through its
Division of Early Warning and Assessment,
at the request of the African Ministers
Conference on Environment
(AMCEN), while monitoring and analysis
is undertaken by regional collaborating
centres.
Africa Environment Outlook 2: Our Environment, Our Wealth is inspired by two
landmark documents of the United Nations
-- the Brundtland Commission's
report, Our Common Future, and Agenda
21, which emerged from the Earth Summit,
the 1992 UN Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED) in
Brazil.
AEO 2 reaffirms the need for sustainable
livelihoods, and the importance of
environmental initiatives in supporting
them. The theme is “Environment for
Development”.
The collaborating centre for Southern
Africa is SARDC's I Musokotwane
Environment Resource Centre for
Southern Africa (IMERCSA), which has
also produced with SADC the forthcoming Southern Africa Environment
Outlook.
Available from Division of Early
Warning and Assessment (DEWA),

UNEP, P.O. Box 30552 Nairobi 00100,

Kenya or from SARDC.

E-mail: cep@sadc.net

or

africa.coordinator@unep.org
Website www.sardc.net

www.unep.org/dewa/africa


title:
Human Development to 2015:Reaching for the Millennium Development Goals

Abstract:
THE NATIONAL Human Development
Report 2005 shows that Mozambique's
human development indicators are continuing
their upward trajectory as the
Human Development Index, calculated
from national data, continues to rise. The
HDI is based on indicators for GDP, education,
and life expectancy.

body:
THE NATIONAL Human Development
Report 2005 shows that Mozambique's
human development indicators are continuing
their upward trajectory as the
Human Development Index, calculated
from national data, continues to rise. The
HDI is based on indicators for GDP, education,
and life expectancy.
This report presents the relevance of
the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and their close connection with
national development strategies, and reflects
on the challenges to be faced in
meeting the Millennium targets by 2015.
The document outlines an independent
intellectual reflection on the challenges towards
reaching the MDGs with conjectures
on the strengths, opportunities,
weaknesses and threats that can be detected
in specific targets.
The report was prepared for UNDP
by the three partner institutions, National
Statistics Institute (INE), Higher Institute
of International Relations (ISRI) and
Southern African Research and Documentation
Centre (SARDC) Mozambique
office.
The document is accessible in full text
and searchable online in English and
Portuguese through the Virtual Library
for Southern Africa at www.sardc.net
Available in English/Portuguese in
one volume from UNDP, 
Avenida Kenneth

Kaunda, 131, Maputo, and

SARDC Mozambique, Rua D. Afonso Henriques,

141, Maputo.
Email registry.mz@undp.org

or

sardc@maputo.sardc.net

Website www.undp.org.mz

www.sardc.net


Abstract:
OLIVER REGINALD Kaizana
Tambo was leader of the African
National Congress (ANC) for 23
years.

body:
OLIVER REGINALD Kaizana
Tambo was leader of the African
National Congress (ANC) for 23
years.
His clear vision, quiet dedication
and total commitment, and his consummate
diplomatic skills, led the
movement through difficult times
of the liberation struggle, the hopeful
times as the neighbouring countries
gained independence, and
through an extended period of negotiations
that began in the 1980s
when he had the courage to authorize
contact with the first Afrikaner delegation that sought meetings with the ANC.

President Thabo Mbeki has described
Tambo as the “key architect of our revolution
who carried the South African nation to the eve
of freedom and democracy.”
It is widely acknowledged that Tambo sacrificed
his own health and eventually his life to drive the negotiations, based on the Harare Declaration, which was adopted
by the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations, and became
the foundation for negotiations that brought an end to the apartheid regime.
“But like Albert Luthuli, OR had a clear vision of a non-racial, nonsexist
and democratic society,” wrote a member of the ANC Executive Committee
in October as commemorations began, leading to the renaming of the main
South African airport.
Nor did he regard himself as a hero, reserving that status for the children
and people in the townships of South Africa whom he believed provided the
courage for the struggle that he knew would, one day, successfully remove
the apartheid system.
O.R., as he was affectionately known, provided the heart and the inspiration
to a liberation movement in exile, that eventually carried it through to
the majority rule elections of 27 April 1994, a day he did not live to share as
he died the previous year. But he was home.
He returned to South Africa in 1991 after spending more than 30 years in
exile, and died from a stroke at the age of 75 in April 1993, a year before
South Africa's first democratic elections.
In the decade following 1994, with attention focused on his close friend
and former legal partner, Nelson Mandela, and his personal assistant and
protégé, Thabo Mbeki, sometimes it appeared that the major contribution of
this humble man had been forgotten.
But not by those who mattered, and on his birthday, 27 October, when he
would have been 89 years old, South Africa's main international airport was
renamed OR Tambo International.
Nothing could be a more fitting memorial to Tambo than the busiest airport
on the continent, the hub of Africa, visited by millions of people every
year.


title:
Angola's independence a milestone for the region

Abstract:
ANGOLA'S INDEPENDENCE on 11 November 1975, after
almost 15 years of the liberation war, marked a turning point
in southern Africa that eventually lead to the liberation of
Namibia and South Africa.

body:
ANGOLA'S INDEPENDENCE on 11 November 1975, after
almost 15 years of the liberation war, marked a turning point
in southern Africa that eventually lead to the liberation of
Namibia and South Africa.
There followed 27 years of foreign-backed civil war that
drew in the neighbouring countries and sent a flood of
refugees out across the national boundaries.
But Angola's peace after the ceasefire agreement
signed in April 2002, was a significant
boost to the growing peace and regional integration
and development in SADC.
Africa's second largest oil-producing country,
Angola is enjoying a robust economic
growth that leapfrogged to the highest real
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the region
of 15.6 percent in 2005, and has spurred the
region's growth rate of about six percent.
Thirty-one years ago, on 11 November,
Agostinho Neto of the Popular Movement for
the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) was proclaimed
the country's first president. In the
capital, Luanda, huge crowds cheered and soldiers
fired shots in the air as the new flag was raised at
midnight.


Abstract:
THE MOZAMBICAN government plans to erect monuments
for its founding President, Samora Moises Machel, in
all provinces by 2011, the 25th anniversary of his death.

body:
THE MOZAMBICAN government plans to erect monuments
for its founding President, Samora Moises Machel, in
all provinces by 2011, the 25th anniversary of his death.
President Armando Emilio Guebuza made this announcement
during the 20th anniversary of Machel's death
in a plane crash at Mbuzini, in South Africa, on 19 October
1986.
Machel died with 34 others on their return from neighbouring
Zambia where they had gone to attend a Frontline
States meeting.


body:
PUBLICATIONS
Ecological debt: The Health of the
Planet and the Wealth of Nations

by Andrew Simms

UK, London, Pluto Press, 2005

224pp.

This book explores a great paradox of our age:
how the global wealth gap was built on
ecological debts, which the world's poorest are
now having to pay for. Highlighting how and
why this has happened, Andrew Simms shows
what can be done differently in the future, and
what steps we can take to stop pushing the
planet to the point of environmental bankruptcy.

The author was one of the original organisers of
the Jubilee 2000 debt release campaign.
Available from Pluto Press, 345 Archway Road,

London N6 5AA

www.plutobooks.com





Gender-Based Regional Integration Plan:
Strategic Implementation Framework
(SIF) 2006-2010

Botswana, Gaborone, SADC, 2005

23pp.

The Gender-Based Regional Integration Plan:
Strategic Implementation Framework (SIF) 2006-
2010 is a detailed framework developed in line
with the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender and
Development, the 1998 Addendum on the
Elimination of Violence Against Women and
Children, and the SADC Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). The
framework was developed by the SADC Gender
Unit with the help of a stakeholders' consultative
conference on the SADC Gender and Development
programme held in December 2005 in Gaborone.
This document is intended to guide the design and
implementation of gender programmes and
activities in the region over the next five years.
Available from SADC Gender Unit, SADC

Secretariat, P/Bag 0095, Gaborone, Botswana

Email gender@sadc.int or mmadibela@sadc.int






The Kingdom of Lesotho:
26th SADC Summit 11 - 18 August 2006

Botswana, Gaborone, SADC, 2006

131pp.

This publication highlights the activities of SADC
as part of documentation for the 2006 SADC
Summit held in Maseru. It provides profiles of
SADC's leaders including the most recent, the
President of Madagascar, and the new SADC
Executive Secretary. This is a special issue with
focus on Lesotho, showing its main areas of
economic and social activities.
Available from SADC Secretariat P. Bag 0095

Gaborone Botswana.

E-mail registry@sadc.int.

Website www.sadc.int




Angola National Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Angola, Luanda, MINUA, 2006

54pp.

The document presents actions to incorporate
adequate measures into development policies
and programmes to prevent the degradation of
ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.
Available from Ministry of Urban Affairs and
Environment, Avenida 4 de Fevereiro, 30, Caixa

Postal 83, Luanda, Angola.

E-mail minua@snet.co.ao













body:
CURRENCY CHECKLIST
Country Currency (US $1)
Angola Kwanza (100 lwei) 80.37
Botswana Pula (100 thebe) 6.37
DRC Congo Franc 537.50
Lesotho Maloti (100 lisente) 7.63
Madagascar Ariary 9,305.00
Malawi Kwacha (100 tambala) 137.98
Mauritius Rupee (100 cents) 32.90
Mozambique Metical (100 centravos) 25.86
Namibia Dollar (100 cents) 7.59
South Africa Rand (100 cents) 7.59
Swaziland Lilangeni (100 cents) 7.54
Tanzania Shilling (100 cents) 1,273.00
Zambia Kwacha (100 ngwee) 3,800.00
Zimbabwe Dollar (100 Cents) 250.00
October 2006


body:
Public Holidays in SADC
 December 2006 - February 2007

9 December Independence Day Tanzania
10 December International Human Rights Day Namibia
16 December Day of Reconciliation South Africa
22 December National Unity Day Zimbabwe
25 December Christmas Day All SADC
26 December Boxing Day Botswana, Lesotho,
Swaziland, Malawi
26 December Family Day Namibia
26 December Day of Goodwill South Africa
26 December Public Holiday Zimbabwe
1 January New Year's Day All countries
4 January Martyrs' Day Angola, DRC
12 January Zanzibar Revolutionary Day Tanzania
15 January John Chilembwe Day Malawi
17 January Lumumba Hero Day DRC
18 January Kabila Hero Day DRC
1 February Abolition of Slavery Mauritius
3 February Heroes' Day Mozambique
4 February National Armed Struggle Day Angola


body:
EVENTS DIARY 2006
November 2006
20-23 Namibia
Second Zambezi Stakeholders Dialogue

The Zambezi Action Plan Project 6, Phase II (ZACPRO 6.2) in
partnership with the World Conservation Union's Regional Office
for Southern Africa, Global Water Partnership Southern Africa,
SADC/DANIDA Awareness Programme, the SARDC's
Musokotwane Environment Resource Centre for Southern Africa
(Imercsa) and the Institute of Water and Sanitation Development
host the second Zambezi Basin Stakeholder Conference to discuss
Integrated Water Resources Management issues in the Zambezi
river basin.

December
29 Nov- 1 Dec Zambia
Mines 2006

The fourth in a series of sector partnership meetings held under
the EU-SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP), this
focuses on Mining. It is a forum where promoters and
entrepreneurs from southern African will present a selection of
new and high-quality business development projects in the
Mining sector to European and other international investors.
3 Madagascar
Presidential elections


This will be the eighth presidential election held since 1965. The
President is elected by direct popular vote for a five - year term and
the country's electoral system provides for a run-off in the eve n t
that there is no clear winner from the first round.
4-5 Switzerland
Implementation and follow-up of WSIS

An experts meeting with the theme “Using ICTs to Achieve
Growth and Development” will follow up on resolutions of the
November 2005 conference of the World Summit for an
Information Society (WSIS). The meeting is organised by the
International Telecommunications Union, a specialised agency
of the United Nations.

January
17-20 Ethiopia
African Union Summit

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government from the
African Union's 53 member countries will meet in Addis Ababa
for its eighth ordinary session, with the theme “Science,
Technology and Research for Africa's Socio-Economic
Development”. The meeting will be preceded by the Ordinary
Session of the Permanent Representatives and the Ordinary
Session of the Council of Ministers.

20-25 Kenya
7th World Social Forum


The World Social Forum is an annual meeting held by members of
the anti-globalisation movement to coordinate world campaigns,
share and refine organising strategies, and inform each other about
movements from around the world and their issues.
Civil society groups will debate and formulate proposals, share
experiences and network for effective action under the theme
“People's Struggles, People's Alternatives”.
February
TBA Lesotho
SADC Council of Ministers

Ministers from each Member State sit in Council, usually from
the ministries of foreign affairs, economic development,
planning or finance. The Council is responsible for supervising
and monitoring the functions and development of SADC, and
ensuring that policies are properly implemented, as well as
making recommendations to Summit.

19-24 Cyprus
International Conference on the Environment


Organised by Near East University of Cyprus, the conference
aims to bring together around 2000 scholars and researchers
from over 90 countries around the world to discuss
environmental issues from a variety of perspectives. Discussions
will focus on the survival and sustainability of the environment.


