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Political Governance
What is SADC?
SADC is an acronym for the Southern African Development Community, whose predecessor was the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC), established in 1980. In 1992, Heads of Government agreed to transform the SADCC into the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with the focus on integration of economic development. SADC members are: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland, Angola.

SADC and its member States are expected to act according to the following principles: Sovereign equality of all member States; Solidarity, peace and security; Human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; Equity, balance and mutual benefit; Peaceful settlement of disputes

The objectives of SADC include the following: achieve development and economic growth and alleviate poverty; promote and defend peace and security; promote self-sustaining development; achieve complementary national and regional strategies and programmes; promote productive employment and utilisation of resources of the region; sustainable utilisation of natural resources; strengthen historical, social and cultural links in the region.

SADC has a programme of Action, covering several broad economic and social sectors, namely, Energy, Tourism, Environment and Land Management, Water, Mining, Employment and Labour, Culture, Information and Sport and Transport and Communications. Other sectors are Finance and Investment, Human Resource Development, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Legal Affairs and Health. Sectors are each co-ordinated by a Member State with some member states co-ordinating more than one sector.