What is the impact of democratic governance on national security in Southern Africa? How does it affect collaboration in regional security? This study, by the Southern African Defence and Security Management Network (SADSEM), looks at the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland and Tanzania. Taking both an historical and comparative perspective, it suggests that the relationship between democratisation, national security and security cooperation in the region is still not clear. The relationship depends on the stability of a country, the nature of its democratic transition and the degree of institutionalisation of its democratic governance.
Since the end of the Cold War, the southern African region has embraced regional integration. SADC has made considerable progress on economic, political and security cooperation. SADC’s current key objectives resonate with both state and human security agendas, at least on the official policy level.
Although SADC has mostly been state-centric, it appears to be following trends of ‘new regionalism’ in which multidimensional cooperation involves the state, market-oriented and civil society actors, and covers economic, cultural, political, security and environmental aspects.
Although most of the countries in southern Africa have undergone significant democratisation processes, democratisation has been both uneven and partial. In some states it has barely begun while in others there have been democratic reversals. Furthermore, the process of democratisation has sometimes been accompanied by violent conflict. Since the democracies in this region range from pseudo democracies to electoral and liberal democracies, this could limit the development of common security.
- There is a contest in SADC between the traditional (militaristic) vision of security cooperation and a wider, human-security based vision, including democracy, human rights, justice and peaceful dispute settlement.
- Democratisation has had little impact on socio-economic development so far. Most countries have slipped down the UN Human development index. In time, democracy could reinforce economic growth which, in turn, would sustain democracy.
- Globalisation can weaken already weak states, which could undermine regional integration. This is because weak states might cling to the little sovereignty they retain, particularly in the security field.
- The economic results of SADC integration have been mixed: intra-regional trade has increased but on an asymmetric basis, and tariffs, bureaucracy and transport problems hinder development.
- SADC is still dependent on primary export products, donor assistance and debt.
Progress towards common security will boost human security and show that democratic governance assists peace and stability, which in turn will enable economic growth and development. For a common security project to be successful and sustainable it needs:
- To allow a pooling of sovereignty including transferral of key executive (and eventually judicial and legislative) functions to the collective from individual states.
- To have good management that respects national sensitivities, ensures that benefits outweigh costs and restrains South African hegemony.
- To ensure that South Africa exerts its power through consensus rather than coercion.
- To allow civil society organisations to contribute to democracy and security projects in the region.
- To enhance the legitimate, democratic functions of states, including governance and management of security, in order to promote human security and human development.
- To deepen and consolidate democracy (at national and multilateral levels), prevent democratic reversals and address the social and economic dimensions of democracy.
This book was published in November 2007 by Wits University Press and is set to be available in the UK in late November 2007. For further information on obtaining a copy, please visit the publisher’s website http://witspress.wits.ac.za/default.asp