Abstract:
THE YEAR 2007 is set to be a watershed period for
southern Africa as it marks the dawn of a potential
energy crisis.

body:
THE YEAR 2007 is set to be a watershed period for
southern Africa as it marks the dawn of a potential
energy crisis.
With some of Africa's fastest expanding
economies, the SADC region has been projected to
run out of surplus generation capacity in 2007.
The SADC economy has grown steadily over the
past decade with an estimated six percent growth rate
in 2006 on the back of strong performances by a number
of countries, including Angola and Mozambique.
The strong growth has not been matched by corresponding
investment in power generation capacity
to support swelling household and industrial demand
as well as other users that are constantly
being added to the regional grid.
Figures released by the Southern African Power
Pool (SAPP) show that total annual demand will reach
44,689 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2007 against
combined net generation capacity of 45,000MW.
At current growth rate, total regional demand
for electricity is projected to hit 45,827MW by the
end of 2008; 47,920MW in 2009; 48,795MW in
2010; and 50,291MW in 2011.
The initial effects of the energy shortfall were
felt in 2006 when several countries in the region
experienced power cuts.
The SADC region requires at least US$5.2 billion
between now and 2011 to rehabilitate existing
power stations and invest in short-term electricity
generation projects, according to SAPP,
which coordinates the planning and operation of
electricity power systems among SADC Member
States.
Rehabilitation and associated infrastructure
projects, most of which are under construction
and scheduled for completion before the end of
2007, will add 3,200MW of power to the SADC
grid at an estimated cost of US$1.4 billion.
Short-term generation projects,
for which feasibility studies
and environmental-impact assessments
have been completed,
will cost the region an estimated
US$3.8 billion while adding
about 4,200 MW to the regional
grid on completion in 2010/11.
Almost all SADC countries
have embarked on projects to
boost their electricity generation.
The initiatives being pursued
range from conventional infrastructure
projects to innovations
– all in the hope of ensuring
southern Africa's long-term energy
security.
Southern Africa's power
shortages were previously expected
to hit the region in the
last half of 2007, but events on
the ground indicate that demand
has outstripped supply at
a pace not originally expected
and has surpassed regional load
forecasts. Some countries are already
experiencing electricity
shortages.
The bulk of the infrastructure
projects are bilateral arrangements
between members.
One of these is a hydropower
station being co-funded
by the Namibian and Angolan
power utilities, NamPower and
ENE, respectively.
Construction of the Baynes
hydroelectricity power station
will start soon following the
signing of a bilateral agreement
between the two governments.
“We expect to generate 360
MW from the Baynes project to
be built on the Kunene River in
Angola,” explains NamPower
Managing Director, Paulinus
Shilamba.
The project will be capable of
generating electricity for a
period of up to 12 months
in the event that there is
a drought in the region.
Like several other
SADC Member States, Namibia is keen to attain selfsustenance
on energy generation
amid fears that the region's
major electricity suppliers will
run out of excess electricity in
2007.
South Africa, which accounts
for more than 75 percent of
SADC's electricity generation
capacity, has struggled to keep
pace with domestic demand.
Zambia, the United Republic
of Tanzania and Kenya (a member
of the East African Community)
have decided to link their
power utilities in a move to ease
electricity shortages for the
three countries.
The project, known as the
Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Power
Interconnection Project, is expected
to assist Tanzania and
Kenya to access electricity from
the SAPP grid, as well as reducing
electricity costs for the three
countries.
The power trade project will
be developed in two phases at an
estimated cost of US$660 million.
The first phase, to cost
US$358 million, is scheduled to
start in March and will be completed
by 2009. It will build a
transfer capacity of 200 MW of
electricity.
Phase two is to cost US$302
million for another transfer capacity
of 400 MW upon completion
in 2014.
Apart from transmission of
power, the towers carrying the
high voltage transmission conductors
will also carry low voltage
conductors for rural electrification
along the transmission
corridor.
The three governments have
secured grants of US$800,000 for
preparatory activities from the
Infrastructure Project Preparatory
Fund of the New Partnership
for Africa's Development
(NEPAD).
Other projects planned for
the region include three thermal power stations that Zimbabwe
intends to construct with support
from China.
A Zimbabwean firm, Ele Resources,
has entered into a
US$1.3 billion deal with China
Machine-Building International
Corporation for a joint venture
that will result in the development
of three thermal power
stations and a coal mine in the
Zambezi valley.
The first of the power projects
will be ready for generation
by the end of 2009, according to
Evison Musangeya, Chief Executive
of Dande Capital Holdings.
Dande Capital is the parent
company of Ele Resources.
“We expect that by mid-2007,
implementation of the thermal
power plant projects will have
started. We expect to commission
the plant 18 to 24 months after starting the project,” said
Musangeya.
South Africa is also considering
strengthening links with
China in the field of nuclear
technology. This comes in the
wake of problems at its Koeberg
nuclear power station near Cape
Town that plunged most of
South Africa and neighbours
such as Namibia into darkness
when it broke down last year.
A private company in Swaziland
has also announced plans to
construct one of southern Africa's
largest thermal power stations.
The power station, being
proposed by Canham Mining
International, will produce
about 3,500 MW of electricity.
The Swaziland Electricity
Board is carrying out a feasibility
study on the project before
construction can start.


Abstract:
ANGOLA BECAME the 12th
member of the Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) following its admission
to the group of developing
countries whose economies rely
on oil revenue.

body:
ANGOLA BECAME the 12th
member of the Organisation of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) following its admission
to the group of developing
countries whose economies rely
on oil revenue.
The SADC member becomes
the second country from sub-Saharan
Africa to join OPEC, and
the first new member since Nigeria
joined in 1971. Ecuador and
Gabon joined OPEC in 1973 and
1975, but left the organisation in
1992 and 1994, respectively.
Other OPEC members are
Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates and Venezuela.
While Angola joined on 1
January, the southern African
country will not be part of the
OPEC quota system until
March. Its quota will be set
based on Angola's February
production.
OPEC members coordinate
their production policies to stabilize
the oil market pricing and
to help producers achieve a reasonable
rate of return on their
investments.
This is also designed to ensure
that consumers continue to
receive stable supplies of oil.
Each member state is allocated
a quota based on projections
of future world demand and
supply of oil.
Ministers of energy and hydrocarbon
affairs from OPEC member
countries meet twice a year to
review the status of the international
oil market and forecasts for
the future. They agree on appropriate
actions which will promote
stability in the oil market.
Angola produces about 1.4
million barrels per day but the
figure is projected to rise to two
million barrels a day by the end
of 2007 as new oil fields are discovered.


title:
Unified action
Science and technology plan for Africa

Abstract:
AFRICA HAS developed a consolidated
action plan on science
and technology that integrates
the programmes and projects of
the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD) into the
structures of the African Union.

body:
AFRICA HAS developed a consolidated
action plan on science
and technology that integrates
the programmes and projects of
the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD) into the
structures of the African Union.
Africa's Science and Technology
Consolidated Plan of Action articulates
Africa's common objective
of socio-economic transformation
and full integration into the
world economy.
It reaffirms the continent's
commitment to collective action
for developing and using science
and technology to meet its
objectives, and marks the start of
an African process to strengthen
scientific and technological capacities.
The Consolidated Plan of Action
evolved from a series of regional
and continental workshops
involving a participatory
process of consultations by
African governments, scientists,
policy-makers, civil society and
international partners.
The plan places emphasis on
developing an African system of
research and technological innovation
by establishing networks of
centres of excellence dedicated to
research and development, and
capacity-building programmes.
Africa has largely adopted a
short-term view to human development
and has continued to
rely on external financial support
often targeting short-term
activities and solutions.
As a result, the continent has
failed to invest in science, technology
and innovation as
sources and drivers of economic
growth and long-term sustainable
development.
Other problems affecting
Africa's science, technology and
innovation system include weak
links between industry and science
and technology institutions,
and a mismatch between
research and development activities
and national industrial development
strategies and goals.
Research findings from public
research institutions do not, therefore,
get accessed or used by local
industries, particularly small and
medium-sized enterprises.
The overall goals of this consolidated
plan are thus to enable
Africa to harness and apply science,
technology and related innovations
to eradicate poverty
and achieve sustainable development;
and to ensure that
Africa contributes to the global
pool of scientific knowledge and
technological innovations.
The success of the consolidated
plan of action is premised on
the implementation of some
flagship research and development
programmes and projects
over the next five years.
The programmes are organised
into clusters based on their
relationships and potential of establishing
inter-related networks
of implementing institutions.
The cluster will focus on biodiversity,
biotechnology and indigenous
knowledge; energy,
water and desertification; material
sciences, manufacturing,
laser and post-harvest technologies;
information and communication
technologies, and space
science and technologies; and
mathematical sciences.
The biodiversity cluster programme
aims to strengthen
Africa's scientific and technological
capacities for biodiversity
conservation and sustainable
use. It focuses on measures to
build a strong conservation science
foundation and generate
sustainable use of technologies.
Special emphasis will be
placed on promoting Africa's indigenous
knowledge base, particularly
their role in biodiversity
conservation and their contribution
to food production, fighting
HIV and AIDS, and reducing
environmental degradation.
An African Conservation Science
Training Scheme is being
proposed, which will provide financial
and technical resources for training in conservation science.
It will provide fellowship
grants to Masters of Science and
Doctor of Philosophy students to
enable them to study at African
universities.
The energy, water and desertification
cluster will focus on
building a sustainable energy
base for Africa; securing sustainable
water resources; and combating
drought and desertification.
The overall objective of this
programme is to enlarge Africa's
energy security through the generation
and application of scientific
knowledge and related technological
innovations.
Through the material sciences,
manufacturing, laser and
post-harvest technologies cluster,
Africa aims to build scientific
and technical capacity to conduct
research in materials required
to boost production.
The African Materials Research
Society was formed in
2002 in Senegal and is a continental
network dedicated to materials
science and technology
development. It is a relatively
young organisation and needs
strengthening.
It is planned that, through the
information and communication
technologies, and space science
and technologies cluster, Africa
will establish a continental research
network on information and communication technologies.
This will bring together leading
universities and research centres
to design and implement projects
that generate software with
African content.
The cluster programme on
mathematical sciences aims to
strengthen Africa's capacity in
the mathematical sciences.
The programmes and projects
constitute the first generation of
continental and regional activities
that were defined and agreed
upon at regional consultations.
Additional projects will be
designed in the life of the Science
and Technology Consolidated
Plan of Action.
The initial timeframe for implementing
the projects is 2006-2010.
Africa's Science and Technology
Consolidated Plan of Action is the
instrument for implementing the
decisions of the first African Ministerial
Conference on Science
and Technology held in Johannesburg
in November 2003.
The plan gives practical
meaning to the decision of the
Second Ordinary Session of the
Assembly of the AU held in July
2003 in Maputo to integrate the
NEPAD programme into AU
structures and processes.
The document is a product of
the AU Commission and the
NEPAD Office of Science and Technology.


SADC RESOLVED in 2006 to establish
a science and technology
office within the Secretariat in a
quest to maximise co-ordination
and promotion of such issues in
the region, and to support national
initiatives in this regard.
Science and technology was
identified as a key area in boosting
economic growth and social
development, as scientific research
applications cut across various
development areas such as
agriculture, health and education.
SADC Ministers of Science
and Technology who met in South Africa in July 2006 also
resolved to build on the framework
for science and technology
developed by Zimbabwe in
April of the same year.
The framework outlines
plans for the sector in the region
and ways to mobilise financial
and technical resources to implement
projects of the Regional
Indicative Strategic Development
Plan (RISDP).
It also calls for co-ordination
in implementing the NEPAD
Science and Technology Plan in southern Africa.



title:
As SADC Free Trade Area beckons
Zimbabwe embarks on economic recovery

Abstract:
ZIMBABWE HAS embarked on
an economic recovery programme
that pins the nation's
hopes on mutual understanding
among all sectors of society and
has the potential of putting the
country on course to attaining
SADC economic targets.

body:
ZIMBABWE HAS embarked on
an economic recovery programme
that pins the nation's
hopes on mutual understanding
among all sectors of society and
has the potential of putting the
country on course to attaining
SADC economic targets.
The new economic revival
programme will be split into two
phases, with the first phase running
from March to June and
phase two from July to December.
Decisions are to be made
and targets set during February,
including agreement on capping
of wages, prices and incomes.
The first phase will involve
the establishment of a “social
contract” among labour, government
and the business sector, as
well as civil society and political
parties; and the mobilisation of
foreign exchange through offshore
lines of credit and exports.
A transitional package is
being proposed under the social
contract, underpinned by “well sequenced,
complementary economic
policies backed up by unwavering
political support and
commitment as a basis for an
economy ready to take-off, free
of artificial controls, and one
ready to receive new investment
inflows from across the globe.”
The country intends to reduce
inflation to single-digit levels
by December 2008, underpinned
by fiscal prudence and a
tight monetary policy, and able
to feed itself at all times with surplus
for export.
Zimbabwe currently has the
world's highest inflation rate,
pegged at 1,281.1 percent in December
2006.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
(RBZ) said Zimbabwe's
inflation should end
2007 pegged at around 65
percent before declining
further to single-digit
levels in 2008 in line
with the SADC target.
The SADC vision is to have
all the 14 Member States registering
inflation figures of below
five percent by 2012 and three
percent by 2018.
The inflation target is part of
measures being pursued by the
region as it moves towards
macro-economic convergence
and the creation of a Free Trade
Area in 2008.
Other macro-economic targets
are on the ratio of budget
deficit to Gross Domestic Product,
levels of publicly guaranteed
debts, and the amount of
import cover.
Restoration of confidence in
the economy will be another key
component of the transitional
economic package, in which
Zimbabwe promises to honour
existing Bilateral Investment
Protection and Promotion
Agreements (BIPPAs) and institute
corrective measures on previous
violations.
The country has signed a
number of BIPPAs with countries
from the region and other
parts of the world, which are
meant to safeguard investments
by nationals of those countries.
“By its nature, investment
capital is a highly timid wind,
which swiftly changes course at
the slightest signal of disrespect
for private property rights,” said
RBZ Governor, Gideon Gono.
A government team will embark
on a global investment promotion promotion
drive in February and
March to assure investors of
Zimbabwe's commitment to the
sanctity of private property
rights.
The Zimbabwe Investment
Authority will also be launched
during the first phase. President
Robert Mugabe signed the Zimbabwe
Investment Authority Act
on 29 December 2006.
The Act provides for the
merger of the Zimbabwe Investment
Centre and the Export
Processing Zones Authority,
resulting in the establishment
of a one-stop organisation
with the responsibility of processing,
planning and implementing
investment promotion
strategies.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to
the SADC Protocol on Finance
and Investment.
The protocol is an important
stepping stone for a region
whose target is to become a free
trade area by 2008 and a customs union two years later.


title:
Macroeconomic convergence
targets for SADC 2008

Abstract:
Inflation rate single digit by
2008;
Diversify (increase non-traditional
exports) and sustain
export growth rate of at
least five percent annually

body:
Inflation rate single digit by
2008;
Diversify (increase non-traditional
exports) and sustain
export growth rate of at
least five percent annually;
Increase in intra-regional
trade to at least 85 percent
by 2008;
Ration of budget deficit to
Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) not exceeding five
percent by 2008;
Nominal value of public and
publicly guaranteed debt should be less than 60 percent
of GDP by 2008;
External reserves/import
cover of at least three
months by 2008 and more
than six months by 2012;
Increase level of savings to
at least 25 percent of GDP
by 2008 and to 30 percent
by 2012;
Gradual interconnection of
payments and clearing systems
in SADC by 2008;
Achieve currency convertibility
by 2008.


