What are the key security challenges facing the countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)? This chapter highlights the importance of: sub-regional conflicts, migration and xenophobia, democracy and governance, regional institutional structures, environmental and water issues, HIV, and security sector reform. It finds that in spite of many achievements, regional security in the SADC region must be comprehensively consolidated. Incomplete SSR is one of the greatest threats to security and development in Southern Africa.
Instability in the SADC region has three dimensions: a) significant inter and intra-state violence, most notably in the case of the DRC; b) post-conflict challenges such as Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR); and c) political differences arising from deficiencies in democracy and governance. Several states in the sub-region have undergone DDR with mixed results. In Angola, political stability is particularly dependent on a successful DDR process.
Southern Africa has been developing regional institutional structures, such as the Organ for Politics Defence and Security (OPDS), designed to ensure peace in the region. However, the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO), the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, and the Mutual Defence Pact need to be implemented; Southern Africa states are perceived as not responding to regional challenges, particularly in Zimbabwe. Further security challenges relate to:
- Migration: Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa are the most popular destinations for sub-regional migration because of their higher economic performance. The intention to introduce free movement within the sub-region shows the desire to eradicate xenophobia, but xenophobia remains a source of tension.
- Environmental degradation and water scarcity: In addressing these issues it is important to ensure the participation of local people and to make certain that they benefit directly, rather than adopting an exclusively state-centric approach.
- HIV: Stigma, discrimination and conflict over scarce resources as a result of the pandemic threaten to increase political conflict and criminal behaviour. As members of the uniformed services are particularly vulnerable to both contracting and transmitting HIV, initiatives are needed to raise awareness among military personnel.
- Security sector reform: In most countries of the region, SSR has emphasised defence at the expense of the police and intelligence services. South Africa has undergone the most comprehensive SSR. Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia have undergone substantial SSR processes, but still lack transparency and democratic oversight in the security sector. Mozambique, Lesotho, and Malawi must consolidate SSR in new policies, laws, and structures. In Zimbabwe, politicisation of the security services has reversed past SSR gains. Two of the most important SSR issues are civil-military relations and effective governance of the military.
In terms of civil-military relations, mutual misperceptions have been facilitated by lack of transparency and discourse on military matters. Establishing healthy civil-military relations will require:
- Creating effective political oversight over defence establishments through legislation, parliamentary defence and civilian defence ministries
- Establishing transparency and accountability in defence management
- Increasing expertise on defence matters among academic institutions, NGOs, and the media.
Efficient defence management requires capacity development in defence departments, particularly in relation to policy formulation and strategic planning. Other areas requiring improvement include human resource management and:
- Effective, transparent budgeting and management of public expenditure
- Inter-departmental coordination to improve national security management and maximise resources
- The development of civic education within the armed forces
