# tblSANF

body:
THE BRICS Summit has agreed to expand its areas of cooperation
to include:
BRICS Public Diplomacy Forum

BRICS Anti-Corruption Cooperation

BRICS State Owned Companies / State Owned Enterprises

National Agencies Responsible for Drug Control

BRICS Virtual Secretariat

BRICS Youth Policy Dialogue

Tourism

Energy

Sports and Mega Sporting Events.


Abstract:
THE SADC Secretariat has
completed an institutional capacity
building exercise that
has seen the organization
meeting international benchmarks
for good practice in accounting,
audit, internal
controls and procurement.

body:
THE SADC Secretariat has
completed an institutional capacity
building exercise that
has seen the organization
meeting international benchmarks
for good practice in accounting,
audit, internal
controls and procurement.
This achievement was
made possible by a focused reform
process, assisted by a
major European Union (EU)-
funded capacity-building programme
and support from the
German government through
the German Society for International
Cooperation (GIZ).
 
Following several years of
intensive work on improving its
institutional capacity, the SADC
Secretariat was officially recognized
in December 2012 as having
international standards in
accounting, audit, internal controls
and procurement.
 
From 2010 to 2012, the
SADC Secretariat worked on
adopting new financial management
and reporting practices
to strengthen its financial
functions and provide improved
transparency and accountability.
 
Reforms included revision
of the Internal Audit Charter,
development of Terms of Reference
for external audit of the
Secretariat, and development
of a new Enterprise Risk Management
Policy and a new Enterprise
Risk Management
Framework.
 
The new regulations approved
by the Council of Ministers
in August 2012, will
ensure improved financial
management and good corporate
governance through transparency,
accountability and
sound financial controls.
 
The reforms also saw the
introduction of results-based
management culture within
the SADC Secretariat.
 
These changes have created
a stable organizational
platform, which has strengthened
SADC’s decision-making
processes for priority setting,
resource allocation and programme
management – all of
which support the regional integration
objectives of SADC.
 
Achieving this status has
allowed SADC to enter into
direct contribution agreements
with the EU amounting
to €50 million to support
southern Africa’s regional integration
process.
 
This kind of arrangement,
under Contribution Agreements,
enables the EU to provide 
more direct and flexible
financial support to SADC.
 
Between 2013 and 2015,
the EU-funded institutional
capacity development programme
will reinforce the
process of maintaining institutional
compliance.
 
The programme will also
address the key factors of
leadership, management and
performance management to
further strengthen SADC Secretariat's
institutional capacity.
 
Through GIZ, Germany
will between 2013 and 2016
focus on strengthening the linkages
between SADC Secretariat
and Member States, and support
efforts for increased policy
dialogue between the regional
stakeholders.


body:
THE EU has committed €84 million to SADC under the 10th
European Development Fund (EDF10) programme, of which
€50 million will be funded through the following Contribution
Agreements:
Regional Political Co-operation, €18 million;

Regional Economic Integration Support, €20 million; and

Project Preparation and Development Facility, €12 million.
The EU and Germany will continue to support the organizational
development and change management process in SADC
through the following activities:

Development of a “think tank” with the capacity to advise
and guide Member States on the implementation of the
SADC Common Agenda;

Recruitment of a principal regional co-ordinator of policies,
strategies and programmes of the regional integration
process;

Provision of support services to facilitate legal, administrative,
financial and procurement services to technical SADC
directorates, and convening annual consultative conferences
and meetings of the SADC decision-making structures; and

Recruitment of a professional programme manager to plan
and budget, facilitate the implementation process, monitor
prioritised programmes, and report on progress in co-ordination
and co-operation with SADC stakeholders.


By meeting these standards and achieving this status, SADC
is now eligible to receive and manage packages of financial assistance
using its own internal systems and controls.


title:
Elections for SADC Executive
Secretary begin

Abstract:
THE PROCESS to elect the
new SADC executive secretary
and the deputy has commenced,
with at least two
countries submitting their candidates
for ES.

body:
THE PROCESS to elect the
new SADC executive secretary
and the deputy has commenced,
with at least two
countries submitting their candidates
for ES.
Speaking after the Council
of Ministers meeting held in
Mozambique in March, Angolan
Foreign Minister,
Georges Chikoti said the deadline
for applications had already
closed and the process of
consultations and lobbying
among Member States had
started.
 
He noted that several candidates
had submitted applications
for the two top posts at
the SADC Secretariat.
 
The term for the incumbent
Executive Secretary, Tomaz Salomão,
is due to end later this
year.
 
Salomão has held the maximum
two four-year terms since
his appointment by the Summit
of Heads of State and Government
in August 2005. His
term was renewed in 2009 at
the Summit held in the Democratic
Republic of Congo.


title:
Council approves SADC budget, action plan for 2013/14

Abstract:
THE SADC Council of Ministers
has approved the budget
and action plan of the organization
for 2013/14.

body:
THE SADC Council of Ministers
has approved the budget
and action plan of the organization
for 2013/14.
According to an announcement
by Council chairperson
and Mozambican
Foreign Minister, Oldemiro
Baloi, the SADC budget for
the next year is estimated at
US$65 million.
 
The budget is to be financed
by the countries membership
fees (US$33.7 million)
and by International Cooperating
Partners who are expected
to pick up US$31.3
million of the expenditure.
 
Council noted that the current
costs structure of SADC is
not sustainable due to increasing
demand between the fixed
costs related to the day-to-day
running of the Secretariat and
the investment costs regarding
the programmes and projects
on economic integration.


title:
Chirundu One-Stop Border Post
Benchmark for regional integration and trade facilitation

Abstract:
THE CHIRUNDU one-stop
border post between Zambia
and Zimbabwe is a practical
example of how southern
Africa can deepen integration
and promote regional trade.

body:
THE CHIRUNDU one-stop
border post between Zambia
and Zimbabwe is a practical
example of how southern
Africa can deepen integration
and promote regional trade.
Formally launched in November
2009 as a pilot phase of
the one-stop border initiative,
the Chirundu border post has
significantly promoted the
smooth movement of goods
and persons across the region.
 
According to the Zambian
Ministry of Commerce, traffic
at Chirundu has more than
doubled between 2009 and
2012.
 
Permanent Secretary
Stephen Mwansa said clearance
time for haulage trucks
has been reduced from about
six days to less than 24 hours.
 
Clearance of passengers now
takes less than five minutes
from an estimated one hour
previously.
 
He said reduction of clearance
time is critical in keeping
the cost of goods down since
most transporters usually pass
on the extra charges to customers.
 
“About 95 percent of the
volume of cargo transported in
the region is by road, and the
typical charge for a stationary
truck is between US$200 to
US$400 a day,” he said.
 
“Therefore, if a truck takes
three days to clear at the border,
the transporter will pass
on an additional cost of between
US$600 to US$1,200 for
the cost of the truck sitting idle
at the border to the importer.”
 
The African Development
Bank (AfDB) has hailed the
Chirundu one-stop border
post as a benchmark for other
regions, adding that southern
Africa and the rest of Africa
should adopt similar facilities
to boost trade in the continent,
which has been hindered by
bureaucracy at entry and exit
points.
 
In its report entitled “Border
Posts, Checkpoints, and
Intra-African Trade: Challenges
and Solutions”, the
AfDB says the one-stop border
concept has been impressive in
promoting regional trade
through the removal of both
tariff and non-tariff barriers at
the border.
 
“Now, northbound trucks
are checked and cleared only
on the Zambian side, and
southbound trucks are
processed on the Zimbabwean
side,” the report said.
 
AfDB said bureaucracy and
long delays have continued to
hold back trade and economic
growth in Africa.
 
“In Africa, the average customs
transaction involves 20 to
30 different parties, 40 documents,
200 data elements, 30 of
which are repeated at least 30
times, and the rekeying of 60 to
70 percent of all data at least
once.”
 
The report states that these
lengthy procedures could be cut
by bringing in automated systems
for document checking.
 
“Also, time and money
could be saved by not duplicating
the process on both
sides of the border. Border
checkpoints are overstretched,
resulting in long delays. A container
or truck can wait up to
three days to cross a border in
Africa.”
 
Under the one-stop border
post concept, travellers are
cleared just once for passage
into another country in contrast
with the current situation
where travellers have to complete
immigration and customs
formalities on both sides
of the border.
 
The Chirundu border post is
one of the pilot projects under
the North-South Corridor initiative
being jointly implemented
by SADC, the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA) and East
African Community (EAC).
 
In the long run, the project
seeks to harmonize customs
and immigration laws at border
posts within the three regional
economic communities.
 
Other ports of entry identified
for implementation of this
concept include the Beitbridge
border post between South
Africa and Zimbabwe, and the
Kasumbalesa border post between
Zambia and the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
 
Beitbridge and Chirundu
are considered to be among
sub-Saharan Africa’s busiest
border crossings with hundreds
of southward or northward
commercial trucks
passing through the two border
posts every day.
 
Under the North-South
Corridor initiative, COMESAEAC-
SADC have identified
border post refurbishment as
one of the initiatives to improve
infrastructure and increase
intra-regional trade in
eastern and southern Africa.
 
More than US$1.2 billion
has been raised as initial funding
to implement the North-
South Corridor project, which
traverses eight countries in
eastern and southern Africa.
 
The North-South Corridor
(also known as the Durban
Corridor) is the most extensive
corridor in the region, linking
the largest number of countries
in eastern and southern
Africa.
 
It interlinks to other corridors
including the Trans-Kalahari,
Beira, Lobito, Dar es
Salaam and Nacala corridors.
 
This corridor is critical because
South Africa is the
largest African trading partner
for most of the countries in the
region and the port of Durban
handles a significant portion of
transit traffic for the landlocked
states.
 
Planned programmes include
the construction of more
than 8,000 kilometres of road,
rehabilitation of 600km of rail
track and upgrading of the Dar
es Salaam port in the United Republic
of Tanzania – one of the
biggest and busiest ports in
Africa.


title:
SADC infrastructure conference set for June

Abstract:
THE SADC infrastructure sector
is preparing to attract vital
investment at a high-level conference
of investors scheduled
for June in Maputo, Mozambique.

body:
THE SADC infrastructure sector
is preparing to attract vital
investment at a high-level conference
of investors scheduled
for June in Maputo, Mozambique.
The infrastructure conference
is part of a number of initiatives
by the SADC Secretariat
to lure potential investors to
southern Africa in line with the
recently launched SADC Regional
Infrastructure Development
Master Plan 2012-2027.
 
At the Maputo investment
conference, SADC is expected
to showcase its portfolio of 418
infrastructure projects in the six
priority areas of energy, transport,
information communication
technology, tourism,
meteorology and water.
 
These include the proposed
Mphanda Nkuwa hydro power
project in Mozambique, development
of a traffic management
programme in the Seychellois
capital Victoria and construction
of Kazungula Bridge linking
Botswana and Zambia, and
development of SADC regional
and national integrated broadband
infrastructure.
 
More conferences of investors
and road shows are
planned for Asia, the United
States and some European
countries later this year to lure
investment to southern Africa.
 
The infrastructure master
plan is an ambitious programme
to develop cross-border
infrastructure. It is the
framework for planning and
cooperation among Member
States and with development
partners and the private sector.
Estimated to cost US$500 billion,
the SADC master plan
will be implemented over
three five-year intervals – short
term (2012-2017), medium
term (2017-2022) and long
term (2022-2027).
 
The master plan will guide
implementation of coordinated,
integrated, efficient, transboundary
infrastructure networks
in the six priority sectors.
 
In the energy sector, the
plan will address four key
areas of energy security, improving
access to modern energy
services, tapping the
abundant energy resources
and increasing financial investment
whilst enhancing environmental
sustainability.
 
Regarding the sub-sectors
of road, rail, ports, inland waterways
and air transport networks,
the Transport Sector
Plan will address four key
areas, namely improving access
to the seamless transport
corridors value chain; reducing
the cost of transportation;
enhancing competitiveness
and providing safe and secure
transport services.
 
The Information Communication
Technology (ICT) Sector
Plan is designed to address
four key areas: ensuring accessibility,
including universal access
to broadband ICT
technologies; accelerating regional
integration through
broadband interconnectivity
within and among SADC
member states; reducing the
cost of doing business; and improving
reliability and security
of ICT infrastructure.
 
The Water Sector Plan prioritizes
five goals, which include
increasing the overall
water storage in the region; irrigated
land for food security;
hydropower generation for energy 
security; increasing access
to safe drinking water; and enhancing
sanitation services.
 
The Tourism Sector Plan is
geared towards achieving enhanced
socio-economic development;
facilitating joint
marketing of SADC as a single
destination; increasing tourism
arrivals and tourism receipts
from source markets; and developing
the tourism sector in
an environmentally sustainable
manner.
 
Emphasis for the Meteorology
Sector Plan is put on the
need to ensure the availability
of timely early warning information
relating to adverse
weather and climate variability
impacts.


title:
Integrated transport plan for Lobito Corridor

Abstract:
ANGOLA, THE Democratic
Republic of Congo and Zambia
have agreed to develop an
integrated plan for the rehabilitation,
maintenance and operation
of the railways network
of Lobito Corridor in a bid to
deepen integration and boost
regional trade.

body:
ANGOLA, THE Democratic
Republic of Congo and Zambia
have agreed to develop an
integrated plan for the rehabilitation,
maintenance and operation
of the railways network
of Lobito Corridor in a bid to
deepen integration and boost
regional trade.
The decision was made during
the inaugural meeting of
ministers in charge of transport
in the three countries, which
was held in Luanda, Angola, in
March.
 
The railway network of the
Lobito Corridor integrates the
systems of Benguela Railways,
Societé National de Chemin de
Ferre of DRC and Zambia Railways.
 
The integrated plan aims to
provide the shortest and most
effective railway transport line
from the port in Angola to the
DRC and Zambia.
 
The three countries also
agreed to cooperate in the rehabilitation,
maintenance and
management of road infrastructure
network along the
corridor.
 
This move is aimed at creating
a road network to promote
the smooth movement of
goods, services and people
across the three countries.


Abstract:
MALAWI HAS received a US$3
million grant from the African
Development Bank (AfDB) to finance
feasibility studies for the
proposed Kholombidzo Hydroelectric
Power Plant.

body:
MALAWI HAS received a US$3
million grant from the African
Development Bank (AfDB) to finance
feasibility studies for the
proposed Kholombidzo Hydroelectric
Power Plant.
The grant aims to produce a
bankable feasibility study for
the development of the power
generation project on the Shire
River, which is expected to contribute
to the expansion of electricity
generating capacity in
Malawi and the SADC region.
 
The total cost of the feasibility
studies is estimated at
US$3.27 million, with the
Malawian government contributing
the balance of
US$230,000.


title:
Zambezi River Basin
Transfrontier parks key to management of natural resources

Abstract:
THE ESTABLISHMENT of
transfrontier conservation
areas is one of the key initiatives
for the sustainable
management of natural resources
in the Zambezi
River Basin.

body:
THE ESTABLISHMENT of
transfrontier conservation
areas is one of the key initiatives
for the sustainable
management of natural resources
in the Zambezi
River Basin.
The eight countries in
the Zambezi basin rely
heavily on the exploitation
of natural resources and the
environment for their
economies, and are thus
taking steps to harmonise
strategies for proper management
of natural resources,
many of which are shared.
 
According to a new publication,
the Zambezi River Basin
Atlas of the Changing Environment,
six Transfrontier Conservation
Areas (TFCAs) are at
different stages of development
within the Zambezi
basin.
 
The Atlas reports that
some Memoranda of Understanding
have been signed to
facilitate the establishment of
the TFCAs, while other agreements
are still at the conceptual
stage.
 
Those with MoUs are the
Malawi-Zambia TFCA, as well
as the Kavango-Zambezi
(KAZA) TFCA involving Angola,
Botswana, Namibia,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 
The joint venture by the
tourism authorities covers the
management of cultural heritage
of local communities,
hunting and fishing, and
wildlife conservation.
 