Abstract:
ANGOLA SAYS it will not join
the SADC Free Trade Area in
2008 and wants more time before
it can fulfill the conditions
to join.

body:
ANGOLA SAYS it will not join
the SADC Free Trade Area in
2008 and wants more time before
it can fulfill the conditions
to join.
The Angolan Minister for
Planning, Ana Dias Lourenço,
said Angola has not developed
sufficiently to join the Free
Trade Area.
“Integration would be a
threat or an opportunity, so we
have to analyze the measures we
plan to take so that we can be a
part of the free trade area and
benefit from that process in a
balanced manner, allowing for
the competitive development of
the Angolan economy,” said Lourenço.


title:
Africa to discuss roadmap on Union government

Abstract:
THE NEXT African Union
heads of state and government
summit in Ghana in July will be
devoted primarily to the setting
up of the envisaged United
States of Africa..

body:
THE NEXT African Union
heads of state and government
summit in Ghana in July will be
devoted primarily to the setting
up of the envisaged United
States of Africa..
This was one of the major outcomes
of the 8th Ordinary Session
of the African Union (AU)
held in Ethiopia in January.
It is expected that the African
leaders will use the Accra summit
to discuss the roadmap to
setting up the continental government.
The 9th Ordinary Session of
the Assembly will be held from
1-3 July under the theme
“Grand Debate on the Union
Government”.
The United States of Africa is
the name given to a proposed
future unification of Africa as a
national and sovereign federation
of states.
The phrase “United States of
Africa,” was first used by Jamaican
civil rights activist,
Marcus Garvey, in his poem
“Hail, United States of Africa”
in 1924.
Ghana's first post-independence
president, Kwame
Nkrumah, Ethiopian emperor,
Haile Selassie, and President
Julius Nyerere of the then Tanganyika,
took the idea forward
in 1963 to form the Organisation
of African Unity, the forerunner
of the AU.
The idea has recently been
advanced by Libyan leader,
Muammar Gaddafi, at a summit
of African heads of state and
government in 2000 in Togo,
and by Alpha Oumar Konare,
chairperson of the African Commission,
on the occasion of the
commemoration of Africa Day
on 25 May 2006.
There is, however, a lot to be
done before the dream of a United
States of Africa can become a
reality.
A unified African government
would, among other things, assume the creation of a
continental central bank, a common
currency, a unified military
and parliament.
The Pan-African Parliament
is so far the only crucial building
block of the envisaged
United States of Africa already
in place.
In existence since 2004, the
continental parliament is an advisory
body for the first five
years, not legislative, and thus faces the challenge of being
taken seriously in its deliberations
and interventions.
The ideal of a unified army
will be another challenge because
of recurrent conflicts
within and among countries.
The continent is hoping to
use economic integration as an
entry point into the creation of a
Union government although
differences in levels of development
between countries and reincludgions
could slow down
progress.
Africa has over the past
decade aimed to unleash its economic
might through a coordinated
development approach
modelled around Regional Economic
Communities (RECs).
The RECs are the essential
building blocks of the African
Economic Community (AEC)
envisaged to be in place by 2028.


title:
African diplomatic passport set for launch in May

Abstract:
AFRICA IS expected to launch a
continental diplomatic passport
in May, which will be issued to
heads of state and government,
ministers, ambassadors and leaders
of African institutions.

body:
AFRICA IS expected to launch a
continental diplomatic passport
in May, which will be issued to
heads of state and government,
ministers, ambassadors and leaders
of African institutions.
The symbolic launch of the
African diplomatic passport by
the African Union (AU) Commission
will be the highlight of
Africa Day celebrations in
Ethiopia on 25 May.
Africa Day celebrates the day
when the Organization of
African Unity was formed in
1963. The OAU is the precursor
to the AU.
According to AU Commission
chairperson, Alpha Oumar
Konaré, the introduction of the
diplomatic passport is a symbol
of African solidarity.
“Experts are presently addressing
this symbolic decision,”
said Konaré when addressing the
10th ordinary session of the AU
Executive Council.
Konaré noted that “this document
will be strictly reserved
to heads of state, ministers, ambassadors
and institutions' officials
in order to enable them to
travel across the continent without
the need for any visa.”
Under the current arrangement,
heads of state and government,
ministers and leaders of
major institutions require visas
to enter most African countries, except in cases where both
countries have signed reciprocal
visa exemption agreements.
It will complement efforts by
various African regions, including SADC, to introduce common
visas that will facilitate easier
and faster travel between
countries of the same regional community.


title:
Some of the main outcomes of the AU
Eighth Ordinary Session

Abstract:
A call for Africa's cooperating
partners to support
Member States and Regional
Economic Communities
to effectively integrate climate
change and mitigation
measures into their development
plans and to implement
them;

body:
A call for Africa's cooperating
partners to support
Member States and Regional
Economic Communities
to effectively integrate climate
change and mitigation
measures into their development
plans and to implement
them;
Countries to take ownership
of important commitments
on improving food security,
including making adequate
resources available;
An undertaking to promote
and support research
and innovation among
young people, as well as
the creation of the requisite
human and institutional
capacities in member
countries;
Establishment of the
African Education Fund to
improve the level and standard
of education on the
continent;
The AU Commission to
organise a continental
conference on Economic
Empowerment of African
Women whose objective
will be to articulate strategies
to elevate the economic
status of the continent's
women, including
the establishment of the
African Trust Fund for
Women;
Declaration of 2007 as the
International Year of
African Football and the
ushering in of the 2010
World Cup as an African
event;
Launch of competition on
the design of a new AU
flag; and
A call for the European
Union to extend beyond
December 2007 the deadline
for negotiations of
the Economic Partnership Agreements.


Abstract:
COOPERATION BETWEEN
Africa and China took a bold
leap forward following the conclusion
of a highly successful
eight-nation tour by Chinese
President Hu Jintao.

body:
COOPERATION BETWEEN
Africa and China took a bold
leap forward following the conclusion
of a highly successful
eight-nation tour by Chinese
President Hu Jintao.
Chinese Foreign Minister, Li
Zhaoxing, said the visit was a
journey of friendship and cooperation
and a major step forward
in Sino-African relations following
the Beijing Summit of the
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) of November 2006.
Half of the countries visited
by Hu were in southern Africa
and the trip is expected to boost
growing trade ties and ensure
that aid pledges made by China
at the FOCAC summit are carried
out.
The African visit by Hu,
which began on 30 January,
took the Chinese leader to
Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan,
Zambia, Namibia, South Africa,
Mozambique and Seychelles.
The Chinese president assured
African leaders that his
country will never impose its
ideology, social system or mode
of development on others.
He briefed African leaders
on China's efforts to carry out
the eight steps unveiled during
the FOCAC.
The eight steps include
China's pledge to double its assistance
to Africa by 2009.
China will provide US$3 billion
of preferential loans and US$2
billion of preferential buyer's
credits to Africa.
China will also establish a
development fund of US$5 billion
to encourage Chinese firms
to invest in Africa.
Debt cancellation, the opening
up of the Chinese market to
African products and broadening
of China-Africa cooperation
in the economic and social
fields are the other targets
agreed during the
FOCAC summit.
The measures will be
carried out in accordance
with the principles
of mutual benefit, friendly
consultations, high efficiency
and pragmatism, the Chinese
president said, adding that they
must cater for the needs of the
African people.
More than 50 cooperation
agreements were signed during
Hu's African visit. These included
the cancellation of Mozambique's
debt amounting to US$20
million, a US$15 million interestfree
loan for the construction of
new stadium in Maputo, and
US$195 million worth of soft
loans to be used in developing
infrastructure in Mozambique.
The new stadium is expected
to be ready in time for South
Africa's hosting of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup. It will be made
available to teams from outside
southern Africa as they try to acclimatize
to regional conditions
prior to the World Cup finals.
China will also help build a
pilot centre on agricultural
technology in Mozambique's
northern province of Nampula.
“We must continue to deepen
our excellent relations of friendship
and cooperation, link the
enormous potential existing in
Mozambique to Chinese technologies,
and diversify partnerships
between businesses of our
two countries,” said President
Armando Guebuza.
Hu's visit to Namibia resulted
in the signing of five cooperation
agreements in the areas of the
economy, technology, human resources,
education and tourism.
In Zambia, Hu hailed the
“all-weather” friendship between
the two countries, pledging
to remain a good friend,
partner and brother to the
southern African country.
Eight cooperation agreements
were signed following
talks between Hu and Zambian
President Levy Mwanawasa.
These will see the Chinese
investing US$800 million in
Zambia's mining, manufacturing
and agricultural sectors as
well as the creation of a special
economic zone in Chambishi in
Copperbelt province, the first
one to be set up by China in
Africa. Chinese companies will
enjoy a tax holiday in the special
economic zone.
Mwanawasa pledged to further
improve his country's investment
environment and
hoped that more Chinese and
foreign enterprises will settle in
the zone, bringing along with
them know-how and expertise
necessary for the development
of Zambia.
Beijing also agreed to write
off part of Zambia's bilateral
debt to China.
“This will go a long way in
boosting economic development
in our country,” said
Mwanawasa.
The Chinese president also
met former Zambian president,
Kenneth Kaunda, who thanked
China for the aid and moral
support it offered for Zambia's
struggle against colonial rule.
Kaunda said bilateral relations
between the two countries
have moved forward over the
years. The Tanzania Zambia
Railway Authority (Tazara) railway
built with the assistance of
China is the symbol of friendship
and cooperation between
China and Africa.
Tazara was constructed between
1970 and 1975 through
an interest-free loan of about
US$500 million from the People's
Republic of China. It started
commercial operations in
July 1976, thus giving Zambia
access to the port of Dar es
Salaam and reducing dependence
on the southern transport
routes through then Rhodesia
and apartheid South Africa.
Tazara is an integral part of
the southern Africa regional rail
transport network and currently
handles exports and imports
of the United Republic of Tanzania
and Zambia, as well as
the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Malawi, South Africa,
Zimbabwe and the Great Lakes
region.
Hu paid tribute to South
Africa, which in the 12 years
since achieving majority rule
has become China's biggest
trading partner in Africa.
“The new South Africa, since
its founding, has made remarkable
achievements in national
reconciliation and economic and
social development," Hu said.
The two countries signed
agreements on economic and
technical co-operation and
launched a website to foster
commercial ties.
Among the agreements were
protocols on the sanitary conditions
for the export of grapes
and tobacco from South Africa
to China as well as for the import
of pears and apples to
South Africa from China.
Trade between South Africa
and China reached US$240 million
in the first 11 months of
2006, an increase of 34.5 percent
from the previous year.


Abstract:
PRIME MINISTER Pakalitha
Mosisili and his Lesotho Congress
for Democracy (LCD) were
returned to power in the 2007
general elections held on 17 February.

body:
PRIME MINISTER Pakalitha
Mosisili and his Lesotho Congress
for Democracy (LCD) were
returned to power in the 2007
general elections held on 17 February.
The LCD won in 61 of the 80
directly contested constituencies
while its main challenger, All Basotho
Convention (ABC), came
second with 17 seats. The Alliance
of Congress Parties (ACP)
got one seat with one to come.
The LCD has been in power
since May 1998 while the ABC
was formed in October 2006 by
former communications minister,
Thomas Thabane, who, together
with 18 other parliamentarians,
resigned from the LCD
government after complaining
of non-delivery.
Lesotho currently holds the
rotating chair of SADC, with
Mosisili the chairperson
of the organisation until August/
September when he is
expected to pass the leadership
to Zambian President,
Levy Mwanawasa.
Lesotho is a constitutional
monarchy in which King Letsie
III serves a largely ceremonial
function.
According to the country's
constitution, the leader of the
majority party in the National
Assembly automatically becomes
prime minister.
The country uses the dual
electoral system under which 40
more parliamentary seats are allocated
on the basis of proportional
representation system.
Under the system, the party with
the largest number of elected
candidates will get the biggest
share of the 40 extra seats.
The LCD got an extra 21
seats from proportional representation
on the back of its alliance
with the National Independent
Party, giving it more
than 75 percent of the 120 seats
in parliament.
The Lesotho general elections
were declared “credible, free
and fair” by the SADC Electoral
Observer Mission (SEOM),
which praised the Basotho people
for their high level of political
maturity.
The SADC observer mission
had teams deployed to most of the 80 constituencies
being contested during the
Lesotho polls.
Lesotho was the seventh
country to use the SADC
Principles and Guidelines
Governing Elections,
adopted in 2004, to run its
elections.
Under the guidelines,
SADC member states have
agreed to guarantee the full
participation of all their citizens
in their country's political
processes.
This includes, among others,
the need for political tolerance;
regular intervals for
elections as provided for by
the respective national Constitutions;
equal opportunity
for all political parties to access
the state media; and
equal opportunity to exercise
the right to vote and be
voted for.
Other member states where
the guidelines have already
been used are the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Madagascar,
Mauritius, the United Republic
of Tanzania, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
These were Lesotho's sixth
polls since independence from
Britain in 1966. Previous postindependence
elections were
held in 1970, 1985, 1993, 1998 and 2002.


Abstract:
THE SADC region looks forward
to another hectic elections
calendar in 2007, with
polls scheduled to take place
in at least three Member
States.

body:
THE SADC region looks forward
to another hectic elections
calendar in 2007, with
polls scheduled to take place
in at least three Member
States.
Lesotho voted for members
of the National Assembly on 17
February, with some 19 political
parties vying for the 80 constituencies
contested for on a
first-past-the-post electoral system.
The two front-runners were
the ruling Lesotho Congress
for Democracy of Prime Minister
Pakalitha Mosisili and
the newly formed All Basotho
Convention of former communications
minister, Tom Thabane.
Mauritius also goes to the
polls during this year to elect a
president.
The country uses a unique
electoral system in which the
president is elected by members
of the National Assembly.
The current President of the
Republic, Anerood Jugnauth,
was elected by the National Assembly
in 2003 for a five-year
term.
Other SADC elections are
expected in Madagascar, which
will choose parliamentary and
local government representatives
this year.
Parliamentary and presidential
elections in Angola
have been postponed to 2008
and 2009, respectively, to allow more time for the voter registration
process that started in
2006.
President José Eduardo dos
Santos said preparations for the
2008 legislative elections will
be top priority for this year.
The last polls were in 1992
when dos Santos defeated late
former rebel leader, Jonas Savimbi.
Voter registration started on
15 November 2006 and will
close on 15 June, according to
the National Electoral Commission.
About 7.5 million Angolans
are eligible to vote out of an estimated
population of 13.5 million
people. Voter registration is mandatory.


Abstract:
WITH AN energy shortage expected
to worsen from 2007,
southern Africa is leaving no
stone unturned to minimise the
socio-economic impact of the
electricity shortfall and fluctuations
in fuel prices.

body:
WITH AN energy shortage expected
to worsen from 2007,
southern Africa is leaving no
stone unturned to minimise the
socio-economic impact of the
electricity shortfall and fluctuations
in fuel prices.
Various initiatives have been
embarked upon as Member
States move towards boosting
energy self-sufficiency for a region that has grown at an average
five percent per annum in
the past five years.


Although a lot of the effort is
still being put into developing
hydropower and other conventional
methods of generating
electricity, regional attention has
shifted in the past few years towards
harnessing alternative
energy sources.
The initiatives have included
promotion of the use of
solar, wind and nuclear energy
as well as bio-diesel and, more
recently, “waste-to-energy”
technology.
The alternative energy
sources are substantially cheaper
than hydroelectric power
generation and ensure sustainable
use of natural resources.
The SADC region requires at
least US$5.2 billion between
now and 2011 to rehabilitate existing
power stations and invest
in short-term electricity generation
projects, according to the
Southern African Power Pool.
The programme aims to
provide solar water heating
systems and panels for use by
more than 27,000 rural households
not yet connected to the
national power grid.
Mozambique's Energy
Fund (FUNAE) plans to install
2,500 solar powered systems
by the end of June in Inhambane
and Sofala provinces, as
part of the project for electrification
of rural areas.
Under the same project,
being funded by the World
Bank for US$2 million, about Although expansion of renewable
energy technologies
will require intensive initial investment,
running them is fairly
inexpensive and they provide
quicker solution to rural household
energy needs.
Increased use of renewable energy
technologies will provide
savings in national grid supplies
and fuel imports, creating virtual
power stations with the electricity
being availed to productive sectors
of the economy.
In this issue, SADC Today profiles
some of the initiatives, looking
at the benefits and possible
challenges faced by countries.
300 schools and the same number
of health posts in several
provinces will be equipped with
solar panels in the first six
months of this year.
The technology reduces
health and environmental hazards
related to traditional open
fire cooking.
Widely regarded as a potential
solution to the fuel wood
crisis in rural areas, the stoves
are relatively inexpensive,
durable and use much less
water during the cooking
process.


Abstract:
IT IS estimated that most countries
in southern Africa receive
more than 2,500 hours of sunshine
per year.

body:
IT IS estimated that most countries
in southern Africa receive
more than 2,500 hours of sunshine
per year.
The SADC region, and in fact
the whole of Africa, has sunshine
all year round.
Solar energy is used to power
equipment such as stoves, water
heaters, lighting, water pumps,
communication and transportation.
Like all other renewable energy
sources, solar energy is safe
and environmentally friendly.
The use of solar energy is the
most readily accessible resource
in the region and lends itself to a
number of potential uses.
Knowledge on solar energy
technology is widespread in the
SADC region, although its use is
still limited. Solar heating systems
vary from very simple and
therefore cheap water and air
heaters to sophisticated, high
performance, long life and expensive
solar boilers.
In Zimbabwe, the applications
are mainly for domestic use
– water heating, crop drying,
solar cooking and refrigeration.
Through the Energy Technology
Institute, Zimbabwe's Scientific
and Industrial Research and
Development Centre (SIRDC)
has designed, fabricated and installed
a 1 kilowatt solar central
charging station in Mhondoro,
which is powering a
clinic and has the capacity
to light up 50 houses.
SIRDC recently finished
developing a
solar street lighting system, which is now ready for
commercialisation. The product
represents the first solar streetlight
to be designed and built in
Zimbabwe with a built-in innovative
switching control and
charging mechanism.
The light is an environmentally
friendly product since it uses
solar power in its operations and
does not require electricity cables.
It is a stand–alone system
and can be erected in remote
areas, which are far away from
the electricity grid. The light automatically
switches on at sunset
and switches off at sunrise.
The light could be used in
both rural and urban areas and in
particular in tourist attraction
spots. This is an economically viable
product, which could provide
an effective solution to ease
the energy shortage situation and
to cut on energy importation.
The Energy Technology Institute
also houses the UNESCO Regional
Solar Training Facility. The
facility offers training to participants
from SADC Member States
on solar home lighting systems,
solar water pumping and
mini/micro hydro schemes.
The Ministry of Energy and
Power Development in Zimbabwe
is also spearheading a project
to promote use of solar energy
and biogas in farming areas
where resettled people need electricity.
In Namibia, the government
has launched the five-year
Namibia Renewable Energies
Programme.


Abstract:
IT IS estimated that about 74
percent of the total energy requirements
of the eight Zambezi
River Basin countries come from
biomass - fuelwood, charcoal
and plant residues.

body:
IT IS estimated that about 74
percent of the total energy requirements
of the eight Zambezi
River Basin countries come from
biomass - fuelwood, charcoal
and plant residues.
These countries are Angola,
Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, United Republic of Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Biomass is used for domestic
purposes (cooking and lighting)
and in agriculture for curing tobacco,
especially in Malawi,
Mozambique, Tanzania and
Zimbabwe.
It is also used for brick manufacturing,
lime production, fish
smoking, and coffee and tea
drying.
One of the challenges of
over-reliance on biomass energy
is its effects on the environment.
Deforestation, one of the factors
that lead to soil erosion and
ultimately land degradation, is
the main problem associated
with biomass energy utilisation.
Improved stoves such as the
tsotso and specially designed clay
stoves are also being vigorously
promoted for use in rural households
throughout the region.
Tsotso stoves use much less
wood and feature an insulated
combustion chamber which
helps to reduce smoke while increasing
burning efficiency.


Waste to energy

This is new technology which
enables countries to generate
electricity from waste products.
One such initiative is being
pursued in Mauritius where a
joint venture between a local
company and an American firm
has announced plans to invest
US$200 million in a project to set
up a “Waste to Energy” plant in
the west of the country.
The project aims to dispose
of 300,000 tonnes of refuse collected
by municipal councils
through incineration to produce
20 megawatts (MW) of electricity
which will be sold to the local
power utility, the Central Electricity
Board.
Construction of the plant is
scheduled to start in mid-2007
and will be operational by the
beginning of 2009.

Wind energy



Wind energy could provide part
of the answer to SADC's electricity
problems if a pilot project
being implemented by South
Africa is successful.
Cape Town approved a proposed
power purchase agreement
with Darling Wind Farm, a
R70m (approx. US$11m) national
pilot project funded jointly by
the Danish International Development
Agency, the Department
of Minerals and Energy,
and the Darling Independent
Power Producing Company.
The project will open up opportunities
for further wind energy
projects and other “green
energy projects” in the Western
Cape and the rest of southern
Africa.
Under the project, Cape
Town residents will purchase
energy from the Darling Wind
Farm. This will be marketed to
"willing buyers" at an initial premium
of R0.25 per kwh.
It is expected that the demand
for green energy will outstrip
the 13,200 gigawatt hours
of energy that can be supplied
annually by the farm. Darling
Wind Farm is expected to commence
generation in 2007 and
the energy will be sold through
the city's electricity service
provider.

Bio-fuel



Rising world petroleum prices
have prompted plant-based biofuel
initiatives in Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
These countries are growing
the oil-rich Jatropha curcas plant
for the production of cheaper
and cleaner bio-diesel.
Soya beans and maize have
also been identified as viable alternatives
for providing fuel to
the region's transport systems
and industrial development. perts say 25 kg of soya beans
yields nearly six litres of biodiesel.
Zimbabwe's National Biodiesel
Feedstock production
programme aims to substitute at
least 10 percent of daily consumption
of imported fuel
through bio-diesel within the
next five years.
South Africa expects to be
selling petroleum fuels blended
with 10 percent ethanol at its
petrol stations by early 2007.
The move is expected to reduce
fuel imports, stabilise fuel
prices and boost agriculture and
the region's rural economies.
An ethanol plant under development
in the Free State
province will consume 375,000
tonnes of maize per year, and
produce 158 million litres of bioethanol.
The plant will also have
the potential to produce 108,000
tonnes of animal feed.
Zambia will also soon have
its first bio-fuel plant where Jatropha
seeds will be used to produce
oil.
The bio-fuel plant will be set
up by Marli Investment at an
initial investment of US$8 million
and will be located in
Kabwe, 140 km north of capital,
Lusaka.
It is expected to produce 60
million litres of fuel per year,
and production will start in August
after conducting some trials
in April.


Abstract:
AFRICA WILL continue to occupy
an influential position in
the executive offices of the United
Nations following the appointment
of a Tanzanian to the
number two position at UN
headquarters in New York.

body:
AFRICA WILL continue to occupy
an influential position in
the executive offices of the United
Nations following the appointment
of a Tanzanian to the
number two position at UN
headquarters in New York.


Dr Asha-Rose Migiro of the
United Republic of Tanzania becomes
the highest ranking
woman at the UN and the second
highest among all officials.
The appointment of Migiro is
a bold and rapid decision of the
new UN Secretary-General, Ban
Ki-moon of South Korea, fulfilling
his promise to appoint a
woman to a top position.
The Secretary-General, who
worked with Migiro in 2006
when they both served as foreign
ministers of their respective
countries, described her as “a
highly respected leader who has
championed the cause of developing
countries over the years.
“Through her distinguished
service in diverse areas, she has
displayed outstanding management
skills with wide experience
and expertise in socio-economic
affairs and development
issues,” Ban said in his announcement.
“I have deep confidence in
and respect for her, and intend
to delegate much of the management
and administrative work
of the Secretariat, as well as
socio-economic affairs and development
issues, under a clear
line of authority to ensure that
the Secretariat will function in a
more effective and efficient
manner.”
Migiro, 50, was selected from
a short list of candidates that included
men and women. She replaces
Mark Malloch Brown of
the United Kingdom.
Before this appointment,
she was Tanzania's
Minister of Foreign
Affairs and International
Cooperation.
The Tanzanian President,
Jakaya Kikwete, said in a statement
that he had received the
news with pride. “The foreign
ministry is a very important portfolio
to me, but this choice is also
an honour to my country and
am very proud of Dr. Migiro.”
The honour extends to the
East African Community and
the Southern African Development
Community (SADC),
where Migiro has been representing
her country in chairing
the ministerial Troika of the
Organ on Politics, Defence and
Security Cooperation.
Migiro holds a law degree,
LL.B (Hons), and a Masters
(LL.M) from the University of
Dar es Salaam, as well as a doctorate
in legal studies from Konstanz
University in Germany.
She is an appointed member
of the Tanzanian parliament, the
Bunge, and a former Minister for
Community Development,
Women and Children, where
she served from 2000 to 2005.
She was previously a Senior
Lecturer at the University of Dar
es Salaam, since 1981.
Migiro has become the most
senior of a growing number of
Tanzanian women occupying
top positions in global governance
and development.
The list includes Gertrude
Mongella, who was Secretary-
General of the UN Fourth World Women Conference in Beijing in
1995, which agreed on a Programme
For Action that continues
to provide the framework
for women's empowerment and
participation.
Mongella, a former government
minister, rose to the level
of Assistant Secretary-General,
and is now Speaker of the Pan-
African Parliament. She is an
elected constituency member of
the Bunge.
Another Tanzanian, Dr Anna
Kajumulo Tibaijuka, was the
first African woman elected by
the UN General Assembly as
Under-Secretary-General of a
UN programme, and is currently
serving a second, four-year
term as the Executive Director
of UN Habitat.
She is also Director-General
of the UN Office at Nairobi
(UNON), which includes the
UN Environment Programme
(UNEP), the only UN headquarters
in Africa and the developing
world. Tibaijuka pursued an
active academic career as a Professor
of Economics at the University
of Dar es Salaam before
joining the UN.
Another Tanzanian woman,
Rosebud Kurwijila, has completed
three years as a member
of the first African Union Commission,
with responsibility for
Rural Economy and Agriculture.
She holds post-graduate degrees
in Agricultural Economics
and in Development Economics,
and previously served the Tanzanian
Ministry of Agriculture
for 12 years in senior management
positions, including training.
She also lectured in agricultural
development at the
Sokoine University of Agriculture.
Tanzania recently celebrated
45 years of independence, having
been one of the first African
countries to gain independence
in 1961, as Tanganyika. Joining
with Zanzibar in 1964, the country
became the United Republic
of Tanzania.
The founding father and inspiration
of the nation, Mwalimu
Julius K. Nyerere, actively supported
equality in education and
other spheres, and the involvement
of women in politics. Thus
Tanzania has a long modern history
of aspiring to gender parity,
although some challenges and inequalities
still remain.
The Tanzanian parliament
has guaranteed seats for women
and a constitutional provision
for at least 30 percent representation.
A senior Tanzanian diplomat
widely respected internationally,
Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who
served three terms as AU Secretary-
General and is currently
the AU Special Envoy on
Sudan's Darfur conflict, welcomed
the appointment of Dr
Migiro, citing her “skills and
commitment”.
Salim, who is Chairperson of
the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation,
was himself an aspirant for
the post of UN Secretary-General
at a very young age when he
served as his country's representative
at the UN in New York
more than 35 years ago.
Of Migiro, he says, “I know
she can do the job and I wish her well.”


title:
AU awards to promote science and technology

Abstract:
THE AFRICAN Union (AU)
announced a series of science
and technology awards in January
to increase the number of
scientists in the continent.

body:
THE AFRICAN Union (AU)
announced a series of science
and technology awards in January
to increase the number of
scientists in the continent.
In line with the one of the
co-themes of the 8th AU Summit
held in Ethiopia, the
African leaders introduced
three awards aimed at promoting
science and technology on
the continent.
The main theme for the
summit was “Science, Technology
and Scientific Research”.
The other theme was “Climate
Change in Africa”.
The award schemes aim to
address the small size of
Africa's scientific manpower by
stimulating interest in science
among young people.
It is estimated that sub-Saharan
Africa trains only 83 engineers
per million of the population
each year compared to 1,000 in
industrialised countries.
Key among the scholarships
announced at the summit is the
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere
African Union Scholarship
Scheme under which 50 students
will be given the opportunity
to study for bachelor degrees
in African universities.
The scheme will then be expanded
to include postgraduate
studies.
AU education commissioner,
Beatrice Khamati-Njenga,
said the scheme encourages
students to study in an African
country with a binding agreement
that the student will work
in Africa for 2-5 years after
graduating.
"This is a clear sign that the
AU is committed to expanding
scientific knowledge in the continent.
It tackles many pertinent
issues like lack of expertise and
also the brain drain,” she said.
The awards will be funded
by the AU commission, which
gets its funds from country
members and donors.
The AU, in collaboration
with the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO),
also introduced a biennial
award to reward innovation.
The AU-WIPO Innovation
and Invention Award will
award a medal and US$13,000
for the best innovation that addresses
problems affecting
Africa.
The prize will be broken
down into categories, including
best African inventor, female
inventor, young inventor and best invention based on indigenous
knowledge.
A best practices award for
information technology has
also been introduced and
will be open to individuals and
organisations involved in
creativity, including African
web designers and developers.
Ahmed Hamdy, the AU
head of science and technology,
explained that Africa has long
lagged behind other countries
in terms of capacity, and the AU is keen to change this.


title:
Student develops low-cost housing design

Abstract:
A ZIMBABWEAN student
scooped the prize for the best
design of a low-cost passive
solar house at the annual South
African Institute of Physics
conference held at the end of
November 2006.

