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Gibson Nyikadzino, Herald Correspondent
Efforts of regionalisation on the African continent were formulated during the independence era, specifically with the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 now the African Union (AU) since 2002.
More efforts in this regard have been the creation under the OAU, of regional economic communities through the Abuja Treaty (Nigeria) in 1991.
It was conceived that Africa’s regional economic communities should serve as stepping stones towards an African Economic Community.
With the reorganisation of the OAU to the AU and the creation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001, regional economic blocs were maintained and designated to serve as implementing agencies for NEPAD’s programmes.
This has all been important for Africa. However, the transitions countries went through and witnessed, from colonisation to independence, the end of the Cold War to multiparty democracy, globalisation to de-globalisation, unilateralism to multilateralism, have opened opportunities at regional levels to enhance cooperation.
At regional level, cooperation has been the bedrock to ensure stability, security, success and prosperity.
As a result, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) since its transformation from the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) in 1992, has placed cooperation as a framework to lead it into a trajectory of new regionalism.
Originally, the SADC that is known today, comprised of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, and the first meeting of the then SADCC took place in 1979, Arusha, Tanzania.
From this, the SADCC was formed on April 1, 1980 under the Lusaka Declaration which was signed under the theme “Towards Economic Liberation”.
The bloc had been set up as an organisation in which the, “Frontline States” would work towards reducing their economic dependency on apartheid South Africa, and establish and harmonise common goals and development plans.
With the changing dynamics after Namibia’s independence in 1990 and the end of apartheid rule in South Africa in 1994, the focus that SADC countries had then is now different from today.
Today the bloc, building on all protocols, conventions and agreements, is prioritising a new culture of regional integration that is pointing to a worthwhile departure from old way of doing things.
For example, old regionalism pushed for import substitution, which can be seen as a withdrawal from the world economy, and a move towards export orientation and an integration to the world economy.
Where old regionalism focused mainly on industrial products, the new regionalism is prioritising all goods and services, as well as investment promotion and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) among member states.
Unlike the old regionalism that dealt with border barriers, new regionalism is focusing on deeper integration and the free movement of goods and services across borders.
For instance, the visa regimes in the region have been removed and Zimbabwe and Botswana are deliberating scrapping the use of passports when their citizens want to travel between the two states.
This is slowly happening and the bureaucratic tape is fading, a step at a time.
What this therefore implies is that member states are realising their citizens are one whose goals to promote and facilitate trade, skills and cultural exchanges.
The new regionalism process prevailing differs from the old one by its multi-dimensionality covering economic, political, social, and cultural issues within a regional setting.
This way of approaching regional integration is a major aspect driven by the effects of globalisation where SADC aims to achieve production efficiency and market access, opposed to old regionalism that places emphasis on market protection through a variety of tariff and non-tariff barriers.
This culture of protectionism has been a major cause of low FDI inflows for the region.
With this new focus, regional integration as a political phenomenon is speeding the process of economic and political integration in SADC as championed by regional leaders in peace to promote the integration process.
Online Reporter