KAZA is the world’s
largest transfrontier park and
was launched in March 2012
by environment ministers
from the five countries.
 
The historic launch followed
the signing of the treaty
by the Heads of State and
Government of the respective
countries in August 2011.
 
Situated in the Okavango
and Zambezi river basins
where the borders of the five
countries converge, the KAZA
TFCA covers an area of about
444,000 square kilometres. It
consists of 36 national parks,
game reserves, community
conservancies and game management
areas.
 
The conservation area
boasts of numerous tourist attractions
such as the Victoria
Falls between Zambia and
Zimbabwe, San rock paintings
in Botswana and the absorbing
wildlife population in the
region.
 
This high concentration of
attractions is expected to create
an entirely new assortment
of tourism opportunities in
southern Africa, presenting
new opportunities for socioeconomic
development in the
Southern African Development
Community (SADC), resulting
in deeper integration
among member states.
 
It would also allow participating
countries to jointly
market their attractions, presenting
prospective tourists
with a wide range of opportunities
and experiences.
 
The KAZA partner countries
have identified tourism
as one of the key drivers for
socio-economic development
in the region due to its strong
multiplier effects and are determined
to accelerate growth
of the tourism industry in the
region.
 
The development of the
KAZA is receiving support
from various development
partners, with the German
Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and
Development (BMZ) contributing
about €15.5 million
towards its successful development
in March 2013.
 
The launch of the KAZA is
now a benchmark for other
countries in the basin and the
rest of southern Africa to emulate
in a bid to deepen integration
and promote
development in the region.
 
The tourism authorities of
Zimbabwe, Mozambique and
Zambia reached an agreement
in 2009 to establish the ZIMOZA
TFCA.
 
Other proposed transfrontier
parks in the Zambezi
basin are the Liuwa Plains-
Mussuma TFCA involving
Angola and Zambia, and the
Selous-Niassa TFCA involving
Mozambique and Tanzania.
 
The Liuwa Plains-Mussuma
TFCA is home to the
largest migratory population
of blue wildebeest in
the miombo ecosystem in
Africa.
 
Every year massive
herds of blue wildebeest
migrate from Zambia to Angola
and back again, traversing
the plains in their
thousands and very often
mingling with zebra along
the way.
 
The governments of
Angola and Zambia are
working towards formalising
the TFCA.
 
The establishment of
TFCAs is founded on the
SADC ideals articulated in the
Protocol on Wildlife Conservation
and Law Enforcement
of 1999, which commits member
states to “promote the conservation
of shared wildlife
resources through the establishment
of trans frontier conservation
areas”.
 
The Zambezi River Basin
Atlas of the Changing Environment,
the first of its kind in the
basin and southern Africa, is a
collaborative initiative with
the objective of providing scientific
evidence about changes
that are taking place in the
natural resources and the environment.
 
The Atlas was produced
for SADC, the Zambezi
Watercourse Commission
(ZAMCOM), and Zambezi
River Basin stakeholders, by
the Southern African Research
and Documentation
Centre (SARDC) through
its environment institute, the
I. Musokotwane Environment
Resource Centre for
Southern Africa (IMERCSA)
and GRID-Arendal, both
collaborating centres of
the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
sardc.net


title:
SAPP to commission 2,000MW to regional grid in 2013

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA expects
to commission projects
that will add about 2,000
megawatts (MW) of electricity
to the regional grid this year.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA expects
to commission projects
that will add about 2,000
megawatts (MW) of electricity
to the regional grid this year.
The Southern African
Power Pool (SAPP), which coordinates
the planning, generation,
transmission and
marketing of electricity on behalf
of Member State utilities
in the SADC region, said the
bulk of the new electricity, will
come from South Africa and
Botswana.
 
Speaking at a SADC Energy
Thematic Group meeting
held in Gaborone, Botswana,
in late February, SAPP Coordination
Centre Manager
Lawrence Musaba said South
Africa’s Eskom will weigh in
with 923 MW, while the
Botswana Power Company
will add a total of 600 MW.
 
The power from South
Africa is expected to come
from Medupi thermal station,
Komati thermal station and
another solar energy project,
which is underway in the
country. (See table below)
Medupi will contribute
722 MW, Komati 101 MW,
while the remaining 100 MW
will come from the solar energy
project.
 
The new power in
Botswana is expected to come
from the Morupela B thermal
project that is already under
construction.
 
Zambia's Zesco will add
180 MW from its Kariba
North hydro plan, while independent
power producers
in Namibia and Malawi will
add 60 MW and 60 MW respectively
to the regional
grid.
 
The power from Namibia
will be harnessed from wind,
while that from Malawi will
come from hydro.
 
Independent power producers
in the United Republic
of Tanzania and Zambia will
also add about 60 MW and 50
MW respectively. Tanzania’s
power will be from gas, and
Zambia’s from Ndola Energy.
 
The Democratic Republic
of Congo’s SNEL will weigh in
with 55 MW from the rehabilitation
of Inga Dam project.
 
This new power is expected
to help the SADC region
boost its supplies as well
as partially meet its growing
demand.
 
In the year 2012, SAPP
was able to add a total of
1,031 MW. Next year, the regional
power pool is expected
to commission
projects that will add about
4,620 MW.


Abstract:
THE REGIONAL Electricity
Regulators Association of
Southern Africa (RERA) is developing
a five-year strategic
plan that will result in the
crafting of energy regulatory
frameworks and facilitating
the creation of a viable regional
energy market by 2017.

body:
THE REGIONAL Electricity
Regulators Association of
Southern Africa (RERA) is developing
a five-year strategic
plan that will result in the
crafting of energy regulatory
frameworks and facilitating
the creation of a viable regional
energy market by 2017.
The strategic plan for 2013-
2017 will aim to develop energy
regulatory frameworks,
instruments and methods to
promote regional integration
and harmonization. This is expected
to facilitate the development
of a viable regional
energy market in SADC.
 
There are also plans to develop
the capacity of existing
energy and electricity regulators
in the region.
 
This will include advocating
for the establishment of
autonomous national regulators
in the region and developing
a knowledge pool of
information on the energy sector.
 
RERA is presently made up
of 10 regulatory bodies from
Angola, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa, Swaziland, United Republic
of Tanzania, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
 
Botswana, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Mauritius
and Seychelles do not have energy
regulators and are at various
stages of energy sector
reforms.
 
The Office for Electricity
Regulation (ORE) of Madagascar
is not yet a member of
RERA.
 
Four of the existing RERA
members are electricity regulators,
five are energy regulators
and two are multi-sector
(energy/water) regulators.
 
The plan envisages the
promotion of universal access
to modern energy services by
facilitating the development of
energy infrastructure for
under-served countries and
encouraging the migration towards
cost-reflective charges,
but also paying attention to
low-income population.
 
In addition, there are plans
to position RERA to proactively
influence developments
in the SADC energy sector.
 
This will involve, among other
things, transforming the organization
from an electricity
to an energy regulators’ association
as well as enhancing
stakeholder communication
and advocacy.
 
The strategic plan with details
of specific initiatives under
each of the strategic objectives
will be distributed to cooperating
partners and other stakeholders
as soon as it is formally
approved by the RERA Executive
Committee at its first meeting
later this year.


title:
Day Ahead Market – Regional energy trading gains momentum
Competitive electricity market allows member states to buy and sell

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA continues
to make significant
progress towards achieving a
sustainable and competitive
electricity market that allows
member countries to easily
sell and buy electricity from
each other.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA continues
to make significant
progress towards achieving a
sustainable and competitive
electricity market that allows
member countries to easily
sell and buy electricity from
each other.
The competitive electricity
market, commonly known as
the Day Ahead Market
(DAM), was commissioned
in December 2009 and is administered
by the Southern
African Power Pool (SAPP).
 
SAPP is a regional body
that coordinates the planning,
generation, transmission and
marketing of electricity on behalf
of Member State utilities
in southern Africa.
 
All the power utilities in
mainland SADC, with the exception
of Angola, Malawi
and the United Republic of
Tanzania, are interconnected
through SAPP, allowing them
to sell electricity to one another
through a competitive
market.
 
SAPP chief market analyst
Musara Beta said, in an interview
with this publication,
that the DAM has allowed
member utilities to have a
wider choice in energy trading,
particularly in terms of
determining the price of electricity.
 
The DAM – which is the
first competitive electricity
market in Africa – is conducted
prior to the commencement
of each day. Forward
contracts are
established for each hour of
the coming day.
 
The DAM sets prices as of
11am the previous day, thus
the term “day ahead”, based
on generation and energy
transaction bids that are offered
in advance to the SAPP.
 
DAM prices are determined
on an hourly basis for
each of the power pool’s operating
members.
 
This, therefore, means that
the seller will only sell their
electricity at a price they have
set or even higher since there
are some buyers who would
have expressed bids for the
same quantity at a higher
rate.
 
On the other hand, the
buyer can also only buy the
electricity at their desired
price or even less as some
sellers will be selling the same
quantity of electricity at a
lower rate.
 
“Those (utilities) that are
participating in the competitive
market have realized
huge financial rewards,” Beta
said, adding that in the DAM
there is no manipulation of
prices as both the seller and
buyer offer what they can
only afford.
 
As of February 2013, the
number of active participants
on the DAM increased to six
utilities from four in January
2013. More utilities have expressed
interest to come on
board, according to SAPP.
 
“The challenge is that energy
trading in most SADC
countries is regulated,” Beta
said, adding this is affecting
active participation by all
member utilities.
 
Another challenge is that
the DAM has come at a time
when most countries are facing
a shortfall in energy supplies,
hence the energy trading
market is viewed as
insecure.
 
“Despite all these challenges,
we are still happy
with the way the competitive
market is progressing,” he
said.
 
He said since the launch of
the competitive market in
2009, SAPP has managed to
conclude bids amounting to
216 Gigawatts (GW).
 
However, of these total
bids, only about 60.8 GW was
moved from seller to buyer
due to various constraints,
chief among them the lack of
transmission paths as well as
congested transmission corridors.
 
“All the concluded volumes
could not go through,
which just goes to show how
serious transmission constraints
are affecting trade on
the DAM,” Beta said.
 
“The potential to trade in
the DAM is there but the current
transmission capacity is
not allowing member countries
to fully exploit the competitive
market. The problem
is not with the market but
with the system.”
 
In this regard, he said
SAPP was working on implementing
energy generation
projects to boost energy production
in the region.
 
Plans are also underway to
build more transmission interconnections
across the borders
of member state,
particularly to connect the
unlinked three member countries
– Angola, Malawi and
Tanzania – to the regional
power grid.
 
Fuller integration on the
SAPP grid would ensure
that any new generation capacity
installed in any of the
three countries is also realized
by the nine other SAPP
members, namely Botswana,
the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland,
South Africa, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
 
Such a situation would,
therefore, boost the regional
competitive electricity market,
allowing member countries
to easily sell and buy
surplus electricity from each
other.
 
“We are working hard to
link all the member utilities to
the regional grid to promote
the sharing of surplus energy
on the DAM,” he said.
 
The DAM also has other
numerous benefits, including
the capacity to open up the
energy sector to new players
and investments.
 
Lack of investment in the
energy sector has been identified
as one of the main factors
that have contributed
towards the current power
deficit in southern Africa.
 
“We might be experiencing
some challenges with regard
to the competitive
market, but we will not give
up. We will soon get there,”
Beta said.


title:
Major boost for the regional energy competitive market
…as SAPP, Norwaysign agreement to support DAM

Abstract:
THE REGIONAL competitive
electricity market is expected
to record some
significant improvement following
the signing of a
three-year agreement between
Norway and the
Southern African Power
Pool to support the energy
trading market.

body:
THE REGIONAL competitive
electricity market is expected
to record some
significant improvement following
the signing of a
three-year agreement between
Norway and the
Southern African Power
Pool to support the energy
trading market.
The agreement, jointly
funded by Norway and Sweden,
is worth NOK35.25 million
(about US$6.14 million)
and covers various activities,
including implementation of
the regional competitive
electricity market as well as
capacity-building and software
issues regarding energy
trading.
 
Other activities such as
the implementation of energy
generation projects to
boost production in the region,
and building more
transmission interconnections
will also be covered
under this agreement. The
project will run from January
2013 to February 2016.
 
The competitive electricity
market, commonly
known as the Day Ahead
Market (DAM), allows SAPP
member utilities to sell surplus
electricity to others, and
meet shortfalls through purchases
from others.
 
It is administered by the
SAPP Coordination Centre
in Harare, Zimbabwe.
SAPP is a regional body
that coordinates the planning,
generation, transmission
and marketing of
electricity on behalf of member
state utilities in southern
Africa.
 
The agreement was
signed on 27 February in
Gaborone, Botswana, by
Lawrence Musaba, SAPP
Coordination Centre
Manager and Tove Bruvik
Westberg, Ambassador
of Norway to Mozambique.
The signing ceremony
was witnessed by members
of the SADC Energy
Thematic Group who
met earlier the same
day.


title:
Countries adopt RERA cross-border
guidelines

Abstract:
SEVEN SADC Member
States have adopted common
guidelines governing
cross-border power trading.
The guidelines for national
regulators were developed
by the Regional Electricity
Regulators Association of
Southern Africa (RERA),
and adopted by SADC Energy
Ministers in 2010.

body:
SEVEN SADC Member
States have adopted common
guidelines governing
cross-border power trading.
The guidelines for national
regulators were developed
by the Regional Electricity
Regulators Association of
Southern Africa (RERA),
and adopted by SADC Energy
Ministers in 2010.
The RERA Guidelines on
Cross Border Power Trading
in Southern Africa aim to
provide an enabling framework
for cross-border trade
and investment in infrastructure
that will reduce
some of the uncertainties deterring
investment and undermining
efforts to
improve security of supply
through cross-border trading.
 
They represent the first
concrete step to harmonising
national regulatory systems
and encouraging large crossborder
transactions by ensuring
that regulatory
arrangements in the region
are compatible.
 
There are a large number
of proposed cross-border
generation and transmission
projects in southern Africa
that are not moving forward
due to regulatory constraints,
despite being technically
and economically
feasible.
 
In most SADC countries,
authorities responsible for
regulating cross-border trading
are the national electricity 
regulators, which have
powers to make decisions on
tariffs, licensing and service
standards. However, energy
ministers in most SADC
Member States also retain
some decision-making powers.
 
RERA members that have
adopted the guidelines for
implementation are the regulatory
bodies of Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, South Africa,
United Republic of Tanzania,
and Zambia.
 
A number of other SADC
Member States including
Botswana, Madagascar and
Swaziland are in the process
of establishing separate regulators.
 
The RERA regulatory
guidelines focus on the decisions
affecting cross-border
trading, regardless of
whether the decision-maker
is an independent agency or
the government.
 
The aim of the guidelines,
written in the form of principles,
rules and procedures, is
to ensure that efficient crossborder
deals are not constrained
by unclear or
complicated processes for
making decisions.
 
The guidelines do not
have a formal legal status
over the decisions of individual
national regulators.
 
In order to have legal effect,
national regulators will need
to implement the guidelines
in their own countries.


title:
COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite FTA negotiations on course

Abstract:
THE TRIPARTITE Trade Negotiation
Forum (TTNF) involving
three trading blocs is
now engaged in phase one of
negotiations to launch an integrated
market covering 26
countries in eastern and
southern Africa.

body:
THE TRIPARTITE Trade Negotiation
Forum (TTNF) involving
three trading blocs is
now engaged in phase one of
negotiations to launch an integrated
market covering 26
countries in eastern and
southern Africa.
The Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), the Eastern
African Community (EAC)
and SADC are conducting
their negotiations for a Tripartite
Free Trade Area (FTA)
which are done in different
phases.
 
According to a roadmap
adopted at the second joint
summit of heads of state and
government of the three Regional
Economic Communities
(RECs) held in June 2011,
the negotiations will be conducted
in three phases –
preparatory phase, phase one
and phase two.
 
The preparatory phase
mainly involved the exchange
of all relevant information, including
tariffs applicable in
each country, as well as trade
data and measures.
 