body:
A ZIMBABWEAN student
scooped the prize for the best
design of a low-cost passive
solar house at the annual South
African Institute of Physics
conference held at the end of
November 2006.
Golden Makaka, a doctorate
student at Fort Hare University,
produced the best poster presentation,
entitled “The design
and performance of the lowcost
passive solar house in the
Eastern Cape, South Africa”.
A passive solar design
house uses sunshine to heat
and light homes without mechanical
or electrical devices.
To reduce loss of heat from
the building, the majority of
windows in a passive solar
building are located on the
north wall.
In winter when the sun is
usually low in the sky, northfacing
windows allow the solar
radiation to penetrate indoors,
heating the thermal mass that
later on radiates thermal radiation
and heats heating the indoor
environment at night.
In summer, north-facing
windows can be shaded off by
roof awnings to keep out the
high hot summer sun.
Applying low solar absorption
paint to the outer roof surface
and using aluminium foil
on the inside lowers emission,
helping to create better thermal
performance.
“All these techniques could
create better thermal performance.
A good house design has
to safeguard health and safety
by providing sufficient airspace,
ventilation, insulation and,
most importantly, to involve the
end users in the design process,”
Makaka said.
The design attracted a lot
of interest from academics and
local authorities that attended
the annual scientific showcase.
The Somerset East Municipality
has already indicated
that it would adopt the design
to build low-cost housing.
Introduction of the concept
of low-cost energy efficient
passive solar housing can offer
immediate and long-term solutions
to the problem of housing
and energy in southern Africa.


title:
Villagers invent tree-bark irrigation system

Abstract:
FACED BY high irrigation
costs, communal farmers
in Zimbabwe's Masvingo
province have invented an irrigation
system using a special
type of tree bark as piping for
water.

body:
FACED BY high irrigation
costs, communal farmers
in Zimbabwe's Masvingo
province have invented an irrigation
system using a special
type of tree bark as piping for
water.
The “tree bark irrigation
system” has seen 42 families
successfully water a swath of
land which they have put
under vegetables, beans and
maize.
The bark is carefully removed
from a tree and skilfully placed to channel water from
Mudzami River into the fields.
The fields and gardens are
about 600 metres away from
the river.
The system is the brainchild
of students and parents at
Mudzami High School who
have been using it for the past
two years.
There are plans to expand
the project to other villages although
this could be affected
by the depletion of suitable trees. (The Herald)


title:
Angola targets 10m carat diamond
output by 2008

Abstract:
INTERNATIONAL OIL conglomerates
are scrambling for a
share of Madagascar's oil sector
as the Indian Ocean island is fast
emerging as the next centre of
Africa's energy boom.

body:
INTERNATIONAL OIL conglomerates
are scrambling for a
share of Madagascar's oil sector
as the Indian Ocean island is fast
emerging as the next centre of
Africa's energy boom.
Initial projections are that
Madagascar could produce 60,000
barrels per day in three to four
years, with revenue of several billion
dollars, which would quickly
make the oil industry the main
contributor to the country's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). The
GDP was US$5.5 billion in 2003.
The government has started
auctioning oil-drilling rights
and, according to Hugues Rajaoson
of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the potential for production
is high.
“The sector could contribute
up to 15 percent of GDP within
five years,” Rajaoson said.
Among the global oil giants
scrambling for a share of Madagascar's
resources are those from the
United States, the United Kingdom,
France, the Netherlands,
Norway, China and South Korea.
Official estimates put offshore
reserves as high as five billion
barrels, but the exact size remains
unknown.
If development of the oil industry
proceeds as planned, Madagascar
will join Angola as a beacon of
SADC in the oil industry. Namibia has also been assessing the feasibility
of establishing a viable oil sector.
Angola is sub-Saharan
Africa's second largest oil producer
after Nigeria.
Madagascar's economy emerged
from a recession in 2002,
and reached a growth rate of 9.8
percent in 2003.
The country's other major export
is vanilla, for which it is the
largest producer in the world. It
is also the second largest producer
of rice in Africa.


title:
Tourism sector tops Mozambique
investments

Abstract:
TOURISM EARNED Mozambique
more than US$144 million
in 2006 amid indications that the
sector is set to upstage manufacturing
as the country's largest foreign
currency earner.

body:
TOURISM EARNED Mozambique
more than US$144 million
in 2006 amid indications that the
sector is set to upstage manufacturing
as the country's largest foreign
currency earner.
The sector has become a main
focus of foreign investors in the
country.
South African tourism players
are leading the investment drive
into Mozambique, motivated by
the country's huge and largely untapped
potential, characterised by
its large tropical coastline, forests
and abundant wildlife.
According to the Minister of
Tourism, Fernando Sumbana, the
target is to position Mozambique
as a world-class tourist destination,
creating new jobs, contributing
to national economic growth
and fighting poverty.
One of the greatest challenges
ahead is the organising of the 2010
FIFA World Cup in South Africa,
which is expected to benefit neighbouring
countries as well.
Sumbana foresees several
large investments being
finalised ahead of the
largest sporting event to
be hosted by Africa.
Initiatives being planned include
the launch of a Mozambican
tourism portal, approval of a
new regulatory tourism bill,
stimulation of responsible and
sustainable tourism, and introduction
of new ways of supporting
the private sector and increasing
domestic tourism.


title:
Mauritius expects less unemployment in 2007

Abstract:
UNEMPLOYMENT IS expected
to decline in Mauritius in 2007,
building on the positive trend that
saw jobless and economic growth
picking up last year.

body:
UNEMPLOYMENT IS expected
to decline in Mauritius in 2007,
building on the positive trend that
saw jobless and economic growth
picking up last year.
Mauritius Prime Minister,
Navin Ramgoolam, is upbeat
about growth prospects for 2007
in the Indian Ocean island.
He expects the economy to
boom this year following the
positive trends in 2006 where the
unemployment rate started
dropping for the first time in 16
years. In particular the tourism
and IT sectors are expected to
create thousands of new jobs in
Mauritius in 2007.
“In 2007, Mauritius will be a
huge construction site where job
opportunities will be available in several sectors,” the prime minister
promised citizens.
Figures from the country's
Central Statistics Office show
that the unemployment rate for
2006 was expected to drop to 9.4
percent from 9.6 percent the previous
year.
The statistics agency related
the decline in unemployment to
the strong economic growth of
4.6 percent experienced in Mauritius
in 2006 compared to 2.5
percent in 2005.


title:
Zimbabwe gets railway
equipment from China

Abstract:
THE NATIONAL Railways of
Zimbabwe (NRZ) has embarked
on a project to repair its aging
railway equipment with assistance
from China.

body:
THE NATIONAL Railways of
Zimbabwe (NRZ) has embarked
on a project to repair its aging
railway equipment with assistance
from China.
The railways company recently
acquired equipment from
China to be used to repair 130-
kilometre long railway line.
The equipment - which was due
to arrive in the country by the end
of February -is the first consignment
of railway pieces provided by
China under a US$10 million deal
between the two countries.
Zimbabwe's railway network
spans about 2,759km of which
365km are under speed restriction
and needs urgent replacement of
track. (The Herald)


title:
Brazilian firm strikes
Tanzanian oil
exploration deal

Abstract:
BRAZILIAN ENERGY firm,
Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras), has
concluded an agreement with the
United Republic of Tanzania to
start deepwater exploration for oil
within two years.

body:
BRAZILIAN ENERGY firm,
Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras), has
concluded an agreement with the
United Republic of Tanzania to
start deepwater exploration for oil
within two years.
Joao Figuiera, international executive
manager for Petrobras,
said the duration for the agreement
between his company and the Tanzanian
government for Block 6 was
for 11 years, split into three phases.
During the first phase of four
years, Petrobras will undertake
studies and survey geological, geochemical,
and geophysical data.
“In the second and third periods
of four and three years respectively,
the company will drill wells
which, if successful, will allow the
production period to start. Its term
will be 25 years renewable for an
additional 20 years,” he said.
Petrobras has been in Tanzania
since June 2004 when it signed an
agreement with the Tanzania Petroleum
Development Corporation,
the national oil company.
In the first agreement with
Tanzania, the company provided
for exploration of block 5 in Mafia
Basin, over an area of 9,250 square
km in waters between 300 and
3,000 metres deep.
The company also has oil exploration
and production activities
in Angola, Nigeria, Equatorial
Guinea, Mozambique and
Libya. (The East African)


Abstract:
SOWETO GOSPEL Choir of
South Africa received the top honours
in the Best Traditional World
Music category of the 49th Grammy
Awards held in Los Angeles,
United States, on 11 February.

body:
SOWETO GOSPEL Choir of
South Africa received the top honours
in the Best Traditional World
Music category of the 49th Grammy
Awards held in Los Angeles,
United States, on 11 February.


The 26-member choir was rewarded
for its second album,
Blessed. The group was formed
nearly five years ago and draws
on talent from churches in and
around Soweto.
Accompanied by a four-piece
band and a percussion section,
the choir gives its own unique
interpretation to both traditional
and contemporary music, performing
in six of South Africa's
11 official languages.
It has won previous accolades
such as Australia's prestigious
Helpmann Award for the
best contemporary music concert
in 2003, and the American
Gospel Awards for best international
choir in 2003 and 2004.
The Soweto Gospel Choir has
spent most of their time travelling
around the world performing
and acting as ambassador for
former South African president,
Nelson Mandela's AIDS foundation,
“46664.” The number was
Mandela's prisoner number and
is used as a reminder of just how
imprisoned the nation has become
by this horrible disease.
“Through the years of turmoil,
and the long walk to freedom
taken by Nelson Mandela
and the people of the country,
the music and art of South
Africa played a vital role in expressing
the hope and aspirations
of the people,” said the
group's producer, Robin Hogarth
when accepting the award.
Soweto is South Africa's largest
urban black community, with an
estimated population of between
one and three million people.
During the Apartheid years,
Soweto – which stands for South
Western Townships – became
synonymous with the worst of
the country's racist policies,
with hundreds of thousands of
Africans forcibly evicted to the
townships from Johannesburg.
The area was instrumental
in the dismantling of the
Apartheid system. The 1955
Freedom Charter – a declaration
of equal rights for all South
Africans – was drawn up in
Soweto.
The charter provided the
foundation of the African National
Congress and Mandela's
struggles to eliminate apartheid.
The 1976 student riots that
engulfed Soweto ignited the resistance
movement that ultimately
brought an end to
Apartheid in 1991, establishing
the right to vote for all South
Africans in 1993.
In his tribute to the choir,
President Thabo Mbeki said
the Grammy Award was “yet
another testimony of the richness
of South Africa and
Africa's contribution to humanity”.
President Mbeki said their involvement
in community work
was one of the many ways in
which South Africans could express
the rich values of Ubuntu.


title:
Nujoma movie to premiere at
Cannes festival

Abstract:
THE FEATURE film based on
the life of Namibia's first postindependence
president, Sam
Nujoma, will premiere at the
2007 Cannes Film Festival in
May.

body:
THE FEATURE film based on
the life of Namibia's first postindependence
president, Sam
Nujoma, will premiere at the
2007 Cannes Film Festival in
May.


Written and directed by
Charles Burnett, the film is
based on the autobiography of
Nujoma, first president of
Namibia and former president
of the South West African People's
Organisation.
Nujoma's character in the
movie Nujoma: Where Others Wavered
is played by US-born Jamaican
film star, Carl Lumbly,
and also stars Danny Glover.
Production took place in
Namibia, South Africa, London
and New York. Filming started
in April 2005 and ended in early
September 2006.
Uazuva Kaumbi, executive
producer of the film, announced
in January that the feature will
be ready for international release
at this year's Cannes Film
Festival in France.
The film will be released in
Namibia towards the end of
May or in early June.
The Namibian government
invested N$90 million (about
US$13 million) in the making of
the movie through the Namibia
Film Commission.
Other funding came from
Namibian parastatals and private
companies that donated in
kind. Air Namibia flew the actors
and movie crew to and from
Namibia.


title:
British Council
sponsors cultural
expression programme

Abstract:
YOUNG ARTISTES from six
SADC countries and the United
Kingdom will participate in a
21-month-long programme to
promote the exchange of experiences
on topical issues that affect
the youth.

body:
YOUNG ARTISTES from six
SADC countries and the United
Kingdom will participate in a
21-month-long programme to
promote the exchange of experiences
on topical issues that affect
the youth.
Funded by the British Council,
the Power in the Voice project
aims at allowing young people
to express themselves on key
contemporary issues such as
crime, unemployment, HIV,
drugs and substance abuse.
The project kicks off in March
and will target 35,000 young people
from schools or theatre
groups in Botswana, Mauritius,
Mozambique, South Africa, the
UK, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Over the next two years, the
participants will be involved in a
series of events aimed at developing
their skills through shows,
competitions, collaborative
workshops, exhibitions and talks.
Through rap music, performance
poetry and story-telling, the
Power in the Voice project will
provide a platform for the young
people to express their opinions
on subjects important to them as
well as the future generation.
They will be provided with
a forum to share views on such
issues and compare their own
situation with that of others in
their own country, in other
African countries and in the
UK.


title:
Africa's Science
& Technology
Consolidated Plan
of Action

Abstract:
THIS PLAN outlines a roadmap
on how Africa intends to take advantage
of its rich natural resource
and indigenous knowledge base to
attain sustainable socio-economic
development.

body:

THIS PLAN outlines a roadmap
on how Africa intends to take advantage
of its rich natural resource
and indigenous knowledge base to
attain sustainable socio-economic
development.
Emphasis is placed on developing
a continental system of research
and technological innovation,
built around a network of
centres of excellence and making
greater use of the rich array of indigenous
knowledge available
throughout the continent.
The consolidated action plan
complements other African Union
(AU) programmes in the fields of
agriculture, environment, health,
infrastructure, industrialisation
and education.
It gives practical meaning to
the July 2003 decision of the AU
Heads of State and Government to
integrate the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD)
programmes into AU structures
and processes.
Publication available from the
NEPAD Office of Science and
Technology, P.O. Box 395,
Lynnwood, Pretoria, South Africa.
Email science@nrf.ac.za
Website www.nepad.org


title:
Monitoring Economic Integration in SADC, 2005

Abstract:
THIS REPORT focuses on the history and
performance of the SADC regional integration
agenda. The authors look at the various regional
integration targets set by SADC as well
as the obstacles and performance by Member
States towards attaining these benchmarks.

body:
THIS REPORT focuses on the history and
performance of the SADC regional integration
agenda. The authors look at the various regional
integration targets set by SADC as well
as the obstacles and performance by Member
States towards attaining these benchmarks.
The report highlights challenges and opportunities
faced by SADC in its quest to attain
deeper regional integration, and offers
recommendations. Among the key challenges are the desire for policy space by
Member States, too much emphasis on
trade as a driver of development, adequacy
of SADC monitoring indicators, and the
link between trade, growth and poverty.
Available from the Botswana Institute for
Development Policy Analysis, Gaborone,
Botswana.

