BILL WATCH 46/2019

[22nd August 2019]

SADC Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 17th - 18th August

The 39th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania last weekend.  All sixteen SADC member States were represented. 

New SADC Leadership August 2019 – August 2020

Under the Treaty establishing SADC each country holds the position of chairperson for a year on a strictly rotational basis. The posts are assigned to countries in rotation to ensures that each member State has its turn.  Except for the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, the member State that holds the Summit Troika chair automatically provides the chairpersons of the subsidiary SADC institutions.  The SADC Treaty lays down, however, that SADC chairperson cannot simultaneously chair the Organ. 

President Magufuli of Tanzania to be SADC Chairperson

In accordance with the SADC rotation system the Summit welcomed President Magufuli of the United Republic of Tanzania as the new SADC chairperson.  President Nyusi of Mozambique was welcomed as SADC deputy chairperson for the year 2019-2020 and will assume the chair at the August 2020 Summit.   The outgoing SADC chairperson, President Geingob of Namibia, will be the third member of the Summit Troika which functions as the steering committee between meetings is responsible for decision-making, facilitating implementation of decisions and providing policy directions.

President Mnangagwa to be Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation

Also in accordance with the SADC rotation system, the Summit welcomed  President Mnangagwa as the chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.  President Masisi of Botswana is the Organ deputy chairperson.  The outgoing Organ chairperson, President Lungu of Zambia, will automatically be the third member of the Organ Troika.  Again these three – the Organ Troika – will function as the steering committee of the Organ between meetings.

The full text of the Summit Communiqué is available on the Veritas website [link].  What follows are a few selected highlights.

Theme of the 39th Summit of Heads of State and Government,

“A Conducive Environment of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, Increased Intra-Regional Trade and Job Creation’’

The Summit noted the progress made on the implementation of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and approved the Protocol on Industry which aims to promote the development of a diversified innovative and globally competitive industrial base.

The Summit noted with great concern the slow growth in the intra-SADC trade levels and that the region continues to export unprocessed raw material to the rest of the world, therefore, forfeiting the potential benefits of the resource endowments. To this effect, The Summit agreed to accelerate the implementation of the industrialisation strategy.

On Peace and Security 

Mozambique Peace and Reconciliation Agreement

The Summit commended President Nyusi of Mozambique and RENAMO leader Ossufo Momade on the signing of the peace and reconciliation agreement on 6th August 2019, hailing it as paving the way for sustainable peace and revamping of economic and social development.

Peaceful Elections

The Summit congratulated Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi and South Africa for holding peaceful and successful elections.

Reforms in Lesotho

The Summit welcomed the enactment of legislation to establish the National Reforms Authority (NRA) in the Kingdom of Lesotho, called upon all stakeholders in Lesotho to remain committed to the reforms process, and commended the SADC Facilitator for the effective facilitation.

The Democratic Republic of Congo

The Summit noted acts of extremism and terrorism in the DRC specifically in Beni area and agreed to continue collaborating with the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region(ICGLR) and consolidate efforts towards the political and security stabilisation of the Great Lakes Region.

General Threats to Security

The Summit noted the gravity of security challenges, especially of terrorism activities and transnational crime and urged Member States to prioritise the implementation of the SADC Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its Action Plan.

The Summit noted the gravity of maritime security threats such as piracy, and maritime terrorism; drug trafficking and illegal carrying and trafficking of weapons and ammunition and agreed to jointly address them as part of SADC Maritime Strategy.

Climate and Food Insecurity Security

Food Insecurity

The Summit noted the overall decline in food production in the region for the 2018/19 crop season and urged Member states to implement comprehensive multi-year response plans to tackle the recurrent droughts and food insecurity to boost agricultural production.

Climate Change and Cyclone Idai

The Summit noted the devastating effects of tropical cyclones in Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, expressed its sympathy, and commended all Member States and International Cooperating Partners for the humanitarian support rendered to the affected Member States.  The Summit also directed the SADC Secretariat to expedite the putting into operation of the SADC Disaster Preparedness and Response Mechanism as part of the regional measures to respond to effects of climate change.

On Justice Issues

Roadmap to SADC Parliament to be Developed

The Summit directed the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the Parliamentary Forum Secretariat to develop the model that the proposed SADC Parliament would assume, in terms of mandate, powers and functions; and to develop a Roadmap towards the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a SADC Parliament

SADC Tribunal

The Summit noted the withdrawal of South Africa's signature from the 2014 Protocol on the Tribunal of the Southern African Development Community.  The South African government withdrew South Africa’s signature in compliance with an order to do so issued by the South African Constitutional Court.  The 2014 Protocol’s objective was to limit the jurisdiction of the SADC Tribunal to determining disputes between member States, thereby withdrawing jurisdiction previously enjoyed to hear cases brought by individual citizens of member States. 

Gender Balance

The Summit noted the good progress towards representation of women in politics and economic decision making and urged Member States to translate laws and policies into concrete actions, such as legislative quotas on women’s representation in politics and the application of Article 5 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development on Special Measures.

Protocol on Inter-State Transfer of Sentenced Offenders

The Summit approved this Protocol.  Its objective is to allow for the transfer of sentenced offenders to serve their sentences in their home countries.  It is the product of several years’ work by the Corrections/Prisons Sub-Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

SADC Governance and Member Country Issues

Roadmap to SADC Parliament to be Developed

The Summit directed the SADC Secretariat in collaboration with the Parliamentary Forum Secretariat to develop the model that the proposed SADC Parliament would assume, in terms of mandate, powers and functions; and to develop a Roadmap towards the transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a SADC Parliament

Kiswahili to be Official SADC Working Language

The Summit approved Kiswahili as the Fourth SADC Official Working Language in addition to English, French and Portuguese.  This was in recognition of the role and contribution of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Tanzania in the liberation struggle of Southern Africa.

Summit’s Call for Lifting of Sanctions on Zimbabwe

The Summit noted the adverse impact on the economy of Zimbabwe and the region at large, of prolonged economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate lifting of the sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country.   The Summit declared the 25th October as the date on which SADC Member States can collectively voice their disapproval of the sanctions through various activities and platforms until the sanctions are lifted.

Intra SADC Trade

The Summit noted with great concern the slow growth in the intra-SADC trade levels and that the region continues to export unprocessed raw material to the rest of the world, therefore, forfeiting the potential benefits of the resource endowments. To this effect, The Summit agreed to accelerate the implementation of the industrialisation strategy.

Burundi’s Application to Join SADC

The Summit noted that Burundi met some of the eligibility criteria for admission of new members into SADC, and that Burundi  will submit a progress report, based on which a verification Mission will be undertaken.

Solidarity with Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara

The Summit communique has several paragraphs expressing solidarity with the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara, including an instruction to the SADC Secretariat to notify the African Union Commission, and the Government of Japan on the SADC Position regarding the exclusion of Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara  participation in the forthcoming All African Games to be held in Morocco, and the imminent TICAD meeting to be held in Japan.

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