It was aimed at ensuring
that the three regional economic
communities adopt
terms of reference and rules of
procedure for the establishment
of the TTNF.
 
This phase began in December
2011 and was expected
to last between six and 12
months. Following its completion
in November 2012, the tripartite
negotiations have now
moved into phase one of negotiations.
 
Phase one will cover core
FTA issues of tariff liberalization,
rules of origin, customs
procedures and simplification
of customs documentation,
transit procedures, non-tariff
barriers, trade remedies and
other technical barriers to
trade and dispute resolution.
 
Facilitating movement of
business persons within the
region will be negotiated in
parallel with phase one.
 
The last stage of negotiations
– phase two – is expected
to cover trade in services and
trade related issues including
intellectual property rights,
competition policy, and trade
development and competitiveness.
 
According to the roadmap,
all negotiations for the socalled
“Grand” FTA should be
completed within 36 months.
 
Thereafter, COMESA-EAC-
SADC is expected launch its
single FTA by 2016.
 
The proposed FTA is expected
to bolster intra-regional
trade by creating a
wider market, increased investment
flows, enhanced
competitiveness and the development
of cross-regional
infrastructure.
 
The integrated market
would comprise a combined
population of almost 600 million
people and a total Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of
about US$1 trillion.
 
This would open borders to
literally half of the continent,
spanning the entire southern
and eastern regions of Africa –
from Cape to Cairo.
 
The “Grand” FTA is within
the framework of establishing
an African Economic Community
and the overall African
Union Vision and Strategy
presented in the 1980 Lagos
Plan of Action and the Abuja
Treaty of 1991.
 
Africa aims to establish a
continent-wide free trade area
by 2017, and regional trade
arrangements such as the Tripartite
FTA are regarded as
some of the building blocks of
the envisaged African Economic
Community.


body:
THE COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite was established in
2005 with the main objective of strengthening and deepening
economic integration of the southern and east Africa regions.
This is being achieved through various initiatives aimed
at harmonizing policies and programmes of the three RECs
in the areas of trade, customs and infrastructure development,
and implementing these in a coordinated manner, and
wherever possible jointly.
 
The Tripartite agenda is focused and underpinned by a
robust vision and strategy which is implemented through a
wide-ranging work programme whose main pillars include:
harmonization and improvement of functionality of regional
trading arrangements and programmes, including
establishing a Tripartite FTA encompassing its 26 member
countries;

enhancement of trade facilitation to improve flow of
goods along transport corridors by lowering transit times
and the cost of trading;

joint planning and implementation of infrastructure programmes,
which mainly comprise of surface (road, rail,
border posts, seaports) and air transport, ICT and energy;
and

free movement of business persons within the Tripartite
region to facilitate the conduct of business.
 
 
 
The Tripartite is also addressing challenges of overlapping
membership through harmonizing programmes across the
three RECs.


title:
SADC, EU determined to boost cooperation

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA and
the European Union have
made a commitment to
strengthen cooperation in various
socio-economic areas to
promote development in the
two regions.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA and
the European Union have
made a commitment to
strengthen cooperation in various
socio-economic areas to
promote development in the
two regions.
SADC and the EU made
the pledge at a ministerial political
dialogue held in Maputo,
Mozambique in late
March. The meeting marked
19 years since the commencement
of the SADC-EU dialogue.
 
At the meeting, the two regions
signed a €20 million
agreement that would assist
SADC implement a new programme
entitled Regional
Economic Integration Support
(REIS), which is aimed at
boosting trade and deepening
integration through the removal
of barriers to trade and
improving the business environment
in the region.
 
SADC Executive Secretary
Tomaz Salomão signed the
agreement on behalf of SADC
while Head of Delegation of
the EU to Botswana, Ambassador
Gerard McGovern represented
the EU.
 
The REIS is intended to further
regional economic integration
which is the key focus
of EU-SADC cooperation
under the 10th European Development
Fund (EDF) and is
based on the SADC Common
Agenda and on the priorities
set in its Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan
(RISDP).
 
The proposed REIS will
focus on two protocols that
are key to providing the basis
for regional economic integration
– the SADC Trade
Protocol and the Protocol on
Finance and Investment –
and will also support negoti-
ation and implementation of
the Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA).
 
The REIS is intended to address
implementation issues
of these two protocols at the
regional level and particularly
in the SADC Secretariat.
 
The specific objective of the
programme is to create the enabling
environment through
the SADC Secretariat to enhance
the movement of goods
and services within SADC, facilitate
investment, and secure
World Trade Organisation
compatible market access
arrangements between SADC
EPA countries and the EU.
 
On EDF 11, which would
cover the period 2014-2020,
the regional organizations
agreed to start consultations in
April to identify SADC’s priorities
for funding for the next
seven years.
 
Consultations are expected
to be completed by the end of
the year and an agreement has
been made to ensure that the
support focuses on the core
mandate of SADC and the
linkage between national and
regional development.
 
With regard to infrastructure
development, the two regions
agreed to work together
in improving infrastructure in
southern African.
 
The EU said it would
support the recently approved
Regional Infrastructure Development
Master Plan and
other cross border infrastructure
development projects
from the EU-Africa Infrastructure
Trust Fund.
 
In respect to SADC’s RISDP
that is currently under review,
both regions agreed on the importance
of effective and focused
implementation of the
development blueprint as the
roadmap for the region's economic
integration.
 
SADC invited the EU and
other International Cooperating
Partners (ICPs) to share
experiences and support the
review process.
 
On the ongoing EPA negotiations
with the EU, SADC
emphasised the need to conclude
discussions as soon as
possible in a manner that will
bring about an outcome that
will assist developing countries
in the long run.
 
Various issues have stalled
negotiations, including how to
navigate the complex and numerous
trade arrangements in
southern Africa while maintaining
coherence within the
region.
 
Other challenges are how
to deal with services, investment
and other trade-related
issues such as rules of origin,
as well as some provisions of
the interim EPA text that seem
to favour one party over another.
 
The SADC negotiating
group comprises Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland
and the United Republic of
Tanzania.
 
The other SADC countries
– Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius,
Zambia and Zimbabwe –
negotiated under the Eastern
and Southern Africa group
(ESA), while the Democratic
Republic of Congo is in the
Economic Community of Central
African States (CEMAC).
 
South Africa participates in
the SADC group but only as
an observer as the country already
has a trade agreement
with Europe.
 
It was agreed that the meetings
be held periodically with
a SADC-EU senior officials
meeting taking place on a
yearly basis, while the SADCEU
ministerial level meeting is
to be organized every two
years.
 
The venue of the meetings
will alternate between the
SADC and EU regions. Therefore,
the next senior officials
meeting and ministerial-level
meeting will be held in 2014
and 2015, respectively, in Brussels,
Belgium.


title:
Africa, South America
Towards south-south
cooperation

Abstract:
AFRICA AND South
America (ASA) have
started implementing a
total of 27 projects signed
at the 3rd ASA Summit
held in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea.

body:
AFRICA AND South
America (ASA) have
started implementing a
total of 27 projects signed
at the 3rd ASA Summit
held in Malabo, Equatorial
Guinea.
The projects cover several
areas of common interest,
including education and
culture, peace and security,
institution-building, governance
and public administration,
trade, investment
and tourism.
 
Other sectors are infrastructure,
transport and
energy, science and technology,
agriculture and the environment,
social issues,
health, sport, gender and
youth. The implementation
plan will be for the period
2013 to 2016.


Abstract:
THE RELATIONSHIP of governments
and national treasuries
with mining companies
is being reviewed in several
countries in southern Africa,
with the objective of increasing
revenue and securing sustainable
income for national
development.

body:
THE RELATIONSHIP of governments
and national treasuries
with mining companies
is being reviewed in several
countries in southern Africa,
with the objective of increasing
revenue and securing sustainable
income for national
development.
Tanzania, Zambia and
South Africa, among others,
have reviewed or are reviewing
mining royalties, and Zimbabwe
is implementing a
policy of economic empowerment
through share ownership
to address the needs of
previously disadvantaged
people.
 
South African President
Jacob Zuma said in his State of
the Nation address in February
that his finance minister
would commission a study of
tax policies this year “to make
sure that we have an appropriate
revenue base to support
public spending.”
 
“Part of this study will
evaluate the current mining
royalties’ regime, with regard
to its ability to suitably serve
our people.”
 
South Africa is the world’s
biggest producer of platinum,
chrome and manganese,
among others.
 
According to the Department
of Mineral Resources,
nine loss-making platinum
mineshafts were closed last
year, and Anglo-American
Platinum, the biggest producer,
announced plans to
“idle” four shafts, which
could cost 14,000 jobs, although
Anglo’s diamond
unit, De Beers, announced
plans to invest US$2.3 billion
in a new underground mine.
 
The mining industry in
South Africa directly employs
500,000 people, according to
Bloomberg, contributes some
nine percent of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and generates
two-thirds of exports.
 
At the start of diamond
mining in South Africa in the
1860s, Afrikaner farmers fleeing
British rule settled in the
Rustenburg valley and displaced
local communities
without regard to the traditional
rights of ownership by
the Bafokeng. They surveyed
and registered farms, parcelling
them among themselves.
 
The chief of the area during
that time, Kgos Mokgatle,
recognised that ownership of
traditional Bafokeng land was
likely to be seized. He ordered
young men from the community
to walk to Kimberley,
484km away, to work and earn
money that was accumulated
in a central community fund
to buy farms in the area. Most
of the land owned by the Bafokeng
was acquired in this way
over a 20-year period.
 
Today, through various
economic empowerment
schemes, the Royal Bafokeng
community owns sizeable
stakes in Implats, the new
Bafokeng Rasimone platinum
mine, and SA Coal Mining, as
well as stakes in blue-chip
companies providing cellular
phone services and insurance.
 
Zimbabweans share the
same history with other indigenous
people in southern
Africa who were forcibly
driven off their land to make
way for white settlers.
 
Zimbabwe has embarked
on a policy of involving previously
disadvantaged indigenous
Zimbabweans in the
economic activities of the
country to ensure equitable
development of communities
through ownership of the
country’s resources.
 
Through the Zimbabwe Indigenisation
and Economic
Empowerment Act, passed in
2007 but implemented from
2010, foreign firms must sell at
least 51 percent of their shares
to indigenous Zimbabweans
over a four-year period starting
from February 2011.
 
The annual indigenisation
targets are as follows:
Year 1 – 26% shareholding;

Year 2 – 36% shareholding;

Year 3 – 46% shareholding;

Year 4 – 51% shareholding.


 
Various measures have
been instituted to ensure
broad-based participation by a
broad spectrum of indigenous
Zimbabweans, including the
introduction of management
and employee share ownership
trusts and community
share ownership trusts.
 
More than 120 mining companies
have complied with the
indigenisation laws and 400
employee share ownership
trusts have been established as
vehicles for participation by
local communities in the
shareholding of businesses
operating in their areas, including
Zimbabwe Platinum
(Zimplats), which is majorityowned
by South African platinum
group, Impala Platinum
(Implats).
 
To date up to five community
schemes, with seed capital
of more than US$100
million, have been launched
by President Robert Mugabe.
 
The proceeds from such
participation are to be properly
accounted for and used in
projects that benefit the communities.
 
Government policy is that
management and employees
should acquire some shareholding
as part of the 51
percent indigenisation requirement,
while at least 10
percent of the shareholding in
qualifying businesses should
be reserved for communities
through community trusts.
 
Money accruing to the
trusts from such shareholding
in a business is already being
used for the provision of social
and economic infrastructure
in line with the priorities
of the communities concerned,
such as schools and
other educational institutions;
educational scholarships;
support to local hospitals and
clinics; maintenance of roads,
water works and sanitation
facilities.
 
“This agreement underlines
our commitment to good
corporate citizenship and lays
the foundation for the creation
of a sustainable Zimbabwean
platinum mining
company capable of attracting
the investment needed to deliver
future benefits to our
shareholders, the people of
Zimbabwe, our employees
and the local community,”
said Implats chief executive,
Terence Goodlace.


title:
Tanzania to lead SADC intervention force in DRC

Abstract:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania will command the
SADC military contingent in
the Democratic Republic of
Congo, as part of an international
intervention force
whose deployment was approved
by the United Nations
Security Council in March.

body:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania will command the
SADC military contingent in
the Democratic Republic of
Congo, as part of an international
intervention force
whose deployment was approved
by the United Nations
Security Council in March.
SADC Standby Force Chief
of Staff, Brigadier General
Maaparankoe Mahao said
nine SADC Member States
have pledged personnel to be
deployed when the mission
starts.
 
These are Angola, Lesotho,
Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia,
South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
 
Mahoa said Mozambique,
Tanzania and South Africa
have pledged battalions while
Malawi and Lesotho will contribute
companies. Zimbabwe
has committed to send several
units to join the force.
 
He said it was difficult to
estimate the cost of the mission
in the DRC "as we do not
know how much time we are
going to spend there."
 
The security situation
in the DRC was the
only item under discussion
at an Extraordinary
SADC summit held in Maputo
in February.
 
Speaking to reporters
after the meeting,
the SADC Executive Secretary,
Tomaz Salomão, said the
deployment plan has been
drawn up and Member States
are making troops available.
 
“Now we are waiting for a
UN mandate for the SADC
military intervention which
should not be confused with
an invasion.”
 
Salomão recognised the
complexity of the situation in
DRC, where SADC has decided
to deploy a neutral intervention
force in a joint initiative with
the United Nations.
 
In addition to the mandate,
there are other sensitive questions
under discussion such as
the security of the soldiers
who will be stationed in eastern
DRC.
 
“You can’t just take soldiers
and put them in a place that’s
unstable. We have to work on
logistical and security questions,”
Salomão said.
 
These preparations include
the procedures to be followed
in the event of the death of
any members of the regional
force.
 
The DRC slid into political
turmoil last year when antigovernment
rebels calling
themselves the March 23
Movement invaded and captured
the city of Goma, causing
causing
the displacement of people
and loss of lives and property.
 
The rebels have since
threatened to march on Kinshasa,
the capital of the vast,
mineral-rich country.
 
SADC has demanded the
cessation of hostilities and
called for a peaceful and
durable resolution of the conflict,
saying it can be resolved
through collective dialogue.


title:
Peace and security framework for
DRC signed

Abstract:
SADC AND other regional
and international organizations
have signed a Peace and
Security Cooperation Framework
for the Democratic Republic
of Congo that aims to
resolve the conflict in the eastern
part of the country.

body:
SADC AND other regional
and international organizations
have signed a Peace and
Security Cooperation Framework
for the Democratic Republic
of Congo that aims to
resolve the conflict in the eastern
part of the country.
Signed in February in
Ethiopia by the DRC, its
neighbours in the Economic
Community of the Great
Lakes Countries (CEPGL) and
SADC, the framework affords
opportunities to all stakeholders
to commit themselves to
attaining lasting peace in the
DRC.
 
The framework was signed
by 11 southern and eastern
African countries, with all the
signatories pledging to refrain
from supporting Congolese
rebel groups. However, none
of the various Congolese rebel
militias were present at the
signing.
 
The United Nations has
committed to undertake a
strategic review of its peacekeeping
force, the UN Stabilization
Mission in the DRC
(MONUSCO).
 
The UN and the African
Union are guarantors to the
agreement.


Abstract:
THE UNITED Nations Security
Council has unanimously
approved an unprecedented
offensive "intervention brigade"
with a mandate to operate
in eastern DRC.

body:
THE UNITED Nations Security
Council has unanimously
approved an unprecedented
offensive "intervention brigade"
with a mandate to operate
in eastern DRC.
However, while the enabling
resolution authorizes the
first-ever offensive unit of 2,500
troops to engage the rebels in
the resource-rich eastern region,
with or without government
troops, on "an exceptional
basis and without creating a
precedent" for UN peacekeeping
operations, it insists on a
"clear exit strategy" before expiry
in one year.
 
The special unit will become
part of the UN Stabilization
Mission in the DRC
(MONUSCO).
 