Email foprisa@bidpa.bw

Website www.foprisa.net


title:
Eduardo Chivambo
Mondlane
Icon of Mozambique
liberation

Abstract:
THE HISTORY of the early
southern African struggle against
oppression is littered with names
of many prominent people, some
of whom are still alive today.

body:
THE HISTORY of the early
southern African struggle against
oppression is littered with names
of many prominent people, some
of whom are still alive today.
The prominent names include
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Kenneth
Kaunda, Seretse Khama,
Samora Machel, Agostinho Neto,
Sam Nujoma, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.
However, the history of the struggle for emancipation in the SADC region
cannot be complete without mention of one of the key figures in
early African nationalism in Mozambique - Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane.
The well-educated Mozambican nationalist is famed for the sacrifice
he made for the liberation of his country. He left his job at the United
Nations in 1961 to lead in developing a movement for national liberation.
As president of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo),
he successfully promoted unity among the different Mozambican independence
movements, resulting in an agreement on 25 July 1962 in the
United Republic of Tanzania (then Tanganyika).
Tragically, he was denied the fruits of his vision and leadership. He was
assassinated on 3 February 1969 in Dar es Salaam by a parcel bomb sent by
the Portuguese secret police, the PIDE.
He is universally credited as the father of Mozambique's independence,
a torch picked up and carried to completion by Samora Moises
Machel.
The Heroes' Day holiday in Mozambique is held on 3 February each
year to remember the heroes of the liberation struggle, especially the first
president of Frelimo.
This year, President Armando Guebuza inaugurated a new monument
to the founder of Mozambican nationalism on the 38th anniversary of his
death.
Accompanied by Mondlane's widow, Janet, President Guebuza unveiled
the monument designed by Julio Carrilho.
It contains a bronze bust of Mondlane mounted on a metallic plinth,
alongside a painting of dozens of joined hands that form a map of Mozambique.
The monument is in front of the Frelimo Central Committee building in
Maputo.


title:
Remembering the founder of the
Lesotho kingdom

Abstract:
MOSHOESHOE DAY is commemorated in Lesotho on
11 March, the day on which King Moshoeshoe I - founder
of the Basotho nation - is believed to have died in 1870.

body:
MOSHOESHOE DAY is commemorated in Lesotho on
11 March, the day on which King Moshoeshoe I - founder
of the Basotho nation - is believed to have died in 1870.
Moshoeshoe was king of Lesotho from
1823 to 1870, a period during which many
wars were fought against the Boer (Dutch)
farmers who had settled in traditional Basotho
lands.
These wars resulted in the extensive loss
of land, now known as the “Lost Territory”.
To protect his people, Moshoeshoe appealed
to Queen Victoria for assistance, and
in 1868 the land that is present-day Lesotho
was placed under British protection.
The land occupied by the Boers became
a white governed territory known as the
Orange Free State.
Commemorations of the day usually include
Moshoeshoe Memorial Lectures at
the National University of Lesotho and the
laying of wreaths at the Moshoeshoe I statue
in Maseru by King Letsie III and Prime
Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, followed by
principal chiefs of all Lesotho tribes.


body:
PUBLICATIONS
Food is Different: Why We Must Get the
WTO Out of Agriculture

Rosset, Peter

London, UK. Zed Books, 2006

171pp.

The book explains what is happening to agriculture in
the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiating
context, and unravels the complex ways in which
agriculture in the North is subsidised. It sets out an
alternative vision for agricultural policy, which would
take it completely out of the WTO's ambit. Food is not
just another commodity, but something that goes to
the heart of human livelihood, culture and security.
Available from Zed Books c/o David Philip, Cape
Town, 99 Garfield Road, Claremont 7700, P.O.Box
46962, Glosderry 7702, South Africa

Email info@newafricabooks.co.za

Website www.zedbooks.co.uk

Or Editions le Printemps, 4 Club Road, Vagoas,

Mauritius

Email elp@intnet.mu

Website www.zedbooks.co.uk



Knowledge to Address Africa's Development
Challenges

Johannesburg, South Africa, Development Bank of
Southern Africa, 2006

158pp.

This publication attempts to capture the spirit of the
inaugural Knowledge Management African
Conference held in Gauteng, South Africa, in March
2005. The conference acknowledged that for an
African renaissance to take place, there is a pressing
need to build Africa's capacity to properly utilise
knowledge in the course of formulating and managing
developmental policies, strategies, and programmes.

Available from DBSA Knowledge Centre,

Development Bank of Southern Africa, P.O Box 1234,

Halfway House, 1685, South Africa.

Email Tryphinam@dbsa.org

Website www.dbsa.org






Julius Nyerere: Humanist, Politician,
Thinker

Moscow, Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences

Institute for African Studies, 2006

79pp.

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere led his country to
Independence in 1961 and became the first
president of the United Republic of Tanzania after
the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964.
Nyerere was the first chairperson of the Front Line
States, the informal grouping of leaders who
confronted apartheid in southern Africa. He was a
founding father of the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU) and hosted the OAU Liberation
Committee in Dar es Salaam until all African
countries were independent.

This collection contains the main papers
delivered at a conference dedicated to the memory
of Nyerere, held in January 2000 at the Institute for
African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The contributors, scholars and diplomats in Russia
with interests in African issues, rank Nyerere with
other influential African leaders of the 20th century
such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Gamal
Abdul Nasser of Egypt.

Available from Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers, P.O Box
4246, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.

Email editorial.uhariri@mkukinanyota.com

Website www.mkukinanyota.com.




Lessons from the Struggle for a New
International Technology Order

By Norman Girv and Surendra Patel

Geneva, Switzerland, The South Centre, 2006

36pp

The book offers concrete lessons and suggestions
development. The lessons are learnt through
decades of struggle for independent development
paths and suggestions based on the recognition of
the diversity of situations. The authors acknowledge
that issues of development go beyond the narrow
realm of economics and that technology is there to
facilitate, and not to determine, the path to progress.

Available in electronic format from South Centre,

PO Box 228, Chemin du Champ-d'Anier 17, 1211

Geneva 19, Switzerland.

Email south@southcentre.org.

Website www.southcentre.org








Water Under Threat

Bouguerra, Larbi

London, UK. Zed Books, 2006

216pp.

The book asks the critical questions about the
important political and geo-strategic issue of water.
Does water have a price? Is it a right or a need? Is
there a water crisis? Will wars be fought over water?
Should we be worried about water pollution? Can
the available technological solutions keep it under
control? It also provides some answers.

Available from Zed Books c/o David Philip, Cape
Town, 99 Garfield Road, Claremont 7700, P.O. Box
46962, Glosderry 7702, South Africa.

Email info@newafricabooks.co.za

Website www.zedbooks.co.uk










 













body:
CURRENCY CHECKLIST
Country Currency (US $1)
Angola Kwanza (100 lwei) 79.97
Lesotho Maloti (100 lisente) 7.23
Mauritius Rupee (100 cents) 32.56
South Africa Rand (100 cents) 7.23
Zambia Kwacha (100 ngwee) 4,225.00
Botswana Pula (100 thebe) 6.27
Madagascar Ariary 9,050.00
Mozambique Metical (100 centravos) 26.00
Swaziland Lilangeni (100 cents) 7.23
Zimbabwe Dollar (100 Cents) 250.00
DRC Congo Franc 565.00
Malawi Kwacha (100 tambala) 139.31
Namibia Dollar (100 cents) 7.23
Tanzania Shilling (100 cents) 1,253.00
February 2007


body:
Public holidays in SADC

October - December 2006

1 February Thaipoosam Cavadee Mauritius
1 February Abolition of Slavery Mauritius
3 February Heroes' Day Mozambique
4 February National Armed Struggle Day Angola
16 February Maha Shivratree Mauritius
18 February Chinese Spring Festival Mauritius
3 March Martyrs' Day Malawi
5 March Public Holiday Malawi
8 March International Women's Day Madagascar, Angola
11 March Moshoeshoe Day Lesotho
12 March National Day Mauritius
9 March Youth Day Zambia
21 March Independence Day Namibia
21 March Human Rights Day South Africa
30 March Ougadi Mauritius
29 March Commemoration of the 1947 Rebellion Madagascar

30 March* Maulid Day Tanzania
4 April Peace and National Reconciliation Day Angola

6 April Good Friday All except Mauritius,
DRC, Mozambique,
Madagascar
7 April Public Holiday Botswana
7 April Holy Saturday Zambia
7 April Easter Saturday Zimbabwe
7 April Women's Day Mozambique
7 April Sheik Abed Amani Karume Day Tanzania
9 April Easter Monday All except DRC,
Mauritius, Mozambique,
South Africa
9 April Family Day South Africa
18 April Independence Day Zimbabwe
19 April King's Birthday Swaziland
25 April National Flag Day Swaziland
26 April Union Celebrations Tanzania
27 April Freedom Day South Africa
* Depends on visibility of the moon


body:
EVENTS DIARY 2007
February
12-14 Tanzania
4th Africa-Asia Business Forum

The purpose of the forum is to attract investment into Africa
and to increase trade between the two regions. It is
organised by the Tokyo International Conference on African
Development.

19-20 Ethiopia
2nd Meeting of Advisors to AIDS Watch Africa

AIDS Watch Africa was established in 2001 by the African
Union to promote advocacy for action at the level of Heads
of State and Government as well as for mobilisation of local
and international resources. The advisors meet biannually to
discuss how each will effectively coordinate the
responsibilities of his/her respective Heads of State and
Government.
March
19-23 Lesotho
SADC Council of Ministers


Ministers from each Member State sit in Council, usually
from the ministries of foreign affairs, economic development,
planning or finance. The Council meets on 15-16 March and
is preceded by the meeting of senior officials and the finance
committee. The Council is responsible for supervising and
monitoring the functions and development of SADC, and
ensuring that policies are properly implemented, as well as
making recommendations to Summit.
26-27 Zimbabwe
Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa

Jointly organized by the International Organisation of
Migration and the Southern African Migration Project, the
workshop will facilitate regional dialogue and cooperation
on migration policy issues amongst SADC Member States.
The overall objective is to facilitate regional co-operation in
migration management by fostering greater understanding of
migration and strengthening regional institutional and
personnel capacities.

29-30 South Africa
5th Intermodal Africa 2007

Organised by the National Ports Authority of South Africa,
this will be the largest annual gathering of experts from the
world's leading shippers, cargo owners, shipping lines,
freight forwarders, logistics companies, container ports,
terminal operators, railway operators, container port
equipment and services suppliers.

April
9-13 South Africa
3rd Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Health


The theme of the conference will be “Strengthening Health
Systems for Equity and Development.” The outcomes of the
meeting will be submitted to the Assembly of African Union
Heads of State and Government.

16-20 South Africa
Africa Power & Electricity Congress 2007

This is a forum to promote sustainable growth and
development in the African power sector. Organised by the
private sector, the conference will assist African countries to
strengthen energy security by developing infrastructure.
Top speakers from African governments, the private and
public sectors are expected to attend the conference.

24-28 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair


This is Zimbabwe's premier multi-sector, annual trade
exhibition, bringing together local, regional and international
companies. It incorporates the A'Sambeni Africa Tour &
Travel Expo and Pakprint 2007, separate exhibitions targeting
the tourism and printing industries.


Abstract:
SADC MEMBER States are scaling up the provision
of regional infrastructure, a critical foundation
for the speedy realization of regional integration
objectives.

body:
SADC MEMBER States are scaling up the provision
of regional infrastructure, a critical foundation
for the speedy realization of regional integration
objectives.
Infrastructure support intervention has been
placed at the core of the region's communitybuilding
agenda and concerted efforts are being
made to ensure the availability of an integrated,
efficient and cost-effective system to sustain regional
economic development and trade.
To this end, five intervention areas have been
prioritised, as contained in the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan - SADC's 15-
year blueprint. These are energy generation,
transport, communications technology and meteorology,
water infrastructure, and tourism.
This is expected to ensure the availability of reliable
and least-cost energy supplies; and the provision
of efficient, cost-effective and safe transport,
communications and meteorology systems.
Water infrastructure is a priority, including the
promotion of integrated water resources development
and management as well as their equitable
sharing for mutual benefit; and joint promotion
of tourism is planned to achieve sustainable
socio-economic development and as an incentive
for conservation of the region's natural
resources.
Significant strides have been
made to improve the level and
quality of infrastructure in the
region in order to attract investment,
increase competitiveness
and promote trade.
However, major challenges
of a political, economic and financial
as well as institutional
nature are causing delays in the
implementation of identified
regional infrastructure projects.
In the area of energy, power
pooling has been at the core of
regional initiatives. The plan
is to achieve 100 percent connectivity
to the regional
power grid for all member
states by 2012 and to have at
least 70 percent of all rural
households with access to
electricity by 2018.
Efforts are directed at
boosting southern Africa's
electricity generation capacity,
with almost 50 short and long
term projects currently underway
or earmarked for future
development.
The new projects identified
so far have the potential to increase
SADC's total electricity
generation capacity by more
than 42,000 megawatts (MW)
between 2007 and 2027. Present
combined capacity is only
52,743 MW, of which 41,000
MW is secured capacity available
for distribution to consumers
against demand of
42,000 MW.
The ultimate goal is to
transform the Southern
African Power Pool (SAPP)
from a cooperative to a competitive
pool and to create a
regional electricity market.
The region is facilitating
the development of other energy
resources such as
biomass energy and biofuels,
to augment the
power sector capacity.
To strengthen selfsufficiency
in petroleum
and gas resources, southern
Africa is also undertaking
joint exploration and development
of these commodities.
Cooperation in this area includes
harmonisation of policies,
regulations and legislation
to facilitate cross-border
trade, improve capacity utilisation
and liaison in joint procurement
of petroleum products
in the world market.
The region's transport systems,
particularly the railways,
were initially constructed to radiate
from the coastal ports to
provide former colonial powers
with access to and control
over the inland areas. As urban
and industrial centres began to
develop, the focus switched to
inland transport.
However, from a regional
perspective, port-based routes
or corridors continue to be important
for the landlocked
countries, particularly in international
trade. Recent and
ongoing investments are expected
to increase the range of
choice of routes to the sea via
road, rail and port systems of
adequate capacity.
There has also been considerable
interest in transport
corridors, which link ports
and their connecting road and
rail systems to investment in
industry, mining, agriculture
and tourism.
These initiatives is the Maputo
Development Corridor
through Mozambique and
South Africa, and the Trans
Kalahari Corridor connecting
Namibia's port of Walvis Bay to
South Africa's industrial heartland,
thus completing a transport
route across the region
linking east and west coasts.
The concept has been introduced
to the other corridors
linking regional ports with
their hinterlands, and is being
rolled out all over the region.
Corridors offer trade routes and more
REGIONAL CORRIDOR networks
are the basis upon which
requisite infrastructure is being
developed to improve the quality
of regional transport links
through Spatial Development
Initiatives (SDI).
Initiatives on corridors also
include a programme on
Corridor
Trade Facilitation,
which is aimed at minimising
transit delays as well as
delays at border posts
along the corridors.
This has the potential of
increasing usage of existing
transport infrastructure
and reduce the cost of
doing business, thus
strengthening SADC's
competitiveness in trade
and productivity.
Priority corridor infrastructure
development projects
have already been identified
and inserted in the NEPAD
Short Term Action Plan. These
include the Lobito, Trans
Cunene, Trans Caprivi, Shire
Zambezi Waterway, Mtwara
and Nacala corridors.
A lot of work has also been
put into facilitating the development of water infrastructure,
particularly comprehensive,
integrated basin-wide
plans and improvement of the
legal and regulatory framework
at national and regional
levels to ensure harmonised
policies and legislation.
The SADC Protocol on
Shared Watercourses, which
took effect in September 2003
after ratification by two-thirds
of SADC Member States, has
been instrumental in strengthening
cooperation in joint
management of the region's 15
shared river basins and avoiding
conflict over water resources.
Robust tourism infrastructure
is also seen as key to deepening
of regional integration
and development. Among the
targets for SADC member
states is the introduction of a
universal visa by 2009.
The SADC Univisa system
will facilitate intra-regional
travel through the removal of travel and visa restrictions
and harmonisation of immigration
procedures for SADC
citizens, as well as facilitation
of cross-border movement of
international tourists in order
to increase southern Africa's
market share in world
tourism.


Harmonisation of tourism
and immigration policies,
legislation and standards are
expected to be completed by
2009.
Spurred by the Protocol on
the Facilitation of Movement
of Persons in SADC signed in
August 2005, at least seven
countries in the region have
signed bilateral agreements
to waive visa requirements
for citizens of other member
states.
Trans Frontier Conservation
Area are also key to joint
tourism promotion in southern
Africa, ahead of the FIFA
World Cup to be held in the
region in 2010.


Abstract:
WITH THE year 2008 fast approaching, the
SADC region is preparing for a new way of
doing business.

body:
WITH THE year 2008 fast approaching, the
SADC region is preparing for a new way of
doing business.
The SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) is to be
launched next year in what would be a momentous
development for the 240 million SADC citizens,
the dawn of a new era of regional cooperation
and socio-economic development.
Within the framework of the
FTA, the SADC region hopes to
remove barriers on all intra-regional
trade. The target is to ensure
that 85 percent of most intraregional
trade is at zero tariffs by
2008.
Member States remain confident
that they can move a gear
up to remove outstanding impediments
for the region to
achieve set targets.
Since 2000, SADC countries
have been implementing a programme
towards creating the FTA
in 2008, a Customs Union by 2010,
a Common Market by 2015 and a
Monetary Union by 2018.
The Summit of SADC Heads
of State and Government in
Lesotho in August 2006
raised concern about the pace at which SADC's economic
integration programme was
being implemented. Consequently,
a Ministerial Task Force
was appointed to come up with a
progress report that was tabled
before an Extraordinary Summit
of Heads of State and Government
in Midrand, South Africa,
in October 2006.
The October Summit reaffirmed
the region's commitment
to achieving the trade milestones,
noting several challenges that
need to be overcome.
“Summit noted progress
made in the attainment of an FTA
and concluded that the SADC
Free Trade Area programme is on
course and that it will be
launched as planned by 2008,”
reads the communiqué in part.
However, the Summit noted
that SADC's trade patterns consist
mainly of commodities, thus
there is need to diversify national
economies and increase intra-regional
trade and growth.
The 2007 Summit in Lusaka is
expected to review progress and
give fresh impetus for Member
States to complete all outstanding
tasks for the FTA to be
launched as planned.
As the SADC region moves towards
the planned Free Trade
Area, one of the challenges is to
bring down tariff and non-tariff
barriers in line with agreed
timetables within specific product
lines. The target is to ensure
that 85 percent of all intra-regional
trade is at zero tariffs by 2008.
Economic integration in
SADC is guided by the Trade
Protocol, which was signed in
1996 and came into force in 2000.
As part of its implementation,
Member States have been
negotiating tariff reduction
schedules, rules of origin, a dispute
settlement mechanism,
special product agreements,
elimination of non tariff barriers
and harmonisation of customs,
trade documentation and clearance
procedures.
Tariff phase down is based on
a variable geometry model, taking
into account the asymmetrical
level of development in Member
States.
SADC Member States are at different
levels of development, with
South Africa far much more developed
than the rest in terms of industrial
base.
Countries within the Southern
African Customs Union (SACU) -
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia,
South Africa and Swaziland - are
liberalising faster, followed by Mauritius and Zimbabwe, while
the rest follow.
Tariff reduction is divided
into three categories, the first
being goods that were to be liberalised
by 2001, the second by
2008 and the third by 2012.
Special agreements have been
concluded on trade in sensitive
products such as sugar, and textiles
and clothing.
Negotiations on rules of origin,
which seek to promote use of
local raw materials, were the
most difficult, but have since
been completed for most product
lines. The most difficult areas
were wheat flour products and
motor vehicles.
Another challenge for Member
States to achieve a successful
Free Trade Area is to address
the supply side of trade. This
calls for a strong industrial base
in each member state to produce exportable goods that have a
competitive edge.
The variable geometry model
is meant to allow Member States
time to adjust and prepare themselves
for inevitable competition
in a liberalised market. The question
is whether industries in
Member States have had sufficient
time to prepare for the new
market.
Multiple membership to Regional
Economic Communities
(RECs) that are working towards
creating, or already have, a Customs
Union is yet another challenge.
Some SADC Member States
belong to SACU, which is a functioning
Customs Union, while
others belong to either the East
African Community (EAC) or the
Common Market for East and
Southern Africa (COMESA),
which are planning their own customs
unions.


title:
Economic integration, infrastructure development
top priorities for SADC

Abstract:
SADC HEADS of State and
Government are to hold a brainstorming
session during the
2007 Summit that focuses on
“Scaling Up of the Implementation
of Regional Infrastructure
Development in SADC”.

body:
SADC HEADS of State and
Government are to hold a brainstorming
session during the
2007 Summit that focuses on
“Scaling Up of the Implementation
of Regional Infrastructure
Development in SADC”.
The brainstorming session
comes at an opportune time,
taking place on the eve of the
SADC Free Trade Area (FTA) set
for 2008. With the FTA beckoning
amid expectations of a Customs
Union in 2010 and a Common
Market in 2015, infrastructure
development is central to
promoting intraregional trade
and strengthening the region's
manufacturing capacity.
The session on infrastructure
will build upon commitments
made by the SADC leaders during
a similar brainstorming
workshop on “Scaling Up the
Regional Integration Agenda”
held during the 2006 Summit in
Lesotho.
The outcome of the Lesotho
session was the reaffirmation of
the milestones relating to the
implementation of the SADC
Protocol as set out by the Regional
Indicative Strategic Development
Plan (RISDP). The
RISDP is SADC's 15-year regional
blueprint for development.
The Lusaka brainstorming
meeting will also build on the Extraordinary
Summit held in
Midrand, South Africa in October
2006 to, among other issues, review
the status of regional economic
integration and identify
measures necessary to accelerate
implementation of the SADC
economic integration agenda, especially
the Free Trade Area and
the Customs Union.
Noting that the economic integration
agenda was on course,
the Extraordinary Summit underscored
the need to mobilise
resources in order to address issues
of infrastructure, food security
and other supply side challenges
within the SADC region.
The Midrand summit agreed
that it is through the development
of supportive infrastructure
that the regional trade potential
can be harnessed to the
benefit of the people of the region.
Thus the leaders reiterated
that the establishment of a Development
Fund should be fast
tracked.
Given the interconnectedness
between economic integration
and infrastructure development,
the two areas have been
accorded top priority in the
SADC Programme of Action
and this is reflected in the outcomes
of the Maseru and
Midrand summits.
“There can be no doubt therefore
that our priorities are Regional
Economic Integration and
Infrastructure Support for Regional
Integration. We have taken
the liberty of sharing these priorities
with our development partners
within the context of the
Windhoek Declaration of April
2006,” says Tomaz Salomão, the
SADC Executive Secretary.
Thus the prioritisation of
economic integration and infrastructure
development has the
full support not just of the leaders,
but other stakeholders including
cooperating partners as
underlined by the Windhoek
Declaration on a New SADCICP
Partnership agreed upon at
the 2006 SADC Consultative
Conference in Namibia.
In this regard, the implementation
of two key protocols is central
to the SADC Programme of
Action. These are the Protocol on
Trade and the Protocol on Facilitation
of Free Movement of Persons.
Free movement of persons
constitutes the key pillar of trade,
and the availability of efficient
and cost-effective cross-border
transport infrastructure is pivotal
to its realisation.
Equally important is access
to raw materials and access to
markets for completed products
at cheap and affordable cost
needed for business to be competitive
and for the region to
eradicate poverty on the basis of
export led growth.
In the same vein, sustained
economic growth requires robust
communications infrastructure,
least-cost energy supply,
and cost-efficient water supply
and sanitation.
The development of infrastructure
in the SADC region
will go a long way in addressing
supply side constraints and
maximisation of productive
competitiveness.
In addition, infrastructure development
that strengthens regional
integration will also enable
the strong role to be played
by the SADC region as a building
block for the African Union
and African Economic Community.
It is against this background
that the brainstorming on infrastructure
by the SADC Heads of
State and Government is being
held.


title:
SADC develops regional food reserve facility

Abstract:
THE SADC Secretariat is developing
a Regional Food Reserve
Facility, which will ensure physical
stocks and financial reserves
for use in times of food crisis.

body:
THE SADC Secretariat is developing
a Regional Food Reserve
Facility, which will ensure physical
stocks and financial reserves
for use in times of food crisis.
The facility is aimed at
strengthening the SADC region's
capacity to deal with food
deficits arising from disasters
such as drought, floods and cyclones.
Member States will use the facility
to timely access food and finances
to minimise the impact of
disasters on food security.
The ad-hoc committee of ministers
responsible for food, agriculture
and natural resources
agreed at a meeting in Zambia in
June agreed that Member States
will need to carry out further national
consultations on the facility.
The ministers reviewed the
overall food security situation in
the region and noted that only
five out of the 14 SADC Member States had received above average
rainfall during the 2006/07
season.
These are Angola, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Malawi, the
United Republic of Tanzania and
Zambia.
Lower harvests are expected in
Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
and possibly South Africa, mainly
due to drought and, in some
cases, floods and cyclones.


title:
Tourism ministers discuss 2010 World Cup strategy

Abstract:
MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE for tourism in southern Africa
met at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
in July to discuss their strategy
for the opportunities offered
by the hosting of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup in the region.

body:
MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE for tourism in southern Africa
met at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
in July to discuss their strategy
for the opportunities offered
by the hosting of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup in the region.
Member States were requested
to submit their proposals on
how they can participate and
benefit from the 2010 World
Cup.
The regional proposals will
include a submission by Angola
to host the 2010 African Nations
Soccer Cup.
The meeting focused on establishing
a common visa called
the SADC Univisa which will enable
tourists to travel within the
region using a single visa.
South Africa, Zimbabwe,
Zambia and Mozambique signed
agreements in May to share the
tourism spin-offs of the 2010
FIFAWorld Cup through “border
free” tourism packages.
South Africa's Limpopo
Tourism Parks Board, Zambia National Tourists Board, Zimbabwe
Tourism Authority and
Mozambique's Tourism Board
signed the agreement at the
Tourism Indaba in Durban,
South Africa.
Together the parties are
called the Limpopo-Zambezi
Destination.
The cooperation is
premised on the view that the
2010 FIFAWorld Cup is an opportunity
to position the region
as a tourist destination of
choice for World Cup visitors.
The Limpopo-Zambezi Destination
will undertake tourism
research, collect data and statistics to help parties gain better
understanding of the profile of
the present travellers and the
needs of future market sectors.
Some of the tasks to be undertaken
include the branding
for Limpopo-Zambezi Destination,
and joint marketing strategies
in support of the package
tours.
The ministers could not
reach a conclusion on the Univisa
as Member
States considered
it important
to hold a multisectoral
meeting
at the highest level involving ministries of
tourism, foreign and home affairs
for a common decision
about the issue, since it is a
transversal matter.


title:
Free movement of persons between Lesotho
and South Africa

Abstract:
LESOTHO AND South
Africa have agreed to allow
the free movement of their
citizens across each other's
borders.

body:
LESOTHO AND South
Africa have agreed to allow
the free movement of their
citizens across each other's
borders.
The agreement on the Facilitation
of Cross Border Movement
of Citizens was signed in
June by Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohlabi Kenneth
Tsekoa, and South
Africa's Minister of Home Affairs,
Nosiviwe Mapisa-
Nqakula.
Underlining the importance
of the cross-border
agreement, South African
President, Thabo Mbeki, welcomed
Lesotho Prime Minister,
Pakalitha Mosisili, to his
“other home”, saying that
many South Africans regarded
Lesotho as such.
“Both our peoples share the
same history; we are descendants
of the same ancestry, we
sing the same songs and our
praise-songs salute the same
forebears,” said President
Mbeki.
There is great movement of
persons between Lesotho and
South Africa on a daily basis,
often resulting in long queues
at border-crossings between
the two countries.
Prime Minister Mosisili,
who is the current chair of
SADC, said the issue of visas
for all SADC citizens must be
looked at within the context of
the region being a “community”
of nations, meaning that
travel restrictions between
these 14 countries should be
loosened further.
The agreement between
Lesotho and South Africa is in
line with the 2005 approval by
regional leaders of the Protocol
on the Facilitation of
Movement of Persons in
SADC, which is aimed at the
progressive elimination of obstacles
to the movement of
people in the SADC region.


title:
Angola, Namibia in joint water project development

Abstract:
WORK ON the upgrading of
water sources on the Kunene
Trans-boundary Water Project
involving Angola and Namibia
is expected to start in September.

body:
WORK ON the upgrading of
water sources on the Kunene
Trans-boundary Water Project
involving Angola and Namibia
is expected to start in September.
The project will involve the
upgrading of water pumps at a
huge reservoir under the Cuvelai
Water Scheme at Oshakati
that provides water to northcentral
Namibia and to parts of
southern Angola.
The countries' water utilities
met in July to scrutinize accords
that will enhance water
supply to the border towns and
villages in the two southern
African countries.
The project is funded by in
part by the governments of Angola
and Namibia with the bulk
of the budget coming from the
KfW, a German development
agency.


title:
Reconstruction of Malawi-Zambia railway line starts

Abstract:
RECONSTRUCTION WORK
has started on a railway line between
Malawi and Zambia
which is expected to provide a
route to the Indian Ocean
through Mozambique.

body:
RECONSTRUCTION WORK
has started on a railway line between
Malawi and Zambia
which is expected to provide a
route to the Indian Ocean
through Mozambique.
Work on the reconstruction
of the 30-km railway line between
Mchinji in Malawi and
Chipata in Zambia is expected
to end in September.
“By September, the work will
be concluded. From then on, we
can say that the Nacala Corridor
will be one of the doorways for
our foreign trade,” said Zambia's
High Commissioner to
Mozambique, Edwin Hatembo.
The Nacala Corridor aims to
develop an economic corridor
linking landlocked Malawi and
Zambia to the port of Nacala in
Mozambique.
The rationale behind the collaborative
approach between
the two countries is that of generating
economies of scale in developing
related infrastructure,
marketing, production and utilising
the natural resources.
About 70 percent of Malawi's
population lives in the corridor.
There is need to expand and rehabilitate
the transport infrastructure
to unlock the investment
potential in the corridor.


