Origin of Southern African Development Community

The origin of Southern African Development Community started in the early 1960s and 1970s during the struggle for independence in southern African countries. The gaps in the fight for independence enhanced cooperation, political and the need to achieve common goals.

Southern African Development Community was formally known as Southern African Development Coordination Conference SADCC. Southern African Development Coordination Conference was formed in 1980 April 1^st following the adoption of the Lusaka declaration-Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation by the nine countries i.e. Lesotho, Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Swaziland. The aim was to coordinate development projects in order to minimize dependence on apartheid South Africa.

Southern African Development Coordination Conference was transformed into Southern African Development Community following the declaration and treaty signing by the heads of states and government in Windhoek, Namibia in 1992 August 17^th.

Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an intergovernmental organization with a goal to improve political, economic, security, social cooperation and integration among the countries of Seychelles, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Lesotho, South Africa, Mauritius, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Swaziland and Madagascar which is currently suspended after the coup.

Southern African Development Community was formed with the objective of improving economic and social development through finance, food, energy, information, transport, investment, human resource development, culture, communication, health, agriculture, natural resources, sports and legal affairs

Challenges facing Southern Africa Development Community

• The imposition of structural adjustment programmes from developed countries by the international monetary fund and world has impeded the attainment of the objectives of the Southern Africa development community since they conflict.
• Conflicting obligations of some Member States stemming from their membership of the Preferential trade area and the Southern African Customs Union and this creates mismatch in goals and source of conflicts among members of the community.
• There is lack of policy measures focused on the removal of constraints such as lack of information, supply and demand divergence in national economies, tariff and non-tariff barriers.
• The lack of appropriate technology for the production of mass consumer goods has led to more costs of production to be incurred hence lower profits for firms. Equally goods produced are of low quality hence fetching lower prices and low demand in the international market
• Different and often inadequate provision of staff and other resources for the coordination and management of the regional programme, leading to inequitable distribution of responsibilities and obligations to the organization
• The economic disparities and inequities among Member States, particularly with respect to South Africa hence south Africa gets better bargaining power over other members in terms of economic power therefore economically crowding out other member countries.
• Lack of policy measures focused on the removal of constraints such as lack of information, supply and demand divergence in national economies tariff and non-tariff barriers.
• The paucity of technical expertise and trained personnel in management and entrepreneurial skills is lacking in most countries hence hindering achievement of primary goals
• Low growth of trade between Member States since most members of the community are developing countries and hence mostly domestic production is lower compared to foreign trade hence trade diversion
• Different standards, qualifications and performance criteria for staff involved in the management of regional programmes hence lack of competent staff lead to poor quality output and delayed programmes implementation

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