Its objective is to counter
the "destabilizing activities of
the March 23 Movement and
other Congolese and foreign
armed groups operating in the
eastern Congo," for violations
of international humanitarian
law. Xinhua


Abstract:
ZIMBABWEANS VOTED
overwhelmingly in favour of a
new Constitution during a referendum
in March,paving the
way for general elections later
this year.

body:
ZIMBABWEANS VOTED
overwhelmingly in favour of a
new Constitution during a referendum
in March,paving the
way for general elections later
this year.
According to the results re-
leased by the Zimbabwe Elec-
toral Commission (ZEC), a
total of 3,316,082 people cast
their ballots during the referendum
held on 16 March.
 
Of the total votes cast,
3,079,966 (93 percent) voted in
favour of the draft Constitu-
tion, while 179,469 voted
against. There were 56,627 rejected
ballots.
 
Voting was open to all Zim-
babwean citizens aged 18
years and above who could
present valid identification, regardless
of whether they are
registered as voters or not.
 
Voter turnout was higher
than the last referendum held
in 2000 and the March 2008
general elections when 1.3
million and 2.5 million people
voted, respectively. 
 
The draft Constitution,
whose development was facil-
itated by an inter-party parlia-
mentary committee, has since
been gazetted in the form of a
Constitutional Bill for a period
of at least 30 days as required
by the law. 
 
The Bill will be tabled in the
House of Assembly on 7 May
for debate and final approval
by at least a two-thirds majority,
and then forwarded to the
Senate for approval by a two
thirds majority, after which it
will be sent to the President
for signature.
 
The date of the harmonized
presidential/parliamentary/
local government elections is
expected to be announced
soon after the new Constitu-
tion becomes law. The duration
of the current Parliament
ends on 29 June.
 
The draft Constitution will
replace the present Lancaster
House Constitution, which
was negotiated in London before
Independence and has
been amended 19 times since
1980.
 
The draft Constitution proposes
a number of sweeping
measures, including increasing
the number of women in decision-
making positions.
 
The Parliament will be made
up of the National Assembly
and the Senate. The National
Assembly will comprise of a
total of 270 members, consisting
of 210 MPs elected by secret ballot
from 210 single-member
constituencies and 60 additional
women elected by proportional
representation – six each from
the country’s 10 administrative
provinces.
 
The Senate will comprise of
80 members, six elected from
each province through a system
of proportional representation,
based on the votes cast
for candidates representing
political parties in the National
Assembly elections and selected
from party lists based
on the “zebra” system in
which “male and female candidates
are listed alternatively,
every list being headed by a female
candidate.”
 
Election observers from
SADC endorsed the referendum
on Zimbabwe’s new
Constitution, urging Zimbabweans
to remain peaceful
ahead of watershed general
elections later this year.
 
In a preliminary statement
issued at the conclusion of the
referendum, the SADC Election
Observation Mission
(SEOM) applauded the peaceful
and orderly conduct of the
referendum.
 
SEOM noted that despite
concerns about the resources
available to ZEC for prepara-
tion of the referendum, limited
time for voter education, and a
polarised media, the overall
preparations and voting
processes were conducted in a
credible manner.
 
“In general, the mission observed
that the polling process
was conducted in a peaceful,
transparent and smooth manner,”
Hon. Bernard Membe
said.
 
“The Mission observed that
the counting process began
immediately after the closing
of the polling stations. The
counting process was conducted
procedurally.”
 
Membe, who headed the
SADC observer mission, is a
Member of Parliament in the
United Republic of Tanzania,
and Minister of Foreign Affairs
and International Cooperation.
 
The SADC mission noted
that, over and above general
adherence to the relevant national
legal instruments and
the SADC Principles and
Guidelines Governing Democratic
Elections, some “best
democratic practices and lessons”
were observed in the referendum.
 
These included the provision
of adequate logistical and
material support by the ZEC to
ensure that all citizens of voting
age were able to participate
in the referendum;
prompt accreditation of observers;
provision of several
polling streams that expedited
the voting process; use of indelible
ink to prevent double
voting; use of translucent bal-
lot boxes; and high state of
preparedness by the Zimbabwe
Republic Police in providing
adequate security.
 
The SEOM was officially
launched in Harare on 10
March and deployed 78 observers
to Zimbabwe’s 10
provinces.


title:
Madagascar presidential poll postponed to July

Abstract:
THE FIRST round of presidential
elections in Madagascar
was postponed to 24 July from
May due to logistical challenges,
the Independent National
Election Commission of
the Transition (CENIT) said.

body:
THE FIRST round of presidential
elections in Madagascar
was postponed to 24 July from
May due to logistical challenges,
the Independent National
Election Commission of
the Transition (CENIT) said.
CENIT president Atallah
Beatrice said the second round,
if necessary, will be held with
the parliamentary election on 25
September. The run-off was initially
set for 3 July while legislative
elections were originally
scheduled for July.
 
The two main political rivals
in Madagascar have resolved
not to stand in
presidential elections amid regional
and international pressure
to give the island nation a
fresh start after four years of
constitutional crisis.
 
Andry Rajoelina, President
of the Transitional Authority,
and former president Marc
Ravalomanana have both said
they will not stand in the elections.


body:
April
15-17, Namibia

SADC Digital Broadcasting Migration Forum

SADC broadcasters will discuss activities that would
ensure all member states are ready for digital broadcasting
transition.


May
6-8, Zambia

SADC Water Resources Technical Committee

The committee comprising government technical experts
on water meets at least once a year to discuss
water resources management in the region, reporting
to the Committee of SADC Water Ministers.
 


8-10, South Africa

World Economic Forum on Africa 2013

The theme for this year’s forum is “Delivering on
Africa’s Promise.” The meeting will be attended by
various regional and global business, government
and civil society leaders to further Africa’s integration
agenda and renew commitment to sustainable
growth and development.
 


9-10, Zimbabwe

Regional Researchers Consultative Workshop on
RISDP Mid-Term Review

This two-day workshop will enable researchers from
institutions in the region to make a direct input into the
RISDP review process.
 


14-16, Lesotho

SADC Energy Ministers

SADC Energy Ministers will meet to discuss the energy
situation in the region, and the prevailing power
deficits. The meeting will be preceded by a preparatory
meeting of senior officials.
 


15-17, South Africa

Women in Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Sustainable
Energy Development

The conference aims to review global progress in implementing
targets since the designation of 2012 as
the International Year of Sustainable Energy. Delegates
will assess available infrastructure and sustainable
energy opportunities, and impacts on the social
and economic development of communities.
 



19-27, Ethiopia

21st African Union Summit

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the OAU/
African Union, African leaders will discuss ways to
deepen integration and advance development. The
theme for the golden jubilee is “Pan-Africanism and
African Renaissance”. The Organisation of African
Unity was established on 25 May 1963 with a political
agenda to liberate the continent from colonial
rule and apartheid. After achieving that, it was transformed
into the African Union in 2002 to pursue
unity and development.
 



20-24, Lesotho

SADC Ministers Responsible for Telecommunications,
Postal and ICT

SADC ministers will discuss telecommunications infrastructure
in the region and projects to support other
sectors including tourism, commerce and industry.
 



27-31, Angola

SADC Water Ministers

SADC Ministers responsible for water resources will
meet in Luanda to discuss the state of water in the region,
and progress toward implementation of the Regional
Strategic Action Plan on integrated water
resources development and management.
 


June
TBA, Mozambique

SADC Infrastructure Investment Summit

The conference will seek to attract potential investors
for the SADC regional infrastructure development
programme, and will be followed by roadshows in
Asia, Europe and the United States.


title:
African vision of development
and prosperity

Abstract:
FIFTY YEARS ago the leaders of the 32 independent
African countries established
the Organization of African Unity on 25
May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

body:
FIFTY YEARS ago the leaders of the 32 independent
African countries established
the Organization of African Unity on 25
May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The main vision of the founding fathers
of the OAU was to accelerate the political
liberation of the African continent and
those African nations still under colonial
rule, a goal they achieved more than 30
years later with the end of apartheid in
1994.
 
They also committed to promote unity
and cohesion among the newly independent
African states while advancing their
economic development.
 
The founding fathers reasoned that the
promotion of unity, integration and solidarity
among African states was crucial for
securing the continent’s long-term economic
and political future. The OAU was
reconstituted as the African Union in 2002
for this purpose.
 
Today the founding of the OAU is celebrated
and commemorated every year on
25 May as Africa Day, a day when, regardless
of their whereabouts or situations,
Africans celebrate the liberation of the continent
and the dream of African unity.
 
Three southern African states were
among the OAU founding members –
Democratic Republic of Congo (then
known as Congo Léopoldville), Madagascar,
Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The last two
countries united the following year to form
the United Republic of Tanzania.
 
The newly independent states were
faced with formidable tasks such as developing
their economies and transforming
their societies while they remained heavily
indebted to Western entities such as the
World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund.
 
The OAU played a pivotal role in eradicating
colonialism and minority rule in
Africa.
 
An OAU Liberation Committee was established
and hosted in the then Tanzanian
capital, Dar es Salaam, to provide material
assistance to independence movements,
mainly those from southern Africa who
had to take up arms to liberate their countries.
 
The founding fathers of the OAU included
the host, Emperor Haile Selassie I of
Ethiopia, and the founding Presidents of
Ghana and Tanganyika, Osagyefo Kwame
Nkrumah and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere,
who were the leading proponents of Pan-
Africanism in the latter half of the 20th century.
 
Selassie I was the first chairperson of
the OAU from May 1963 to July 1964, followed
by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt
(July 1964-October 1965) and Nkrumah (October
1965-February 1966).
 
South Africa became the 53rd nation to
join the OAU after overcoming apartheid
and electing a new democratic government
in 1994, leaving only Western Sahara
still a colony of Morocco. Morocco left the
OAU in a dispute over Western Sahara.
 
The OAU was officially disbanded on 9
July 2002 by its last chairperson, former
South African President Thabo Mbeki, and
replaced by the African Union.
 
At the time of its disbanding, 53 out of
54 African states had become members of
the OAU.
 
To commemorate 50 years since the
founding of the OAU, various events have
been organized by the AU Commission.
 
These include the symbolic lighting of
torches by all member states. The torches
symbolise Africa’s desire to reverse the present
negative image of despair “into the real
narrative of opportunity and potential.”
 
“These torches are also a symbol of our
collective will to brighten Africa's future,”
said AU Commission chairperson,
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.


body:
“TIME HAS come that Africa must take her rightful
place in global affairs. Time has come to end the marginalisation
of Africa. We call on the rest of the world
to work with us as partners.” Former South African
President Thabo Mbeki in a speech at the disbanding
of the OAU and the launch of the African Union, 9
July 2002 in Durban, South Africa.


body:
1 April Easter Monday   Botswana, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia,
South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

4 April Peace and Reconciliation Day Angola

7 April Sheikh Abeid Karume Day Tanzania
Women’s Day Mozambique

8 April Public Holiday Mozambique

11 April Ougadi Mauritius

18 April Independence Day Zimbabwe

19 April King’s Birthday Swaziland

25 April National Flag Day Swaziland

26 April Union Day Tanzania

27 April Freedom Day South Africa

30 April Youth Day DRC

1 May Workers Day Lesotho, Zambia
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Labour Day Angola, Botswana, Malawi,
Madagascar, DRC, Mauritius,
Seychelles, Swaziland

4 May Cassinga Day Namibia

9 May Ascension Day Botswana, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Namibia, Swaziland

14 May Kamuzu Day Malawi

17 May Liberation Day DRC

19 May Whit Sunday Madagascar

20 May Whit Monday Madagascar

25 May Africa Day Angola, Lesotho,
Namibia, Zimbabwe

Africa Freedom Day Zambia


title:
Regulatory and policy incentives
Towards SADC energy security

Abstract:
AS SOUTHERN Africa steps up efforts to improve
power supply in the region, the question
of guaranteeing energy security is expanding
from the usual concerns around generation capacity
to addressing pertinent soft infrastructure
issues that create an enabling environment
for investment in the sector.

body:
AS SOUTHERN Africa steps up efforts to improve
power supply in the region, the question
of guaranteeing energy security is expanding
from the usual concerns around generation capacity
to addressing pertinent soft infrastructure
issues that create an enabling environment
for investment in the sector.
While attention has focused on implementation
of short-term measures such as construction
of new power stations or rehabilitation of
existing ones to improve generation capacity in
the region, the debate is now shifting towards
the policy environment and investment incentives
for investors.
 
Southern Africa has suffered a shortage of
electricity since 2007 as the growing demand
exceeds supply and the expectation was that
this energy gap would be addressed by 2014.
However, the implementation of projects can
lag behind their planned dates due to a lack of
funding and other constraints.
 
SADC is now taking longer term measures
to address the energy deficit and ensure selfsufficiency
in energy generation and an end to
electricity shortages, through an ambitious Energy
Sector Plan that calls for the region to increase
power generation by more than 70
percent and investment of more than US$170
billion over the next 15 years.
 
The Energy Sector Plan is part of the SADC
Regional Infrastructure Development Master
Plan approved by the 32nd Summit of SADC
Heads of State and Government in Mozambique
last year.
 
The policy environment in most SADC
Member States does not encourage private sector
participation in the energy sector.
Generally, there is need for a review of the
operating environment in the power sector to
encourage investment, including Public-Private
Partnerships (PPPs). This would involve
a review of the legal and regulatory framework
governing the sector.
 
With the exception of a few countries such
as Zambia, the majority of SADC countries are
yet to fully embrace the PPP concept despite
being party to the SAPP Inter-Utility Memorandum
of Understanding that formally allows
private players to get involved in the energy
sector.
 
Zambia has established a public institution
that facilitates and promotes the implementation
of PPPs.
 
A number of long-planned projects have
failed to take off as the private sector has been
reluctant to engage in partnerships with the
public sector, mainly due to inappropriate financing
formulas.
 
According to Lawrence
Musaba, Coordination Centre
Manager at the Southern
African Power Pool (SAPP),
there is need for SADC to put
in place mechanisms that improve
the attractiveness of the
power sector for investors.
 
“One measure proposed is
the provision of incentives for
all investors in the power sector,
both local and foreign,”
Musaba said during a researchers
workshop on the
mid-term review of the SADC
Regional Indicative Strategic
Development Plan (RISDP)
held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in
May.
 
Proposed incentives include
introduction of tax exemptions
for investors
involved in the construction
and rehabilitation of power
stations.
 
“For example, we are saying
that Member States should
allow for Value Added Tax
and other tax exemptions for
defined periods for those companies
and investors who import
power equipment and
machinery,” said Musaba.
 
In addition, other incentives
should include the introduction
of rebates for power
producers in the form of subsidies
as well as government
grants for power utilities.
 
According to the SADC
Regional Energy Access Strategy,
any subsidies to the energy
sector should prioritise
access over consumption.
 
While subsidies have an
important role to play in extending
access, subsidy programmes
need to be carefully
designed and targeted at the
power producers to encourage
more investment.
 
The rationale is that subsidies
to consumer energy prices
simply reduce the cost of energy
for those who already
have access to electricity.
 
For this reason, government
or donor resources available
for subsidies would
contribute more to equity and
efficiency objectives if they are
spent on once-off capital subsidies
than on subsidies to recurrent
costs.
 
The SAPP is also proposing
the creation of a Demand
Side Management (DSM) fund
to support DSM initiatives.
 
The rationale behind the fund
is to compensate utilities for
revenue losses emanating
from the reduced energy
usage as a result of the DSM
initiatives.
 
SAPP is implementing
various DSM programmes
that include promotion of energy
efficiency technologies
such as the replacement of incandescent
bulbs with Compact
Fluorescent Lamps
(CFLs) and introduction of the
solar water heater programme,
hot water load control,
and the commercial
lighting programme.
 
Switching from traditional
light bulbs to CFLs has been
an effective programme by
SAPP to reduce energy use at
home and prevent greenhouse
gas emissions that contribute
to climate change.
 