Abstract:
SADC IS setting up a Regional
Petroleum and Gas Association
to promote trade in fuels and
harmonise standards and regulations
in the sector.

body:
SADC IS setting up a Regional
Petroleum and Gas Association
to promote trade in fuels and
harmonise standards and regulations
in the sector.
According to Bashir
Mrindoko, commissioner for
energy and petroleum affairs in
the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy
and Minerals, the association
will “create a common investment
destination with harmonised
environmental standards
and policies”.
The association has been on
the cards since 2002 and aims
to make optimal use of regional
capacities and reap the benefits
of joint product procurement.
Other objectives of the project
are to coordinate hydrocarbon
exploration activities in the
SADC region.
The SADC Secretariat has already
floated a tender for consultancy
firms to review the existing
data and information
alongside its Directorate of Infrastructure
and Services.
The consultant will work
with the departments of energy
of the Member States and other
institutions relevant to the sector.
Among the duties for the
consultant is the identification
of petroleum and gas issues
that need harmonisation and
draft appropriate specifications,
rules, and standards.
The consultant will also identify
functions, tasks and structure
of the regional petroleum
and gas association, and offer advice on the feasibility of having
a composite regional energy
regulator encompassing electricity,
petroleum and gas.


title:
Bank avails US$93m for Malawi-Mozambique power project

Abstract:
THE WORLD Bank has approved
International Development
Association (IDA) credit
lines totalling US$93 million
for Malawi and Mozambique
that will increase the availability
and reliability of low cost,
environmentally friendly electricity in the southern Africa region.

body:
THE WORLD Bank has approved
International Development
Association (IDA) credit
lines totalling US$93 million
for Malawi and Mozambique
that will increase the availability
and reliability of low cost,
environmentally friendly electricity in the southern Africa region.
The bank availed US$48 million
to Malawi and US$45 million
to Mozambique to finance
an electricity interconnector
project involving the two countries.
As the second phase of the
Southern African Power Market
Programme, the Mozambique-
Malawi Transmission Interconnection
Project will connect
Malawi to the Southern African
Power Pool (SAPP), allowing
two-way energy trade between
the two countries.
This will ensure much-needed
diversification in Malawi's
electricity supply and allow the
export of any off-peak power
surpluses. It will also provide
Mozambique's energy sector
with a new revenue source.
The project will provide
technical assistance, capacity
building, training, and equipment
necessary for the Electricity
Supply Corporation of
Malawi (ESCOM) and Electricidade
de Moçambique (EDM) to
strengthen and expand the networks
to maximise the benefits
of power trading.
It will also help replace
worn-out, inadequate, or obsolete
equipment in order to remove
critical bottlenecks in the
networks that could impede the
flow of traded electricity.


title:
Mozambique to have computer assembly plant

Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE HAS awarded
a licence for South African
company, Sahara Plans, to start
building a multi-million dollar
plant for assembling computers.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE HAS awarded
a licence for South African
company, Sahara Plans, to start
building a multi-million dollar
plant for assembling computers.
On completion the plant
will have a capacity to produce
3,000 units per day, some of
which will be exported.
Mozambique's Minister of
Science and Technology, Venaçio
Massingue, said this will
be the biggest such investment
in the African continent, and
they have plans to export some
of the computers made in
Mozambique to neighbouring
SADC countries.
The assembly unit will be
the first step in setting up a distribution
centre for computer
products in the region and will
be a joint venture with the
Mozambican Institute of Information
Technologies and Communication,
a quasi-government
body involved in publishing,
business incubation
and a science park.


title:
SADC returns to its roots for 2007 Summit

Abstract:
IT IS back to the roots as SADC returns
to the place where the regional
organisation was officially formed
more than 27 years ago.

body:
IT IS back to the roots as SADC returns
to the place where the regional
organisation was officially formed
more than 27 years ago.
The 2007 Summit of SADC Heads
of State and Government takes place
at the Mulungushi International Conference
Centre in Lusaka, Zambia - the
same venue where the leaders of Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Swaziland, United Republic
of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
met to form the Southern
African Development Coordination
Conference (SADCC) on 1 April 1980.
The objective of the leaders of the
nine independent countries was to integrate
their economies. This marked
a new commitment to coordinate their
economies in order to accelerate development
and reduce dependence on
the then apartheid South Africa.
Other SADCC objectives were to
implement programmes and projects
with national and regional impact; to
mobilise Member States' resources in the quest for collective
self-reliance; and to secure international understanding
and support.
Twenty seven years on, the regional integration agenda
remains and is even stronger albeit with a renewed
focus.
Transformation from SADCC to SADC, the Development
Community, took place at a Summit in Windhoek,
Namibia, in 1992 when the SADC Treaty was signed,
seeking deeper regional integration.
As the SADC Heads of State and Government meet in
Lusaka this year, the limelight will fall on efforts to increase
intra-regional trade through the planned Free
Trade Area (FTA) as well as cooperation in infrastructure
development.
SADC plans to launch an FTA in 2008, under which
Member States hope to open up trade among Member
States.
The Summit also recognises the important role played
by infrastructure in facilitating greater intra-regional
trade and deepening regional integration.


title:
Mozambicans commemorate victory over colonialism

Abstract:
MOZAMBIQUE WILL on 7 September commemorate the 33rd anniversary
of victory in the war against Portuguese colonialism.

body:
MOZAMBIQUE WILL on 7 September commemorate the 33rd anniversary
of victory in the war against Portuguese colonialism.

It was in Lusaka on 7 September 1974 that the Mozambique Liberation
Front (Frelimo) and the Portuguese government signed the agreement
ending the war, and paving the way for full independence nine months
later.
The date is celebrated as "Victory Day" and is a public holiday.
Events during the day normally include the laying of wreaths at the
Monument to the Mozambican Heroes where the first leader of Frelimo,
Eduardo Mondlane, and the country's first president, Samora Machel, are
buried.


body:
Public holidays in SADC for the period 
 August - October 2007
1 August Parents' Day DRC
6 August Farmers' Day Zambia
8 August Peasants' Day Tanzania
9 August National Women's Day South Africa
13 August Heroes' Day Zimbabwe
14 August Defence Forces Day Zimbabwe
15 August Assumption Day Madagascar
26 August Heroes' Day Namibia
6 September Somhlolo Day Swaziland
7 September Victory Day Mozambique
16 September Ganesh Chathurthi Mauritius
17 September Founder of Nation and National Heroes' Day Angola
24 September Heritage Day South Africa
25 September Armed Forces Day Mozambique
30 September Botswana Day Botswana
1 October Public Holiday Botswana
4 October Independence Day Lesotho
4 October Reconciliation Day/Peace Day Mozambique
8 October Mother's Day Malawi
11 October Eid ul Fitr* Mauritius, Tanzania
14 October Mwalimu Nyerere Day and Climax of “The Uhuru Torch Race” Tanzania
24 October Independence Day Zambia

* Depends on the sighting of the moon


body:
EVENTS DIARY 2007
August 2007
6-7 South Africa
Third Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union

 The meeting will be attended by the ministers responsible for educationin the 53 Member States of the African Union.
They will, among other things, discuss a proposal on the establishment of strategic partnerships for the implementation of the plan of action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa.


10-13 Zambia
Standing Committee of Senior Officials of SADC

The technical advisory committee to Council of Ministers meets in advance of Council and is chaired by the country chairing SADC - Lesotho.


14-15 Zambia
SADC Council of Ministers

The Council is responsible for supervising and monitoring the functions and development of SADC and ensuring that policies are properly implemented. Council comprises foreign affairs, international cooperation, economic development or planning and finance ministers from each Member State. Council precedes the Summit and prepares policy recommendations for adoption by the leaders.

16-17 Zambia
SADC Summit

The Summit of Heads of State and Government is the ultimate policy-making institution of SADC. The Lusaka Summit will witness the official handover of the rotating SADC Chair from Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho to President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia.


12-18 Sweden
World Water Week

The World Water Week in Stockholm is the leading annual global meeting place for capacity-building, partnership-building and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programmes in water and development. The theme for this year's event is “Progress and Prospects on Water: Striving for Sustainability in a Changing World”.

19-23 South Africa
World Library and Information Congress: 73rd IFLA General Conference and Council

Organised by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Congress taking place in Durban will look at the role of the library and information sector in development. The theme is “Libraries for the Future: Progress, Development and Partnerships”.


28-30 South Africa
Climate Change Action Africa 2007 Conference

African environmental experts will meet to strategise on a continental position to incorporate climate change adaptation programmes in national development policies.
The conference will be hosted by the International Quality and Productivity Centre.

September

     Parliamentary elections in Madagascar

Legislative elections are due at the end of September following the dissolution of Parliament by President Marc Ravalomanana.


October30 -31 Nigeria

NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee Summit

The committee comprises of the Heads of State and Government of 15 African Union member states, drawn three each from the continent's five regions. The main function of the committee is to set the policies and priorities of the New Partnership for Africa's Development. It meets three times a year and reports annually to the AU Summit.


title:
SADC Brigade anchors regional peace support operations

Abstract:
THE 2007 SADC Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia
will be remembered for the historic launch of the
SADC Brigade, a regional multidimensional peace
support operations capability established under
the framework of the African Standby Force.

body:
THE 2007 SADC Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia
will be remembered for the historic launch of the
SADC Brigade, a regional multidimensional peace
support operations capability established under
the framework of the African Standby Force.
The SADC Brigade, launched through a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) signed by
southern African leaders on 17 August, was established
to guarantee peace, security and political
stability, which are prerequisites for development.
Consisting of military, police and civilian components,
the force will rely on resources pledged
by member states on a standby arrangement.
Other support mechanisms could be in the form
of logistical and medical services.
The persistence of conflict in some parts of
Africa has hampered socio-economic development
and integration efforts. This has prompted
the continent to review its security agenda.
In 2002, the Organisation of African Unity
(OAU) was transformed into the African Union
in conformity with the UN Charter and the ultimate
objectives of the OAU Charter. The transformation
ushered in, among other structures
and mechanisms, the AU Peace and Security Council, the African Standby Force and the Military
Staff Committee.
Leadership
President Levy Mwanawasa
of Zambia was elected the
new Chairperson of SADC
for 2007/8 and President
Thabo Mbeki of South Africa
is the deputy Chairperson.
South Africa will host the
2008 Summit. Together with
the previous Chairperson,
Lesotho Prime Minister
Pakalitha Mosisili, they make
up the current SADC Troika.
President José Eduardo dos
Santos of Angola is the new
Chairperson of the SADC
Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation, and
King Mswati III of Swaziland
is deputy Chairperson. They
join the outgoing Chairperson,
President Jakaya Kikwete of
the United Republic of Tanzania,
on the Organ Troika.

The policy document for the establishment of
the African Standby Force and the Military Staff
Committee was adopted by African leaders in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2004. The African Standby Force finds its legal
backing in Article 4(d) of the
Constitutive Act of the AU and
Article 13 of the Protocol Relating
to the Establishment of the
Peace and Security Council of
the AU.
Once fully established, the
African Standby Force will consist
of standby multidisciplinary
contingents, with civilian
and military components located
in their countries of origin
and ready for rapid deployment
anywhere on the continent
at appropriate notice.
The AU framework document
calls for the establishment
of the force in two phases
with Phase I having ended
on 30 June 2005 while Phase II
will end on 30 June 2010.
Thus establishment of the
SADC Brigade, along with
standby forces that are to be, or have already been, established
in the other four regions of the
continent, is a step towards the
African Standby Force that
should be in place by 2010.
The SADC Standby Force
will, among other duties, perform
observations and monitoring
missions, peace support
missions, and interventions
for peace and security
restoration in grave circumstances
at the request of a
member state.
The force will also be used
for preventive deployment in
order to prevent a dispute or
conflict from escalating; an ongoing
violent conflict from
spreading to neighbouring
areas or states; the resurgence
of violence after parties to a
conflict have reached an
agreement.
Other duties will include
peace-building, including
post-conflict disarmament and demobilisation and humanitarian
assistance to alleviate
the suffering of civilian
population in conflict areas.
In a departure from peace
support operations of yesteryear,
the SADC Standby Force
embraces a civilian component
to perform functions
ranging from provision of financial
and administrative
management to the provision
of legal advice and the protection
of human rights including
women and children.
The force has a Planning Element
at the SADC Secretariat
in Botswana, which is its only
permanent structure. This is
composed of regional military,
police and civilian staff on secondment
from member states
on rotation.
The Planning Element operates
on a daily basis as a tool
of the SADC Organ on Politics,
Defence and Security Cooperation, taking instructions
from the SADC Committee of
Chiefs of Defence Staff and
the Committee of SADC Police
Chiefs.
“The SADC Brigade, like
all other regional brigades,
will be part and parcel of the
African Standby Force,” said
Zambian President Levy
Mwanawasa during the
launch ceremony in Lusaka.
Mwanawasa added that
earmarked capabilities of the
troops or personnel will be
domiciled in their countries
of origin on an “on call” level
of alert for the duration of the
assignment in line with prescribed
times of response.
“In short, this is in fact a
permanent standby arrangement,”
he said.
Member states will be responsible
for training their
personnel with SADC standardising
training objectives
at all levels of the brigade to
ensure compatibility and interoperability
of systems and
equipment respectively. Such
standards should also be
compatible with those already
developed by the UN.
The Regional Peace Training
Centre located in Zimbabwe
and other national peace
support training institutions
will play a pivotal role in training
military commanders, police
officers and civilian officials
at various levels while at
the same time acting as the
“clearinghouse” for all peace
support operations and training
activities in the region.
SADC member states have
also agreed to establish the
Main Logistics Depot in
Botswana to support the operations
of the force from a
central point.
Discussions between the
SADC Secretariat and the
government of Botswana are
said to be at an advanced
stage to enter into an MOU
establishing the depot.


