Towards deeper Sadc integration and SD
THE 38th SADC Summit has come up with a number of initiatives aimed at deepening regional integration and sustainable development. Some of the key decisions made by the region are contained in a communiqué released soon after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government, which met from August 17-18 in Windhoek, Namibia.
With regard to advancing forward the industrialisation agenda, SADC leaders endorsed the theme of “Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development” for the coming year to encourage member states to prioritise infrastructure development and youth empowerment.
The theme builds on the focus of the past four SADC summits that sought to advance industrial development.
One of the three pillars of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap is Enhancing Infrastructure, hence the theme resonates well with the industrialisation agenda. The other two pillars are Strengthening Value Chains, and Corridor Development.
The focus on youth empowerment is aimed at ensuring that the region harnesses its human capital dividend through the youth, who make up the majority of the population in SADC.
Furthermore, as the timespan of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap progresses towards 2063, the youth of today will reap the benefits of the key elements contained in the strategy. Therefore, involving youth in the regional integration agenda makes sense.
SADC leaders called on member states to strengthen the momentum towards industrialisation and ensure that Southern Africa achieves its longstanding vision of a united, prosperous and integrated region.
“Summit noted progress made in the implementation of SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063, and urged member states to remain committed to the implementation of the SADC industrialisation agenda, as the overarching priority for the region.”
The SADC Industrialisation Strategy, adopted in April 2015, seeks to achieve major economic and technological transformation at national and regional levels to accelerate economic growth through industrial development.
A Costed Action Plan for the Strategy covering 2015-2030 was approved in March 2017. The Action Plan details the key actions, with reference to the three pillars of the strategy and the requisite activities, as well as the key enablers needed to unlock the region’s industrial potential.
On strengthening human resources and promoting youth development, the summit approved the operationalisation of the SADC University of Transformation.
The university will be “in the form of a virtual university, to focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, commercialisation, technology transfer, enterprise development, digital and knowledge economy, to support SADC Industrialisation agenda.”
The SADC University of Transformation is the brainchild of King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini, and once fully operational it will be based in Eswatini, which has already pledged to offer scholarships to 300 students - 20 each per member state for the initial intake.
In addition, summit said it was critical for SADC member states to implement other related regional policies and strategies to ensure the success of the region.
These policies and strategies include the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP), the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan, the Regional Agricultural Investment Plan, and the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Cooperation.
The RIDMP is the SADC strategy for the development of integrated regional infrastructure to meet projected demand by 2027, at an estimated cost of US$500 billion.
On food and security, the summit said there is need to increase investment in the agricultural sector as well as putting in place measures to avert a pending drought.