Research shows that residential
lighting accounts for
about 20 percent of the average
home electricity bill in the
SADC region. However, compared
to incandescent bulbs,
CFLs have been shown to save
up to 80 percent of electricity
consumption.
 
Similarly, the hot water
load-control programme being
pursued by SAPP has enabled
consumers to install load control
switches that automatically
turn off power during
peak periods or when appliances
such as geysers have
reached maximum demand.
 
To date, the majority of
SAPP members have introduced
the CFLs on a large
scale. Other forms of DSM are
at various levels of implementation.
 
Power savings realised
from these four DSM initiatives
between 2009 and 2012
amounted to 2,316 megawatts,
according to SAPP.
 
It is envisaged that the
DSM programme will include
a public education campaign
whose primary objective will
be to increase awareness about
energy efficiency.
 
However, the downside of
implementing such initiatives
is that they affect the viability
of power utilities. Hence the
need for the proposed fund.
Other measures being considered
include the use of costreflective
tariffs, time of use
tariffs, renewable energy feedin
tariffs, as well as introduction 
of penalties for inefficient
use of energy by customers.
 
Cost-reflective tariffs encourage
people to move their
electricity consumption from
peak times to off-peak periods
by adjusting the price charged
at certain times of each day.
This helps reduce the overall
peak load and is referred to as
load shifting, a common practice
in many parts of the
world.
 
Related to cost-reflective
tariffs is the time-of-use pricing
concept whereby electricity
prices are set for a specific
time period on an advance or
forward basis, usually not
changing more than twice a
year.
 
Prices paid for energy consumed
during these periods
are pre-established and known
to consumers in advance, allowing
them to vary their
usage in response to such
prices and manage their energy
costs by shifting usage to
lower cost periods or reducing
their overall consumption.
 
Renewable energy feed-in
tariffs have been successful in
increasing the use of renewable
technologies worldwide.
They encourage investment
in renewable energy generation
by offering long-term contracts
to producers and guaranteeing
to buy and pay for all the electricity
produced.
 
Feed-in tariffs have proven
wildly successful in Germany
and other European countries
such as Denmark and Spain,
where they are credited with
the much greater adoption of
wind and solar power there
than in the United States.
 
There is, therefore, need to
embrace the principle of energy
efficiency in SADC and
adopt regulatory principles
that incentivise efficient use
of electricity and penalise
wasteful usage.


title:
Researchers contribute to RISDP mid-term review

Abstract:
RESEARCHERS FROM
southern Africa have made an
input into the ongoing independent
review of the SADC
Regional Indicative Strategic
Development Plan (RISDP).

body:
RESEARCHERS FROM
southern Africa have made an
input into the ongoing independent
review of the SADC
Regional Indicative Strategic
Development Plan (RISDP).
At a workshop held in
Harare, Zimbabwe, in May, the
researchers made some valuable
input into sectoral issues
and targets to be addressed in
the mid-term review.
 
The issues identified included
the need to interrogate
whether the present SADC integration
model promotes equitable
and sustainable
integration; a review of macroeconomic
convergence targets
in line with current regional
and continental dynamics; and
recognition of the impact on
regional development of
emerging issues such as climate
change.
 
The RISDP was approved
in 2003 and launched in 2004,
while effective implementation
began in 2005, following
the development of a detailed
operational framework.
 
The main purpose of the
15-year plan is to provide
strategic direction with respect
to SADC programmes and activities,
and to align the strategic
objectives and priorities of
SADC with the policies and
strategies for achieving its long
term-goals.
 
The RISDP aims to deepen
regional integration in SADC
with the ultimate objective of
eradicating poverty in the region.
 
To fasttrack the implementation
of the RISDP, SADC refocussed
its priorities in 2007
as: Trade, economic liberalization
and development; Infrastructure
in support of
regional integration; Politics,
defence and security cooperation;
Food security, environment
and management of
trans-boundary natural resources;
Social and human development;
Gender and
development; Statistics; and
Science and technology.
 
In 2011, the SADC Council
of Ministers directed the
SADC Secretariat to conduct a
desk assessment of the RISDP
implementation.
 
The assessment revealed
that significant progress has
been achieved towards meeting
the targets set in the SADC
regional economic integration
agenda.
 
The assessment noted that
all sectors were able to reach
most of the outputs and targets,
either fully or partially,
within the stated timeframes.
 
For example, SADC successfully
launched its Free
Trade Area in 2008, which has
improved intra-regional trade
by facilitating the movement
of goods and services between
member countries.
 
To complement the Secretariat’s
desk assessment,
Council directed that an external
mid-term review involving
Member States and other
stakeholders be done to assess
the RISDP performance.
 
Such a review is important
in determining progress made
as well as in devising new
strategies to accelerate
poverty reduction and the attainment
of other development
goals of the SADC
region in a sustainable manner.
 
The Trade and Development
Studies Centre (Trades
Centre) in Harare, Zimbabwe,
is carrying out the independent
RISDP Mid-Term Review.
 
The Southern African Research
and Documentation
Centre (SARDC), with the
support of the GIZ and in consultation
with the SADC Secretariat
and the Trades Centre,
organised a Regional Researchers
Consultative Workshop
on the SADC RISDP
Mid-Term Review to facilitate
the input of regional researchers
in early May in
Harare, Zimbabwe.
 
The objective of the consultative
workshop was to enable
researchers from research
institutions in Member States
to use their expertise and
knowledge to make a direct
input into the RISDP review
process and contribute to the
results.
 
The workshop report is
expected to enrich the scope
and depth of issues around
the implementation of the
RISDP gathered from Member
States which will be complimentary
to the findings of
the SADC Secretariat desk
study of 2011 and the ongoing
independent review undertaken
by the RISDP review
team of consultants.


title:
Key policy recommendations
from researchers workshop

body:
The RISDP review should consider the following:
Establish a mechanism that guarantees adequate funding
of the RISDP and ensures an active role by Member States
in the financing of programmes and projects;

Establish a mechanism for citizen involvement in SADC
programmes and policy implementation and formulation;

Review of SADC Secretariat governance structure to improve
decision-making and implementation of programmes
and projects;

Mainstream gender issues throughout all policies, programmes
and projects;

Review of macroeconomic convergence targets in line
with regional and continental dynamics, including alignment
of market integration targets with COMESA-EAC
targets;

Revisit and energise the transport corridor concept and
ensure that there is enhanced investment in regional communication
infrastructure;

Introduce incentives to promote investment in new power
projects, including creation of an enabling environment
for renewable energy projects and development of regional
policy on energy efficiency;

Strengthen the collection and compilation of statistics, including
gender-disaggregated data for all sectors;

Revisit commitments on budgetary allocations to health
and education;

Align the RISDP with SIPO and other regional policies
and programmes;

Reaffirm commitment towards improving agricultural
production, including implementation of commitments
on budgetary allocations to farming; and,

Consider a regional policy on land reform.


Abstract:
SADC MEMBER States negotiating
economic cooperation
agreements with the European
Union have just over a year to
conclude discussions after Brussels
set October 2014 as the
deadline for negotiations.

body:
SADC MEMBER States negotiating
economic cooperation
agreements with the European
Union have just over a year to
conclude discussions after Brussels
set October 2014 as the
deadline for negotiations.
Namibian Minister of Trade
and Industry, Calle Schlettwein
said the International Trade
Committee of the EU Parliament
has set a 1 October 2014
deadline for negotiations with
African, Caribbean and Pacific
countries that have not yet
signed EPAs with the EU.
 
“This proposed date is the
date on which duty free quota
free market access will be withdrawn
for those who have not
yet signed or ratified an EPA
with the EU,” he said in a statement
to the Namibian Parliament
in April.
 
This means that “any EPA
would have to be concluded far
in advance of 1 October 2014 in
order for trade to continue.”
Discussions are still ongoing
between the EU and
seven SADC countries to produce
a comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement
(EPA) between the two regions.
 
Various issues have stalled
negotiations, including how to
navigate the complex and numerous
trade arrangements in
southern Africa while maintaining
coherence within the region.
 
Other challenges are how to
deal with services, investment
and other trade-related issues
such as rules of origin, as well as
some textual provisions of the
interim EPA text that seem to
favour one party over another.
 
The SADC negotiating
group comprises Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland and
the United Republic of Tanzania.
 
South Africa participates
in the SADC
group but only as an
observer as the country
already has a trade
agreement with Europe.
 
The other SADC
countries – Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritius,
Zambia and
Zimbabwe – negotiated under
the Eastern and Southern Africa
(ESA) group, while the Democratic
Republic of Congo is in
the Economic Community of
Central African States
(CEMAC).
 
Members of the ESA group
have already reached an interim
EPA with the EU that
came into force in 2012.
 
The agreement provides access
to the EU market free of
import duties and quotes for exports
from the four countries,
which will, in turn, be required
to gradually open their markets
to European exports over
a 15-year period, with exceptions
for certain products the
countries consider sensitive.
 
The fragmented approach to
the EPAs negotiations, where
SADC and other African regions
are negotiating under different
groups, is seen as one of
the major stumbling blocks to
the negotiation process.


title:
Pilot customs connectivity project for Botswana, Namibia

Abstract:
CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES
in Botswana and Namibia
have partnered with the
Southern African Trade Hub to
develop an automated system
that reduces delays in customs
clearances and facilitates the
sharing of customs information
between countries in
southern Africa.

body:
CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES
in Botswana and Namibia
have partnered with the
Southern African Trade Hub to
develop an automated system
that reduces delays in customs
clearances and facilitates the
sharing of customs information
between countries in
southern Africa.
Although much of the same
data is required to prepare export
documentation in one
country and import documentation
in another country for
cross-border shipments, the
current system requires manual
re-entry of all information.
 
This can result in human
error, delays in preparing and
processing clearance documents,
bottlenecks in clearance
of goods due to data errors and
an increase in trade costs.
 
To reduce these trade costs,
the Botswana Unified Revenue
Service and the Namibia Customs
have partnered with the
Southern African Trade Hub to
establish a pilot customs connectivity
between the two
countries.
 
The Trade Hub said the
system will enable clearing
agents to exchange declaration
data for shipments electronically,
securely and
instantly.
 
“Based on the success of the
pilot, it will be rolled out to
other countries in southern
Africa.”
 
Under the system, clearing
agents will use a new online
portal to transfer export declaration
data across borders
and retrieve import declaration
data through the existing
ASYCUDA++ user interface.
 
Customs officials can access
trade and performance statistics
via an online platform. The
automated system is expected
to improve the collection of
standardized trade statistics
and allow greater visibility of
the cross-border trade
processes.


Abstract:
SADC HAS inaugurated a
centre to improve the capacity
of Member States in implementation
and negotiation of
global trade issues.

body:
SADC HAS inaugurated a
centre to improve the capacity
of Member States in implementation
and negotiation of
global trade issues.
Head of the Directorate on
Trade, Industry, Finance and
Investment, Boitumelo
Gofhamodimo, inaugurated
the World Trade Organization
(WTO) Reference Centre at the
SADC Secretariat in April.
 
Establishment of the centre
follows an official request
made to the WTO last year to
open a reference centre at the
Secretariat to serve as a channel
through which SADC can
receive information, technical
and training assistance to improve
the capacity of staff on
WTO issues.
 
This will provide the SADC
Secretariat, government agencies,
academic, research and
training institutions, businesses
and other stakeholders
with a facility where relevant
information on the WTO can
be accessed.


title:
SACU to develop new revenue sharing agreement

Abstract:
THE SOUTHERN African
Customs Union (SACU) has
embarked on a review of its
revenue-sharing agreement in
a development that could
have important lessons for a
future SADC Customs Union.

body:
THE SOUTHERN African
Customs Union (SACU) has
embarked on a review of its
revenue-sharing agreement in
a development that could
have important lessons for a
future SADC Customs Union.
According to a statement
issued after the 4th SACU
Summit held in Botswana, the
review would also investigate
financing mechanisms to support
industrial and infrastructure
development in the
SACU region.
 
A proposal on the new revenue-
sharing arrangement is
expected to be ready by December
when it will be presented
to the SACU Council of
Ministers for consideration.
 
SACU operates as a customs
union of five countries
that form a single customs territory
in which tariffs and
other barriers are eliminated
on substantially all the trade
between the member states for
products originating in these
countries; and there is a common
external tariff that applies
to non-members of SACU.
 
The main provisions of a
renewable agreement negotiated
in 2002 are that the tariff
regime in force in South Africa
applies to the other countries,
serving as a common external
tariff; and that customs and
excise revenue collected in
member states is paid into a
common pool and distributed
according to a formula
weighted in favour of
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia
and Swaziland (the BLNS
countries).
 
This weighting is intended
to compensate the smaller
SACU countries for the priceraising
effects of being drawn
behind South Africa's protective
tariff regime, and for the
loss of sovereignty over tariff
and trade policy issues.
 
The BLNS countries have
complained over the years
that the revenue-sharing formula
does not fully compensate
them even for the
price-raising effects, and there
is a lack of consultation by
South Africa with its SACU
partners. There have been allegations
of non-tariff barriers
preventing their access into
the South African market.
 
South Africa has complained
in turn that the
weighted allocation of excise
as well as customs duties to
the BLNS has become an increasing
burden on the South
African fiscus, and that SACU
has become unaffordable.
 
SACU executive secretary,
Tswelelopele Moremi, said it
was important to ensure that
the new revenue-sharing
arrangement is based on
sound principles and technical
analysis so that is sustainable
and appealing to all.
 
The customs union collects
duty on local production as
well as customs duty on imports
from outside SACU. The
taxes collected are put into a
Common Revenue Pool
(CRP).
 
The revenue from the common
pool is allocated to member
countries in quarterly
instalments utilizing the revenue-
sharing formula.
 
According to the SACU
agreement of 2002, the revenue-
sharing formula uses
three components to calculate
revenue shares for member
states. These are a customs
component, an excise component
and a development component.
 
Using the customs component,
revenue is allocated
on the basis of each country’s
share of intra-SACU imports
while the excise element allocates
the funds on the basis of
each country’s share of Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
 
Revenue allocations using
the development component
are fixed at 15 percent of total
excise revenue and distributed
according to the inverse
of each country’s per capita
GDP.
 
Under the present
arrangement, South Africa is
the custodian of CRP and all
customs and excise duty collected
in the common customs
area are paid into the South
African national revenue
fund. The revenue is then
shared among member states
according to a revenue-sharing
formula as described in
the agreement.
 
Moremi said it was critical
that the review considers
other factors, including what
would happen to the formula
in the event of the expansion
of the SACU membership.
The comprehensive review
of the SACU revenuesharing
agreement should
thus provide some important
lessons for SADC to adopt
when the regional body finally
launches its own Customs
Union.
 
SADC has a target to establish
a Customs Union after
its initial plan to launch one
was shelved in 2010 to allow
countries enough time to implement
the Free Trade Area
established in 2008.
 
In addition, the SACU
summit agreed on the principle
that allocations should be
developmental in focus and
not simply distributive.
 
The leaders noted the
progress in the establishment
of SACU institutions as mandated
by the SACU Agreement
in 2002, that is, the
SACU Tribunal, National Bodies
and the SACU Tariff Board,
as well as the Common Negotiating
Mechanism.
 
The Summit noted with
satisfaction that the construction
of the SACU Headquarters
building in Windhoek,
Namibia, has commenced and
is to be completed by November
2013.
 
SACU was established in
1910, making it the world’s
oldest Customs Union. Historically
SACU was administered
by South Africa, through the
1910 and 1969 Agreements.


body:
The 4th SACU Summit endorsed five priority areas for a new
SACU Work Programme.
Regional Industrial Development Policy

Review of the Revenue Sharing Arrangement

Trade Facilitation

Development of SACU Institutions

Unified Engagement in Trade Negotiations.


title:
SADC forecasts higher cereal output despite changing
rainfall patterns

Abstract:
SADC EXPECTS a relatively
higher output of cereals and
other crops during the 2012/13
season amid indications that
some countries in the region are
poised for a good harvest this
year despite disruptions caused
by erratic rains and flooding.

body:
SADC EXPECTS a relatively
higher output of cereals and
other crops during the 2012/13
season amid indications that
some countries in the region are
poised for a good harvest this
year despite disruptions caused
by erratic rains and flooding.
Statistics released by the
Famine Early Warning System
Network (FEWSNET) show
that overall cereal production
in the region is projected at 33.7
metric tonnes for the 2012/13
season, marginally up from the
32.6 million tonnes recorded in
the previous year.
 
