From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: AFRICA: SOUTHERN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 22:26:30 GMT

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: AFRICA: SOUTHERN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IS BORN


an inter press service feature

by accadoga chiledi

windhoek, aug 17 (ips) -- leaders of the 10-nation southern
africa development coordination conference (sadcc) monday signed
a treaty giving birth to the southern africa development
community (sadc).

the declaration was signed in the namibian capital, windhoek,
by the leaders of angola, botswana, lesotho, malawi, mozambique,
namibia, swaziland, tanzania, zambia and zimbabwe.

''we, the heads of the states and government of the southern
african states, hereby commit ourselves and our governments to
the establishment of the southern african development community
(sadc)'', said the declaration.

''our common cultural and social affinities, common
historical experiences, common problems and aspirations, remain
a firm and enduring foundation for common actions to promote
regional economic welfare, collective self-reliance and
integration, in the spirit of equity and partnership'', the
declaration said.

the formation of the sadc is a follow-up to the 1980 lusaka
declaration, (which gave rise to saddc) ''southern africa:
towards economic liberation'', in which the sadcc leaders
committed themselves to pursuing policies aimed at regional
economic liberation and integrated economic development.

addressing the one-day summit of saddc heads of state and
government, tanzania's president ali hassan mwinyi said: ''we
should always remember that collective self-reliance is better
than collective selfishness.''

''i have no hesitation in accepting the recommendation that
sadcc be formalised by a way of treaty because the treaty
incorporates the principles of integration deemed beneficial to
member states, cardinal among which is the principle of equity,
balance and mutual benefits,'' mwinyi added.

the treaty of the southern african development community
strives to work out and adopt a framework for cooperation
providing for:

-- deeper economic cooperation and integration based on
balance, equity and mutual benefit,

-- common economic, political, social values and systems,
enhancing enterprises and competitiveness, democracy and good
governance, respect for the rule of law and the guarantee of
human rights, popular participation and alleviation of poverty.
(more/ips)


africa: southern africa (2)

-- strengthened regional solidarity, peace and security in
order for the people of the region to live and work together in
peace and harmony.

''these are the essence of any cooperation arrangement.
previous integration efforts floundered because member states
flouted these principles and pursued 'beggar your neighbour'
policies,'' mwinyi said.

in their declaration, the leaders of the 10 nations said:
''underdevelopment, exploitation, deprivation and backwardness
in southern africa will be overcome only through economic
cooperation and integration.

''the welfare of the peoples of southern africa, and the
development of its economies require concerted and higher levels
of coordinated regional action''.

together with the declaration and the treaty, the leaders
also signed a protocol giving the sadc a legal international
status, with its headquarters in gaborone, botswana -- the
present seat of the sadcc.

after 12 years of existence, ''today we gave ourselves a new
sadc, without the second 'c', said jubilant sadcc chair,
botswana president sir ketumile quett masire, soon after the
signing the treaty.

''this is an historic occasion'', mozambique's foreign
minister, pascoal mocumbi, told ips. ''it's a new step in our
struggle economic integration and development''.

''with the birth of the sadc and south africa joining when it
is free and democratic, southern africa will be an economic
giant'', the secretary general of the african national congress
(anc), cyril ramaphosa told ips.

with a combined population of 70 million, sadc has a gross
domestic product (gdp) of 27.2 million dollars in 1989, and
contributes to 7.3 percent of africa's total gdp.

ibbo mandaza, political scientist and publisher of the
zimbabwe-based 'southern africa political economy monthly'
welcomed the sadc as one of the final major blows to the south
african apartheid government.

''this a tremendous occasion for us. the signing of the
declaration establishing the sadc constitutes a very important
basis for the economic development of the region,'' mandaza
said. (end/ips/apc/tvh/92)




-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois