Ongoing crises undermine sustainable development

Political upheavals in Southern Africa are jeopardising efforts to accelerate regional economic growth, a new study has found. An overview of the challenges facing Southern Africa showed that while a degree of stability had been achieved after decades of unrest, the region remained "beset with crises that undermine sustainable development". Researchers at the Pretoria-based Human Research Sciences Council (HRC) said despite the benefits of peace following the end of civil conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, ongoing political and economic troubles in Zimbabwe and Swaziland were undermining regional developmental goals. The HIV/AIDS pandemic had also taken a heavy toll on regional economies, placing countries at greater risk of increased mortality rates. This was compounded by recurring food shortages, which saw an estimated 12.8 million people in the grip of hunger in 2002/03. Another persistent threat to regional security was the abundance of cheap and accessible small arms and semi-automatic weaponry, researchers said. The report noted that after Mozambique's civil war ended in 1992, some 190,000 weapons were recovered, but most of these had found their way back on to the streets or were exported to neighbouring countries. There were concerns that a similar situation could unfold in Angola and DRC during their demobilisation phases. However, leaders in Southern Africa were more committed than ever to "address conflicts, end hostilities and abide by the rules of democratic practice in the region"; there were also increased efforts to tackle corruption. Although a disappointingly high number of countries in the region ranked poorly in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, the adoption of an anticorruption protocol by SADC governments in August 2001 had shown real commitment to stamping out graft. Despite these drawbacks, SADC countries continued to move steadily towards consolidating regional integration. The report highlighted that Southern Africa, with its relatively small market, had an estimated aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) of US $226.1 billion, more than double that of the Economic Community of West African States, and equivalent to more than half the aggregate GDP of sub-Saharan Africa. Much of this economic success was due to increased foreign investment, particularly in Angola, South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana. Positive political developments and the introduction of macroeconomic reforms had also contributed to fiscal stability. However, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia remained severely indebted to external financiers. "This debt burden has made many SADC states dependent on official development assistance to maintain prudent macroeconomic policies, while simultaneously attempting to meet commitments to poverty reduction through public expenditure," the report said. Widespread poverty was seen as one of the principal development challenges confronting the SADC region. An estimated 70 percent of its almost 200 million people were living below the international poverty line, mainly due to a lack of economic and job opportunities. In some cases, limited access to productive resources, such as land and capital, had adversely affected the involvement of rural women in national economies. The report concluded that while regional governments were ostensibly committed to fighting poverty and accelerating economic growth, current policies had in fact hampered progress. Member countries' multiple memberships of regional integration groupings also posed problems for inter-cooperation. Full report: www.sarpn.org.za