This is despite a two-percent
decline in cereal output in
the region’s largest producer,
South Africa, which is expected
to harvest just 14.2 million
tonnes this year compared to
14.6 million tonnes in 2011/12.
 
Cereal output in other
SADC Member States is projected
to have increased by
eight percent to 19.5 million
tonnes this year, thanks to an
anticipated significant rise in
production in Mozambique.
 
These figures exclude estimates
for the Democratic Republic
of Congo and
Madagascar.
 
In terms of maize production,
which is a staple food in
most SADC countries, the region’s
largest harvest is expected
from South Africa,
where estimates indicate a
commercial maize crop of 11.4
million tonnes, down three percent
from the 11.8 million
tonnes recorded during the
2011/12 season.
 
An additional 675,000
tonnes is projected to come
from the subsistence sector,
bringing South Africa’s maize
total supply to 12.12 million
tonnes.
 
The rest of the region’s
maize is expected to come from
Malawi, Mozambique and the
United Republic of Tanzania.
 
Crop estimates issued by
Zambia in May indicate that
maize production was 11 percent
below last year, but is still
six percent above its five-year
average.
 
Qualitative estimates from
Tanzania suggest that maize
production levels could be well
above the average for the past
five years, while in Mozambique,
estimates are at five-year
average levels.
 
In Zimbabwe where official
estimates are yet to be released,
qualitative analysis suggests
national cereal harvests could
drop by as much as three percent
below last year’s levels on
account of reduced crop yields,
and in some areas crop failure,
due to changing rainfall patterns
and a mid-season dry
spell in the southern and southwestern
parts of the country.
 
The just-ended 2012/13
rainfall season was generally
characterized by below average
rainfall in much of the southern
and western areas of the region,
with average to above-average
rainfall in northern and eastern
areas.
 
Parts of Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, South Africa,
Zambia and Zimbabwe experienced
a delayed and erratic
start to the season and belownormal
rainfall performance
during the first half of the season
from October-December
2012. This resulted in some
famers not planting.
 
An early dry spell in November
caused early season
crop failure in parts of southern
Mozambique and southern
Zimbabwe, followed by largescale
replanting during rains in
December.
 
A region-wide armyworm
outbreak began in the first half
of the season, and affected
crops in several countries, including
Botswana, Lesotho,
Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe, although
the infestation was
contained in most areas.
 
Prolonged dry spells and
widespread torrential rains
were some of the major events
that affected crops during the
second half of the season.


Abstract:
THE UNITED Republic of Tanzania
aims to turn 350,000
hectares into productive farmland
to produce food crops for
both domestic and regional use.

body:
THE UNITED Republic of Tanzania
aims to turn 350,000
hectares into productive farmland
to produce food crops for
both domestic and regional use.
President Jakaya Kikwete said
the government has created the
Southern Agricultural Growth
Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT)
as a focal point for the
transformation of agriculture in
the country.
 
Tanzania has more than 44
million hectares of arable land
with climatic conditions that
are favourable for a variety of
crops. Only six million hectares
are currently being used.
 
“This corridor is well endowed
with land, good
weather and water. We want to
increase the production of rice,
maize, sugar, fruits, vegetables,
pulses, cut flowers and livestock
keeping,” he said. East
African Business Week


title:
SADC woos investors for its infrastructure programme

Abstract:
SADC WILL take its multi-billion-
dollar infrastructure development
plan to potential
funders when the region hosts
an investment conference at the
end of June in Mozambique.

body:
SADC WILL take its multi-billion-
dollar infrastructure development
plan to potential
funders when the region hosts
an investment conference at the
end of June in Mozambique.
The conference, scheduled
for Maputo from 27-28 June, is
expected to bring together
SADC heads of state and government,
ministers responsible
for Infrastructure, international
cooperating partners,
prospective investors including
multilateral financial institutions
such as the African
Development Bank and World
Bank, as well as representatives
of the African Union.
 
SADC leaders expected to
attend the conference are the
current chair, President Armando
Guebuza of Mozambique,
deputy SADC chair and
Malawian President Joyce
Banda, Angolan President Eduardo
dos Santos, and President
Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
 
Guebuza is expected to deliver
a keynote address before
delegates hold a high-level
roundtable discussion on various
thematic issues including
investment opportunities in
the SADC region based on the
master plan, participation by
the private sector and development
finance institutions, the
transport corridor concept and
border post operations as well
as the streamlining of gender
issues in infrastructure projects.
 
Another topical issue to be
discussed at the conference will
be the inclusion of island states
such as the Madagascar, Mauritius
and Seychelles in the SADC
regional infrastructure development
through specific projects
targeting these countries.
 
“SADC needs to be at the
forefront of the development
of the blue economy, and it is
only through investments in
maritime networks that we
will truly be able to boost trade
and development to its full potential
in this region,” said Seychelles
Foreign Affairs
Minister, Jean-Paul Adam.
 
The conference will seek
funding for a total of 418 infrastructure
projects identified by
SADC for development by
2027 in the six priority areas of
energy, transport, telecommunications,
tourism, meteorology
and water.
 
“The purpose of the SADC
Infrastructure Conference is to
lure potential investors into
the rolling-out of the Regional
Infrastructure Development
Master Plan Vision 2027, a 15-
year blueprint that will guide
the implementation of crossborder
infrastructure projects
between 2013 and 2027,” the
SADC Secretariat said in a
statement.
 
The SADC Regional Infrastructure
Development Master
Plan was approved by the
Heads of State and Government
at their 32nd Ordinary
Summit in August 2012 in Maputo,
Mozambique.
 
So far, priority infrastructure
projects at a cost of about
US$500 billion have been identified
and will be showcased at
the Maputo conference to mobilise
resources for their implementation.
 
The regional infrastructure
master plan is expected to
guide implementation of coordinated,
integrated, efficient,
transboundary infrastructure
network in the six priority
areas.
 
For example, the target for
the energy sector is to address
the four key areas of energy security,
improving access to
modern energy services, tapping
the abundant energy resources
in the continent and
up-scaling financial investment
whilst enhancing environmental
sustainability.
 
Regarding the water sector,
the plan prioritises strengthening
institutions, preparation of
bankable strategic water infrastructure
development projects,
increased water storage to
prepare for resilience against
climate change, increasing access
to safe drinking water;
and enhancing sanitation services
for SADC citizens.
 
With respect to the sub-sectors
of road, rail, ports, inland
waterways and air transport
networks, the transport sector
plan focuses on effective regulation
of transport services, liberalization
of transport markets,
development of corridors and
facilitation of cross-border
movement, construction of
missing regional transport
links, and harmonization of
road safety data systems.


title:
Southern Africa to harmonize railway standards

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA is planning
to harmonize its railway
services by setting a regional
railway common standard to
improve the transportation of
goods and passengers across
Member States.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA is planning
to harmonize its railway
services by setting a regional
railway common standard to
improve the transportation of
goods and passengers across
Member States.
The Southern Africa Railway
Association (SARA) said harmonized
transportation will
promote the smooth movement
of goods and passengers, particularly
from Dar es Salaam in
the United Republic of Tanzania
using the Tanzania-Zambia
Railway (TAZARA) to the
Democratic Republic of Congo,
South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 
TAZARA deputy managing
director, Damas Ndumbaro,
said a common railway gauge
will improve railway interconnectivity
in southern Africa.
 
At present, some rail lines
use different gauges, affecting
the smooth movement of
goods and services across
Member States.
 
“It is our hope that after all
the recommendations have
been passed by SARA, they will
then be forwarded to the SADC
Heads of State and Government
for approval,” Ndumbaro said
at a recent SARA meeting held
in Dar es Salaam.
 
The initiative to harmonize
railway service standards is in
line with the SADC Protocol on
Transport that requires Member
States to integrate their railway
services and establish corridor
management groups with the
objective of providing seamless,
predictable, efficient and costeffective
rail transport for the
SADC economy.


title:
Towards the sustainable use of water resources

Abstract:
SADC MINISTERS responsible
for the Water Sector met in
Luanda on 30 May, hosted by
the Angolan Minister of Energy
and Water, João Baptista
Borges.

body:
SADC MINISTERS responsible
for the Water Sector met in
Luanda on 30 May, hosted by
the Angolan Minister of Energy
and Water, João Baptista
Borges.
Borges emphasized the importance
of cooperation in the
management and development
of water resources for
the SADC region to realize regional
economic integration
and poverty alleviation, noting
that his government was
happy to host the meeting at a
time when the country is rehabilitating
various infrastructure.
 
The Ministers met to review
progress on implementation
of the third phase of the
Regional Strategic Action Plan
on Integrated Water Resources
Management and Development
(RSAP III)
2011-2015, which is the framework
to achieve the sustainable
development of water
resources through the development
of water infrastructure
on the basis of sound
water management and governance.
 
The management of water
resources in SADC is based on
the management of 15 shared
watercourses, and the ministers
reviewed the status of implementation
of projects in
various river basins including
the Okavango, Limpopo, Orange-
Senqu, Buzi, Save, Ruvuma,
Zambezi, Kunene,
Cuvelai, Incomati/Maputo
and Pungwe, commending the
state parties of the basins for
progress in implementation of
plans and projects.
 
The Ministers noted
progress especially in setting
up and commissioning of pilot
projects for Integrated Water
Resources Management
(IWRM) in Member States that
share the Orange-Senqu,
Limpopo, Buzi, Save and Ruvuma
river basins.
 
On the overall RSAP III implementation,
the Ministers
noted that remarkable progress
was registered under Water
Governance with the establishment
of the Zambezi Water
Commission (ZAMCOM) and
Limpopo Water Commission
(LIMCOM) organs.
 
The Ministers noted the establishment
of the Regional
Water and Sanitation Fund by
the SADC Secretariat to facilitate
implementation of priority
regional and cross-border
water infrastructure projects included
in the Regional Infrastructure
Development Master
Plan and urged Member States
to utilize the funds accordingly.
 
The SADC Secretariat delegation
was headed by Freddie
Motlhatlhedi, the Senior Programme
Officer for Energy in
the Directorate of Infrastructure
and Services, who highlighted
progress made by the
Water Sector in implementing
the RSAP III in the areas of
water governance, infrastructure
and management.
 
He said that river basin institutions
are being established
and strengthened, and priority
water infrastructure development
programmes are nearing
completion, adding that the
SADC needs a Water Sector
Plan that mainstreams gender
issues and is responsive to the
needs of the people.
 
The Ministers noted the
commendable work performed
by the staff from the
SADC Secretariat and urged
them to continue with the
same spirit.
 
SADC water ministers approved
priority activities for
the financial year 2014/15 as
the basis for development of
the Sector’s annual plan and
budget, and directed that implementation
should take
cognizance of the recommendations
of the Mid-Term Review
of the Regional
Indicative Strategic Plan
(RISDP) currently underway.
 
The RISDP is a 15-year plan
for regional integration and
development approved by
SADC Member States in 2003
and implemented in five-year
phases that commenced in
2005.
 
The Ministers noted that
the SADC Regional Infrastructure
Development Master Plan
2013-2027 was approved by
Summit in August 2012 and
urged Member States to facilitate
the implementation of the
strategic water infrastructure
projects in the master plan.
 
The water sector is one of
the six critical sectors in the
master plan, with a total of 34
projects to be implemented.
On the SADC Hydrological
Cycle Observing System, the
ministers stressed that Member
States have “the responsibility
to maintain the SADC
HYCOS stations as an integral
part of their national hydrological
network by ensuring
that adequate budget is made
available to operate the equipment.”
 
This is a regional component
of a World Meteorological
Organisation programme
to provide management tools
for sustainable and cost-effective
water resources development,
management and
environmental protection.
 
The meeting was attended
by 10 SADC Member States,
with the exception of the Democratic
Republic of Congo,
Malawi, Mauritius and Seychelles.
Madagascar is suspended
from SADC.
www.sadc.int


Abstract:
THE ZAMCOM Council of Ministers was constituted and held
its first meeting on 29 May in Luanda, chaired by Angola, and
agreed that Zimbabwe should host the permanent Secretariat
of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM).

body:
THE ZAMCOM Council of Ministers was constituted and held
its first meeting on 29 May in Luanda, chaired by Angola, and
agreed that Zimbabwe should host the permanent Secretariat
of the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM).
ZAMCOM is a river basin organization set up by countries
that share the Zambezi river basin to promote the equitable
and reasonable utilization of the water resources of the Zambezi
watercourse.
 
Zambia, the only country that has not yet signed the ZAMCOM
Agreement, told the meeting that it is ready to append
its signature and accede to the agreement. The other seven
basin states have signed the agreement, although Malawi has
not yet ratified.
 
The Zambezi basin stretches across part of eight SADC Member
States – Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique,
the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.


title:
Focus on the Zambezi
River Basin
ZAMCOM launches logo

Abstract:
THE ZAMBEZI Watercourse
Commission launched its logo
in Luanda, Angola, at an event
attended by SADC Water Ministers,
including those of the
newly constituted ZAMCOM
Council of Ministers.

body:
THE ZAMBEZI Watercourse
Commission launched its logo
in Luanda, Angola, at an event
attended by SADC Water Ministers,
including those of the
newly constituted ZAMCOM
Council of Ministers.
The logo outline represents
a traditional clay pot, a vessel
that signifies African heritage
and the spirit of sharing.
 
The concept of the pot denotes
a basin from a typical
African perspective, as a container
used for various community
purposes. The logo,
shaped in that manner, thus befits
the multi-purpose use of
the Zambezi river basin among
the riparian states.
 
The contentsof the pot
signify the essence of contemporary
transboundary management
driven by
multi-stakeholders.
 
The water outflow from the
vessel illustrates the common
shared resource that the Riparian
States aspire to manage equitably.
 
The droplet also indicates
the fullness of the Zambezi
river basin, with the water portraying
the abundant occurrence
of the resource which, if
well managed, would continue
filling up the pot to ensure a
sustainable availability to citizens
and the environment.
 
The black colour represents
the African continent; blue is
for water; green represents the
vegetation and environment;
and shade of brown represent
the basin’s geographical diversity.


title:
The Zambezi River Basin Atlas of the
Changing Environment

Abstract:
THE ZAMBEZI River Basin
Atlas of the Changing Environment
– the first of its kind in
southern Africa – was
launched in Luanda at the
meeting of SADC ministers responsible
for water.

body:
THE ZAMBEZI River Basin
Atlas of the Changing Environment
– the first of its kind in
southern Africa – was
launched in Luanda at the
meeting of SADC ministers responsible
for water.
Speaking at the launch, the
Director General in the Angolan
Ministry of Energy and
Water, Manual Quintino, said
decision-makers and other
stakeholders in the Zambezi
basin states will find the Atlas
useful in helping them to craft
and develop policies that are
sustainable and protect
ecosystem services.
 
“The production of the
Atlas is based on the principle
that informed action is rooted
in the use of sound knowledge,”
he said.
 
The Atlas uses satellite images,
high resolution photographs,
illustrative text and
graphics to present various
socio-economic issues in the
Zambezi basin, and provides
striking evidence that can be
used as a basis for intervention
at local, national, regional and
basin levels.
 
Satellite images show that
the basin has undergone
major environmental changes
in the past 20 years, including
land degradation, loss of
forests, expansion of urban
and mining areas as well as
the spread of alien plant
species.
 
The Atlas is a collaborative
initiative produced for the
SADC Water Division, the Interim
Secretariat of the Zambezi
Watercourse Commission
(ZAMCOM) and Zambezi
River basin stakeholders by the
I. Musokotwane Environment
Resource Centre for Southern
Africa (IMERCSA), which is
the environment institute of the
Southern African Research and
Documentation Centre
(SARDC), and UNEP GRIDArendal.


