Germany commits 20 million Euro for SADC development
Germany has made a new commitment of 20 Million Euro for technical and financial cooperation with the 15- member strong Southern African Development Community ( SADC).
This came after the successful conclusion of negotiations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the SADC Secretariat last week 11th June 2021.
The money is for cooperation in the priority areas of Regional Economic Integration; Trans- boundary Water Management; Trans- boundary Natural Resource Management and Resilience to Climate Change as well as in the overarching area of Strengthening National- Regional Linkages ( SNRL).
The bilateral negotiations were opened on the German side by German Ambassador to Botswana/ SADC Margit Hellwig- Bötte and Günter Nooke, the German Chancellor’s Special Representative for Africa who joined the proceedings. Head of Economic & Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Gaborone, Marcel Grella told Botswana Guardian that the total amount since the last negotiations in 2019 committed by Germany to SADC now amounts to 29, 1 Million Euro. The SADC Delegation at the negotiations was headed by outgoing Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax while the German Delegation was led by Alois Schneider, the Head of Division for Southern Africa and South Africa at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ( BMZ). Some of the ongoing activities under the SADC- German Development Cooperation include fostering Regional Economic Integration. For example, the border posts of Tlokweng in Botswana, Livingstone ( Zambia- Zimbabwe) and Kazungula ( Zambia- Botswana) have been technically upgraded to facilitate trade.
Grella explained that starting from mid- 2021, trucks passing these posts will be registered electronically. He said that truck drivers and their families will profit from faster COVID- 19 tracing. The system will be further developed and improved in the scope of this project to include electronic management of customs papers thereby accelerating trade in the SADC region. There has also been COVID- 19 Support as part of Support to Industrialisation and Productive Sectors under which 14 companies and research institutions in seven SADC countries receive more than 1.5 million USD financial support. Grella said these companies and institutions are using these funds to increase the production of medical/ pharmaceutical products helping societies in SADC to cope with COVID- 19. Products like face masks and oxygen supply systems become more effective, more widely available and more affordable.
Grella said that with the help of the support, it is estimated that an additional 5 million medical and FFP2 masks, 25,000 surgical gowns and 20 million litres of hand disinfectant can be produced per month, which will contribute to improving regional pandemic preparedness. German Development Cooperation also supports various Transfrontier Conservation Areas ( TFCAs) in the SADC Region through both Financial and Technical Cooperation among these, are the Lumbombo TFCA, Malawi- Zambia TFCA, KAZA TFCA and Greater Limpopo TFCA. Citing a tangible example, Grella explained that joint efforts of the SADC- Secretariat and Transfrontier Conservation Area ( TFCA)- Management Structures have greatly improved park administration, joint cross border law enforcement and anti- poaching operations in Malawi- Zambia TFCA.
He said that more than 4000 ranger patrols were conducted in the Malawi- Zambia TFCA leading to more than 2000 arrests of poachers by the respective authorities. This also led to the opening of judicial proceedings in more than 30 percent of those cases.
Moreover, to connect the Kasungu and Lukusuzi parks as part of Malawi- Zambia TFCA and allowing for animal movement, three corridors were established through seven Community Conservation Areas ( CCA). This included that for a total area of 130,000 ha management plans were developed to also stop illegal settlement and deforestation. The development cooperation between Germany and SADC also contributes to the improvement of safe drinking and waste water disposal in Kazangula area between Zambia and Botswana. This involves construction of basic infrastructure, which includes preparation report, upgrade of Kazangula Water treatment plant, upgrade of the storage reservoir and upgrade of the distribution networks. German- SADC Development cooperation contributes to setting up a safe water supply between Mozambique and Eswatini in areas of Namaacha and Lomahasha, which is a cross- border water supply project. Grella said the project involves the upgrade of the Simunye Water Treatment Plant raw water supply system, installing pumping main to Lomahasha and Namaacha Reservoirs and provision of distribution networks at Lomahasha and Namaacha.
He said that once completed, these two projects will grant safe water access to 70, 000 people living in these areas. SADC Public Relations Manager confirmed the outcome of the negotiations adding that the Executive Secretary Dr Tax thanked Germany for displaying marks of “true friendship during the unprecedented times of the COVID- 19 pandemic through the COVID- 19 Response Support extended by Germany and the European Union to SADC. Dr Tax also appealed to Germany to continue supporting SADC efforts through priorities outlined in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan ( RISDP) 2020- 2030 and the SADC Vision 2050 in order to achieve the desired developmental impact to enhance the living standards of SADC citizens.
According to Lopi, Dr Tax encouraged Germany and other partners to continue working with, and through the RECs to push the continental integration agenda and to support the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA) together with the COMESA- EAC- SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area ( TFTA).
Negotiations between SADC and Germany are held every two years. The most recent round concluded in Berlin in June 2017 with a pledging of 47, 5 million euros for 2018 and 2019.