Abstract:
ZAMBEZI BASIN states have
commenced a process to produce
a Zambezi Environment
Outlook that is expected to provide
an integrated analysis of
the environment, water resources
and socio-economic issues
in the basin, and introduce
new and emerging issues.

body:
ZAMBEZI BASIN states have
commenced a process to produce
a Zambezi Environment
Outlook that is expected to provide
an integrated analysis of
the environment, water resources
and socio-economic issues
in the basin, and introduce
new and emerging issues.
Experts from the eight countries
that share the basin met in
Windhoek, Namibia, in mid-
May for a consultative conference
to discuss the content of
the next Outlook report, following
the widely acknowledged
State of Environment Zambezi
Basin 2000 published in English
and Portuguese.
 
This was the first environmental
assessment of a single
ecosystem in southern Africa.
 
Officially opening the conference,
the Namibian Minister
of Agriculture, Water and
Forestry, John Mutorwa, said
climate change and variability
have brought drastic changes
to the environment in the
Zambezi River basin during
the past decade.
 
“We, thus, need to urgently
find appropriate strategies, individually
and collectively, to
sustain and protect these resources
so that they continue
to meet the current needs as
well as those of generations to
come,” Mutorwa said.
 
The consultative conference
agreed on the outline of the report
to be published in 2015, including
chapters on water
resources; land and agriculture;
biodiversity and forests; climate
change and variability; energy
and infrastructure; urbanization
and human settlements;
tourism; and industrial development.
 
The report will contain possible
scenarios for the Zambezi
basin environment, projecting
possible future trends and impact
on resources, and possible
interventions.
 
The Executive Secretary of
the Interim Zambezi Watercourse
Commission (ZAMCOM),
Michael Mutale, said,
“This is a momentous occasion
since it is the beginning of
a consultative process that will
lead to the production of a report
that will at the end of the
day be owned by all.”
 
Stretching across part of
eight SADC Member States, the
basin is a source of livelihood
for many of the people in those
countries who depend on basin
for socio-economic activities
ranging from agriculture and
forestry, mining, to conservation
and tourism.
 
Human pressure on natural
resources coupled with climate
change has resulted in
inevitable impact in the basin,
affecting socio-economic development.
 
The conference was organized
by the I. Musokotwane Environment
Resource Centre for
Southern Africa (IMERCSA),
which is the environment institute
of the Southern African Research
and Documentation
Centre (SARDC). The Zambezi
Environment Outlook is an initiative
of the ZAMCOM and
the SADC Water Division, with
support from GIZ, Australian
Aid and UK Aid.


title:
SADC Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan
Key to ensuring sustainable energy for all

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has the potential to achieve universal access
to modern energy services if the region puts in place a sound
and vibrant strategy to properly harness its renewable energy resources.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has the potential to achieve universal access
to modern energy services if the region puts in place a sound
and vibrant strategy to properly harness its renewable energy resources.
The SADC Energy Ministers meeting in Maseru, Lesotho, said
the development of a renewable energy strategy will ensure that the
SADC region is able to effectively manage and exploit its abundant
natural resources.
 
Member states should thus advance the process of finalizing the
SADC Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan (RESAP) that
was discussed a few years ago.
 
“We note that renewable energy is an integral part of the United
Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative and urge member
states, assisted by the SADC Secretariat, to mobilize resources to finalize
the SADC Renewable Energy Strategy and Action,” the energy
ministers said in a statement released after their meeting.
 
The objective of RESAP, initiated by the SADC secretariat with
the government of Finland, is to explore options to increase the use
of renewable energy in southern Africa, and to ensure that the regional
energy strategy is aligned with global trends towards clean
and alternative energy sources.
 
Renewable energy sources, including solar, hydro and wind, are
less polluting to the environment compared to fossil fuels such as
coal.
 
Furthermore, fossil fuels will not last forever, hence the need for
southern Africa to prepare for the future and intensify efforts to harness
its huge renewable energy resources.
 
SADC has an abundance of renewable energy sources, which if
fully harnessed, will see the region being able to meet most of its
energy needs.
 
For example, the overall hydropower potential in SADC countries
is estimated at about 1,080 terawatt hours per year (TWh/year)
but capacity being utiliz-ed at present is just under 31 TWh/year. A
terawatt is equal to one million megawatts.
 
According to the SADC Secretariat, most countries have harnessed
only a small fraction of their hydropower resources, and less
than three percent of the total regional potential has been harnessed.
 
With regard to geothermal, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility estimate
that about 4,000MW of electricity is available
along the Rift Valley in the United Republic of Tanzania,
Malawi and Mozambique.
 
An increase in the uptake of renewable
energy would ensure that SADC is able to
achieve a sustainable renewable energy
mix in the regional energy grid.
 
The Southern African Power Pool
(SAPP) – which coordinates the planning,
generation and transmission of
electricity on behalf of member state
utilities in SADC – expects to
achieve a renewable energy mix in
the regional energy grid of at least 32
percent of the total energy produced
by 2020, which should rise to 35 percent
by 2030.
 
Southern Africa currently generates
about 74 percent of its electricity from coalpowered
stations. Except for hydropower
that accounts for about 20 percent of SADC’s
total energy generation, other renewables such as wind and solar
are not considered as major contributors to the region’s electricity
needs.
 
The SADC Energy Ministers urged member states and the Secretariat
to complete a feasibility study of establishing a centre of excellence
for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region.
The proposed centre would, among other things, lead in the promotion
of renewable energy development in the region.
 
The ministers resolved to fast track implementation of all interconnector
and regional transmission projects to relieve congestion
on the regional grid to facilitate electricity trading.
 
These projects include the Zimbabwe-Zambia-Botswana-
Namibia (ZiZaBoNa) transmission project, and the
Mozambique/Malawi Interconnector.
Others are the Zambia/Tanzania/Kenya and the Namibia/Angola
interconnectors.
 
The ministers noted that a total of 11 of the 15 SADC countries
have introduced regulatory bodies in the form of energy or electricity
regulatory agencies while the remaining member states
are at different stages of the process.
 
The meeting also hailed the approval of the
SADC Regional Infrastructure Development
Master Plan (RIDMP), saying it will help to
attract key investment into the energy
sector, which is one of the six priority
areas of the plan.
 
The Energy Sector Plan seeks
to address four key energy security
areas – improving access to modern
energy services, tapping the abundant
energy resources, increasing financial
investment, and enhancing
environmental sustainability.
 
The 33rd SADC Energy Ministers
meeting was attended by the acting
Prime Minister of Lesotho, Thesele
Maseribane, the SADC Director of infrastructure
and services, Remigious
Makumbe, and other energy experts from
the region. sardc.net


title:
Malawi, Mozambique sign power
interconnection agreement

Abstract:
MALAWI AND Mozambique have signed a power interconnection
agreement to enable Malawi to draw electricity from the massive
Cahora Bassa dam in Mozambique.

body:
MALAWI AND Mozambique have signed a power interconnection
agreement to enable Malawi to draw electricity from the massive
Cahora Bassa dam in Mozambique.
Under the agreement, signed by Mozambican President Armando
Guebuza and Malawian President Joyce Banda, the interconnection
will be done in two phases.
 
The first phase will involve constructing system and transmitters
that will take electricity from Matambo Substation in Tete, Mozambique,
to Phombeya in Balaka, Malawi. The second and last phase
will include systems to extend the connection back to Nampula and
Nacala provinces in Mozambique through Malawi.
 
Mozambique is expected to finance the 200 km power connection
from Tete to Balaka while Malawi will finance the 800 km extension
of the connection from Balaka to Nacala.


title:
Six firms shortlisted for Batoka power project

Abstract:
THE ZAMBEZI River Authority
has shortlisted six international
companies for the construction
of the Batoka Gorge hydropower
station.

body:
THE ZAMBEZI River Authority
has shortlisted six international
companies for the construction
of the Batoka Gorge hydropower
station.
The ZRA, a statutory body
owned jointly by Zambia and
Zimbabwe and responsible for
managing the Zambezi River, invited
applications in December
2012 from experienced companies
to bid for the construction
of the hydropower station. The
deadline for bids was 8 February
this year.
 
“Initially, the authority shortlisted
26 international investors,
but they have been whittled
down to six,” said Patson Mbiriri,
permanent secretary in the Zimbabwean
Ministry of Energy and
Power Development, during the
Zimbabwe-South Africa Investment
and Trade Conference held
in April.
 
Mbiriri said the contract
would be awarded on a Build,
Operate and Transfer basis but
gave no timeframe for the
awarding the contract.
 
Located on the Zambezi
River, about 54 km downstream
of Victoria Falls between Zambia
and Zimbabwe, the proposed 
power station is expected
to produce up to 1,600
megawatts (MW), which would
make a significant contribution
towards meeting energy needs
in both countries and the SADC
region.
 
Zambia and Zimbabwe will
share the power equally, but as
the two countries are members
of the Southern African Power
Pool (SAPP), much of the electricity
would be fed into the regional
power grid.
 
This would allow the installed
capacity at the planned
station to be realized across the
SADC region. All mainland
SADC Member States with the
exception of Angola, Malawi
and Tanzania, are interconnected
through SAPP.


Abstract:
SADC HAS revised to 2017 the target for eradication of an electricity
deficit that has affected the region since 2007.

body:
SADC HAS revised to 2017 the target for eradication of an electricity
deficit that has affected the region since 2007.
SADC energy ministers meeting in Lesotho in May noted that
about 17,000 megawatts (MW) of new generation is expected to be
commissioned between 2013 and 2016.
 
At least three percent of the planned generation capacity between
2013 and 2016 should be renewable energy from wind and solar.
The ministers expressed confidence that the region will have sufficient
generation capacity reserves after 2016.
 
They noted that the region plans to commission some 2,000MW
of power in 2013 and “that it will have sufficient generation capacity
reserves after 2016 if all projects are commissioned as planned, while
energy adequacy will be achieved by 2017.”
 
The previous energy adequacy target was 2014 but progress has
been hampered by the slow implementation of priority energy projects,
mainly due to lack of funds.
 
The ministers resolved to provide necessary government support
to accelerate project implementation and press for completion of
electricity projects according to the planned timelines to ensure that
the stated targets are met.
 
On electricity tariffs, the ministers said the region will not be able
to comply with the decision of the SADC Council of Ministers to
reach full cost recovery tariffs by the end of 2013.
 
They “noted that most Member States have embarked on a process
to do so and urged Member States that have not taken the necessary
steps towards cost recovery tariffs to do so as soon as possible and develop
a roadmap by November 2013,” the ministers said.


title:
Tanzania deploys troops for DRC intervention brigade

Abstract:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania was one of the first
countries to contribute soldiers
to the United Nations intervention
brigade to
neutralize armed groups in
eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo.

body:
THE UNITED Republic of
Tanzania was one of the first
countries to contribute soldiers
to the United Nations intervention
brigade to
neutralize armed groups in
eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo.
A contingent of Tanzanian
soldiers arrived in the eastern
DRC city of Goma in May as
part of the intervention
brigade authorized by the
United Nations to help to return
stability this volatile part
of the country.
 
In March the Security
Council authorized the deployment
of an intervention
brigade within the existing
UN Organisation Stabilisation
Mission in the DRC
(MONUSCO) to carry out targeted
offensive operations,
with or without the Congolese
national army, against armed
groups that threaten peace in
eastern DRC.
 
The brigade – which will be
based in North Kivu province
and total 3,069 military personnel
– is tasked with neutralizing
the armed groups,
reducing the threat posed to
State authority and civilian security,
creating space for stabilization
activities.
 
The UN brigade, commanded
by General James
Mwakibolwa of Tanzania, is expected
to take all necessary
measures to protect civilians
and monitor implementation of
the arms embargo established
through various resolutions.
 
Eight other SADC Member
States have pledged personnel
to be deployed in DRC.These
are Angola, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mauritius, Namibia, South
Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 
The DRC slid into political
turmoil last year when antigovernment
rebels calling
themselves the March 23
(M23) Movement invaded and
captured the city of Goma,
causing the displacement of
people and loss of lives and
property.
 
The rebels have since
threatened to march on Kinshasa,
the capital of the vast,
mineral-rich country.
 
SADC has welcomed the
adoption of the UN Security
Council resolution formalising
the launch of intervention
brigade in eastern DRC.
 
“Summit welcomed the
adoption of the United Nations
Security Council Resolution
2098 of 28 March 2013
which provides the mandate
for the deployment of the Intervention
Brigade in the Eastern
DRC under the auspices of
MONUSCO,” SADC leaders
said following an Extraordinary
Summit held on the sidelines
of the 21st African Union
summit in Ethiopia in May.
 
The leaders received a
progress report on the deployment
of the intervention
brigade in eastern DRC and
commended Member States
that have pledged to contribute
troops.
 
SADC leaders meeting at
Summit in August 2012 noted
that the disturbance in DRC is
being perpetrated by rebel
groups with assistance of
Rwanda and urged that country
to cease immediately its interference
“that constitutes a
threat to peace and stability,
not only of the DRC, but also
of the SADC region.”


Abstract:
THE AFRICAN Union has
approved the creation of a military
rapid-reaction force to
deal with coups, rebellions or
wars in a move intended to reduce
the continent’s reliance
on foreign funds and troops
for its defence.

body:
THE AFRICAN Union has
approved the creation of a military
rapid-reaction force to
deal with coups, rebellions or
wars in a move intended to reduce
the continent’s reliance
on foreign funds and troops
for its defence.
The African Capacity for
Immediate Response to Crises
(ACIRC) will be set up as an
interim measure pending the
establishment of an African
Standby Force (ASF), expected
to be operational by 2015.
 
The force, proposed by
South African President Jacob
Zuma, was one of the key outcomes
of the 21st Ordinary
Session of the AU held in
Ethiopia in May.
 
“The Assembly recalled the
challenges encountered in the
operationalization of the
African Standby Force and its
Rapid Deployment Capability
and decided in principle to
immediately establish, as a
transitional arrangement and
pending the full operationalization
of the ASF
and its RDC, an African
Capacity for Immediate
Response to Crises, to provide
the AU with a flexible
and robust force,” reads part
of the communiqué from the
AU summit.
 
The initiative will provide
African countries with the
flexibility to take concrete
measures to address challenges
in the interim while
awaiting the operationalising
of the African Standby Force.
 
The proposal is in response
to the ongoing challenges of
peace and security that undermine
democratically elected
governments.
 
The AU does not have such
an immediate response mechanism
at present as the process
of implementing the African
Peace and Security architecture
is ongoing.
 
The AU Assembly decision
said the rapid response force
would be formed from voluntary
contributions of troops,
funds and equipment by
member states.
 
According to the AU Peace
and Security Commissioner,
Ramtane Lamamra, the individual
countries supplying
troops and equipment would
be responsible for paying for
the deployment.
 
“We are not going to take it
from the AU budget. We are
not going to ask for partners to
fund these operations,” he
said.
 
South Africa, Uganda and
Ethiopia pledged to contribute
towards the force while several
other countries volunteered
support.
 
The size of the ACIRC will
depend upon the contributions.


Abstract:
THE 21ST Ordinary Session
of the African Union met in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the
historic date of the founding
of the Organisation of African
Unity 50 years ago, to deliberate
on current challenges and
achievements.

body:
THE 21ST Ordinary Session
of the African Union met in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the
historic date of the founding
of the Organisation of African
Unity 50 years ago, to deliberate
on current challenges and
achievements.
With the theme of “Pan-
Africanism and African Ren
aissance”, the Heads of State
and Government made a commitment
to strengthen efforts
to deepen integration and promote
socio-economic development.
 
The leaders pledged to accelerate
the development of
infrastructure, as a critical
component of the African integration
and industrialization
agenda, and to develop rural
economies. They also agreed
that the continent should take
ownership of, use and develop
natural resources for the
benefit of the people.
 
On advancing African
identity and Renaissance,
Summit pledged to integrate
the principles of pan-Africanism
“in all our policies and initiatives”
and to “promote and
harmonize the teaching of
African history, values and
Pan-Africanism in all schools
and educational institutions.”
 
African countries are engaged
global negotiations to
reconstruct world affairs to ensure
a more equitable system,
and the leaders pledged to act
collectively to promote “our
common interests and positions
on the international
arena.”
 
The AU Summit also agreed
to ensure financial sustainability
and reduce dependency on
external resources by creating a
mechanism to ensure that the
AU Commission is “provided
with adequate and predictable
resources to enable it to fund its
programmes.”
 
This was the recommended
by the report of a High-Level
Panel chaired by former
Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo, which was approved
by Summit. The report
proposes to consider increasing
contributions by Member
States and setting up a voluntary
contribution fund open to
the private sector.
 
The Summit was held on
25-27 May to commemorate
the founding of the OAU on
25 May 1963, now Africa Day.
 
(see page 16)
The OAU was established
to support the liberation of the
continent from colonialism
and apartheid, a feat which
was achieved by 1994. Its successor,
the African Union was
established in 2002 to focus on
economic development and
integration.


body:
Speedily implement the Continental Free Trade Area to
promote the smooth movement of goods, services and
people across the continent;

Harmonize the teaching of African history, values and
pan-Africanism in all schools and educational institutions;

Take ownership of, use and develop our natural resources
for the benefit of our people;

Accelerate Africa’s infrastructure development, and develop
our rural economies;

Continue to speak with one voice and act collectively to
promote our common interests in the international arena;

Take ownership of African issues and provide African solutions
to African problems;

Address emerging sources of conflict to promote peace
and stability on the continent.


title:
A more positive approach as
Africa prepares for post-2015 development agenda

Abstract:
AN AFRICAN common position
on the post-2015 global
development agenda will be
developed to ensure that the
continent’s aspirations are included.

body:
AN AFRICAN common position
on the post-2015 global
development agenda will be
developed to ensure that the
continent’s aspirations are included.
The post-2015 development
agenda builds on the momentum
generated by the Millennium
Development Goals
(MDGs), which target 2015 for
completion.
 
Consultations among governments,
civil society and private
sector are ongoing on the
post-2015 agenda, which is expected
to reflect new development
challenges
and emerging
issues such as
c l i m a t e
change.
 
The general recommendation
from Africa is that the post-
2015 development agenda
should consider the initial
conditions of countries, and
recognize national efforts towards
meeting the MDGs,
rather than measuring how far
they fall short.
 
At their 21st Ordinary Session
of the African Union
Summit, African leaders
agreed to speak with a “one
voice” and have tasked the
AU Commission to engage
member states with a view to
developing the African Common
Position on the Post-2015
Development Agenda “for
consideration during the next
Summit to be held in January
2014.”
 
The leaders The AU Commission
is expected to set up a
technical working group to
translate the African priorities
for the post-2015 agenda into
goals, targets and specific indicators
for inclusion in the
process towards Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
 
The leaders established a
High-Level Committee of
Heads of State and Government
to coordinate the activities
of members states, and to
build regional and inter-continental
alliances in this regard.
 
The Committee, headed by
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
of Liberia, is tasked to report
annually on the
implementation of the new
development agenda by member
states.
 
On the MDGs, the leaders
noted some progress towards
attaining the goals by 2015, an
assessment supported by a recent
report saying that Africa
is one of the leaders in its efforts
to implement the goals.
 
However, due to a variety of
factors, including finance and
conflict, some countries are
still not on track to meet the
desired targets, with only two
years to go.
 
Eight MDGs were adopted
in 2000 by the global community,
ranging from education,
health, poverty, and the environment,
and seeking to reduce
poverty, hunger, disease,
maternal and child deaths and
other ills by 2015.


title:
Zimbabwe prepares to hold harmonized elections

Abstract:
PRESIDENT ROBERT Mugabe
has signed the Constitution
of Zimbabwe Amendment
(Number 20) Bill into law,
paving the way for the holding
of harmonized elections this
year.

body:
PRESIDENT ROBERT Mugabe
has signed the Constitution
of Zimbabwe Amendment
(Number 20) Bill into law,
paving the way for the holding
of harmonized elections this
year.
The new Constitution was
overwhelmingly approved in a
referendum in March 2013 to
replace the 1979 Lancaster
House Constitution that had
been amended 19 times.
 
Following the historic passing
into law of the new Constitution,
the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission (ZEC) has begun
updating its voter registration
and preparations for voter education.
 
The ZEC chairperson, Justice
Rita Makarau, said voter
registration would take place in
every ward and voter educators
would be deployed ahead
of the registration exercise.
 
The eagerly awaited elections
have been called for 31 July, following
a Constitutional Court
ruling that elections must be
held by that date. If there is no
outright winner of the presidential
election, a run-off will be
held on 11 September.
 
The nomination court will sit
on 28 June to receive nomination
papers from prospective candidates.
 
Mugabe also gazetted
amendments to the Electoral
Act in line with the new Constitution.
 
Election observers from the
African Union have already
been deployed in the country.
 
A SADC Extraordinary Summit
held in Maputo, Mozambique
in June has asked the
Zimbabwean government to
apply to the Constitutional
Court for a short extension beyond
31 July of the date for holding
the harmonized elections,
following concerns by some parties
that there is not enough time
to implement outstanding issues
before the poll date.
 
The harmonized elections
include presidential, parliamentary
and local elections.
 
Under the new Constitution,
the National Assembly comprises
270 members, with 210
elected by secret ballot and 60
women elected by proportional
representation – six each from
the country’s 10 administrative
provinces.
 
The senate will have 80
members elected through proportional
representation based
on party lists, which lists must
alternate women and men candidates
on a “zebra” system,
starting with a woman.
 
Executive authority remains
vested in the President, who is
Head of State and Government
and Commander-in-Chief of
the Defence Forces.


title:
“Need for peaceful elections in Madagascar”

Abstract:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has expressed
concern over the recent
political developments in Madagascar
in the run-up to the presidential
elections set for July.

body:
SOUTHERN AFRICA has expressed
concern over the recent
political developments in Madagascar
in the run-up to the presidential
elections set for July.
Madagascar, which slid into
a political turmoil in March
2009 when the then opposition
leader Andry Rajoelina seized
power from President Marc
Ravalomanana, is expected to
hold landmark elections this
year to give the island nation a
fresh start after four years of
constitutional crisis.
 
However, recent developments
in the country could once
again impact on the political
healing process following the
refusal of key political players
to abide by earlier decisions regarding
the forthcoming presidential
election.
 
For example, Rajoelina and
Ravalomanana – the two
main rivals in the Madagascan
political landscape –
had initially agreed not to
stand in the July presidential
elections to prevent
any repeat of the
turmoil that accompanied
the 2009 coup.
 
Rajoelina has since ignored a
request by SADC not to run in
the upcoming elections, and
filed his nomination papers with
the Special Electoral Court.
 
Ravalomanana has backed
his wife, Lalao Ravalomanana,
to stand in the forthcoming
election.
 
“Summit has expressed its
displeasure on the decision of
H.E. Rajoelina to renege on his
earlier undertaking not to stand
in the forthcoming Presidential
election as reflected in the SADC
Dar es Salaam Declaration of 16
January 2013,” the SADC Troika
of the Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation said in
a statement.
 
Meeting in Cape Town, South
Africa in early May, the SADC
Troika said it was also disap-
pointed with the unwise decision
of Ravalomanana to present his
wife as a presidential candidate.
 
The Troika said the Special
Electoral Court should not have
endorsed illegitimate candidatures
for the forthcoming Presidential
elections, as this was in
violation of the Malagasy Constitution
and the Electoral Law.
 
“Summit urged H.E. Andry
Rajoelina, former President Didier
Ratsiraka and Madam
Lalao Ravalomanana to consider
withdrawing their candidatures
to ensure peaceful
conduct of elections and stability
in Madagascar.”
 
Ratsiraka is a former Malagasy
president who was ousted
from power by Ravalomanana
in a similar method to that used
by Rajoelina in 2009.
 
In a bid to address the situation
in Madagascar, SADC has
led mediation efforts bringing
together the key political leaders
to agree on a lasting solution
to the challenges facing the island
nation. Former Mozambican
president Joaquim
Chissano is the SADC mediator.
 
The presidential election in
Madagascar is scheduled for 24
July, according to the Independent
National Election Commission
of the Transition. If there is
no outright winner, a run-off
has been set for 25 September.
 
As per tradition, a SADC
Election Observer Mission will
monitor the elections in Madagascar.
 
The mission will monitor
the electoral process in three
phases through the pre-referendum,
the referendum and the
post-referendum period.
 
After the elections, SADC will
release a draft report on how the
process was conducted. This is in
line with the SADC Principles
and Guidelines Governing Democratic
Elections, which encourage
member states to promote
common political values and
systems.


body:
June
1-3, Japan 

5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development

TICAD is a summit on African development co-organized
by the Japanese government, United Nations, World Bank,
and the African Union Commission. This year’s conference
is expected to discuss ways to accelerate African economic
growth. Other issues include progress towards meeting the
2015 Millennium Development Goals.

10-14, Kenya 

20th Conference of African Ministers of Industry

The conference will bring together African ministers responsible
for industrial development, industrialists, academics,
UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to brainstorm
on key issues for African industrial development
within the post-2015 development context.
 

18-20, Spain 

Africa Energy Forum 2013

The Forum is the annual meeting place for global energy
players and African governments, utilities and regulators to
engage in dialogue aimed at collectively driving forward the
development of power sector on the continent. It is held in
a different European city every year, enabling international
investors to meet with Africa’s key stakeholders.
 

18-21, Tanzania 

Ministerial Committee of the Organ

The meeting will deliberate on a number of issues aimed at
promoting peace and security in the SADC region. The committee
is made up of the ministers responsible for foreign affairs,
defence, public security and state security from the
countries that make up the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence
and Security Cooperation.
 

24-25, Botswana 

27th Meeting of Water Strategic Reference Group

The Water Strategy Reference Group is responsible for the
thematic coordination of key intervention areas in the SADC
water sector. It serves as a forum for coordinating water-related
activities in the SADC region to avoid overlaps and
achieve maximum synergies and complementarities.
 

26-28, Mozambique 

SADC Infrastructure Investment Summit

The conference will seek to attract potential investors for the
SADC regional infrastructure development programme. This
will be followed by presentations in Asia, Europe and the
United States for the same purpose.
 

July
18-19, Mauritius 

5th International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts
and Responses

The conference seeks to create an interdisciplinary forum
for evidence of climate change, the causes, and eco-systemic
and human impacts. It will explore the technological,
policy, strategic and social responses to climate change.
 

August
17-18, Malawi 

SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government

SADC leaders meet to discuss issues aimed at promoting regional
integration and development. The summit is preceded
by meetings of senior officials and the Council of Ministers.
 

24-29, Zambia/ Zimbabwe 

20th UNWTO General Assembly

The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the United
Nations World Tourism Organization and the most important
meeting of senior tourism officials and high-level representatives
of the private sector from all over the world. Its
ordinary sessions are held every two years. This is the second
time that the Assembly will be held in Africa, jointly
hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls/Mosi oa
Tunya, to promote tourism in SADC.
 

TBA 

Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum

Scientists from the national meteorological services in SADC
Member States meet to review the regional climate outlook.
They will use indicators of seasonal rainfall to produce a regional
forecast for the 2013/14 rainfall season.


Abstract:
THE CELEBRATION of Africa Day
this year marked a significant date in
the history of the continent.

body:
THE CELEBRATION of Africa Day
this year marked a significant date in
the history of the continent.
It was 50 years ago, on 25 May 1963,
that the few leaders of independent
Africa countries – inspired by the
ideals of Pan-Africanism to promote
common understanding among the
peoples of Africa and foster greater cooperation
between African countries in
a larger unity transcending ethnic and
national differences – signed the Charter
establishing the Organization of
African Unity (OAU).
 
The OAU was the predecessor to the
African Union (AU), which was inaugurated
in Durban, South Africa, in
2002, by the Constitutive Act of the
African Union.
 
The official golden jubilee celebration
took place at the AU’s smart, new
headquarters in the Ethiopian capital,
Addis Ababa, the same city that hosted
the inaugural summit in 1963, giving
hope to many African countries which
at the time were still battling with colonialism
and apartheid.
 
Interspersed with short messages
from current and former African leaders,
including Zambia’s founding President
Dr Kenneth Kaunda, AU
Commission Chairperson Dr
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the
Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam
Desalegn, the audience was
treated to a programme of African traditional
performances and cultural
items.
 
Kaunda, who was present at the
signing of the OAU Charter in 1963 although
his country was not yet independent,
animated the cultural evening
with a message to the new generation
and a song in honour of women that
aroused a lot of emotion and determination
from the crowd.
 
He challenged African leaders to
emulate the vision of the OAU founding
leaders to end the continent’s dependence
on foreign powers.
 
AU leaders took time to reflect on
the need to refocus on the shared val-
ues such as self-reliance.
 
Desalegn, speaking
as the current
AU chairperson,
said Africans
should look forward
to “create a
continent free from
poverty and conflict.”
 
“While our
founders met for the
formation of the OAU at the dawn of
the independence period 50 years ago,
it is fitting that we are meeting here
today at a time when Africa is rising,”
Desalegn said.
 
Celebrations were held in many AU
member states under the theme “Pan
Africanism and African Renaissance”,
starting on 25 May and are expected to
last for a year.
 
From musical concerts in Australia,
South Africa and the United States to
arts exhibitions in Ireland, Angola and
Zimbabwe, Africans on the continent
and in the Diaspora reflected on the
road they have travelled towards securing
unity, prosperity and peace.
 
The AU has identified 12 challenges
that will be addressed during the next
12 months.These include priority areas
such as education, health, food security,
empowerment of women, peace
and security, and governance and
democracy.
 
“When we, therefore, talk about
African solutions to African problems,
it is because we know that we can only
permanently silence the guns if we act
in solidarity and unity,” said Dlamini-
Zuma.
 
Activities are planned for the whole
year to celebrate the 50th anniversary,
lasting until May 2014. These include
musical events, debates, media conferences,
and competitions in schools and
universities, public opinion surveys,
sessions in local and national legislatures
to raise awareness about the ideas
of Pan-Africanism.


body:
“WE MUST be able to resolve
conflicts that occur on
our continent and deal with
them amicably where they
occur. The continent has
made some strides but for
Africa to prosper, we have
to solve our current problems.
You are Africa’s
hope,” former Zambian
President Kenneth Kaunda
said in an address during
commemorations to mark
50 years since the formation
of the Organisation of
African Unity.


title:
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SADC
June – August 2013

body:
1 June International Children’s Day Angola
5 June Liberation Day Seychelles
16 June Youth Day South Africa
18 June National Day Seychelles
23 June Corpus Christi Seychelles
25 June Independence Day Mozambique
26 June Independence Day Madagascar
29 June Independence Day Seychelles
30 June Independence Day DRC
1 July Sir Seretse Khama Day Botswana
Heroes Day Zambia
2 July Unity Day Zambia
6 July Independence Day Malawi
7 July Saba Saba Industry Day Tanzania
15 July President’s Day Botswana
16 July Public Holiday Botswana
17 July King’s Birthday Lesotho
22 July Birthday of late King Sobhuza Swaziland
1 August Parents Day DRC
5 August Farmers Day Zambia
7 August Eid Ul Fitri* Malawi, Mauritius,
Tanzania
8 August Nane Nane Peasant Day Tanzania
9 August National Women’s Day South Africa
12 August Heroes Day Zimbabwe
13 August Defence Forces Day Zimbabwe
15 August Assumption Day Madagascar, Mauritius,
Seychelles
17 August SADC Day** All
26 August Heroes Day Namibia
* Exact date depends on sighting of the new moon
** SADC Day is not a public holiday but a commemoration of signing
the SADC Treaty on 17 August


