Southern African Development Community Research Articles

Transboundary COVID-19 response on health communication in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe

A global COVID-19 pandemic caused untold community disruptions, a huge toll on lives and placed major burdens on the economies of developing countries. It spread worldwide within a short period of time before nations could mobilise evidence for the best responses. Communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe were heavily disrupted. This article focuses on exploring the transboundary differences in COVID-19 responses, plus the implications for improving the health communication strategies in a pandemic age. Health practitioners and governments were ill-prepared to inform the general public about the pandemic and enforced complete shutdowns of economic and social activities. With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging communities, there was a dearth of focused health communication on COVID-19’s end. New tools of communication and dissemination of information were embraced in the southern Africa country-specific cases. For example, content on precautionary lifestyles, individual or personal responsibility and utilisation of community health workers in the pandemic era was prioritised to prevent or minimise infections and avoid recurrence of the disease. New communication methods were important for addressing uncertainty and can be applied for any future pandemic. This health communication topic addresses the neglected, but important gap on the efficacy of processes towards better health communication strategies. The transdisciplinary methods include improved health communication strategies informed by the experiences of three Southern African Development Community countries. While such measures to arrest COVID-19 proved plausible, these countries’ projections for the future are a concern, suggesting an urgent need to enhance and strengthen health communication in southern Africa.Transdisciplinary contribution: This is a transdisciplinary exploration of health communication and its implications for COVID-19 and future pandemic responses in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Balancing the three-legged pot: Benchmarking road safety institutional frameworks across SADC member states

BackgroundRoad deaths and injuries constitute a major global burden of disease, with Africa the worst affected region. Two successive UN Global Decades of Action (2011–2020 and 2021–2030) have focused on pillars of action aimed at halving road deaths. Pillar 1, Road Safety Management, requires a road safety institutional framework (RSIF) containing three legs: i) a road safety lead agency, ii) road safety funding, and iii) a national road safety strategy with timebound death reduction targets. MethodWe used a regional benchmarking approach to examine RSIFs in the 16 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which make up 26% of Africa's population and a third of its land mass. Using data from the World Health Organization's 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety, we computed an RSIF score for each state and visually depicted its RSIF as a three-legged pot with full, partial, or missing legs. We also performed correlational analyses to determine whether there were relationships between member states' RSIF scores and WHO-estimated death rates, GDP per capita, governance scores on the BertelsmanStiftung Transformation Index (BTI-g) and scores on the Human Development Index (HDI). ResultsIn 2018, most SADC member states’ RSIFs consisted of “wobbly three-legged pots”. Leg i (road safety lead agency) was most present, being evident in 80% of the member states. Legs ii (funding) and iii (national road safety strategy) were each present in 73%; however, in most cases, they were deficient compared with global best practice. The only statistically significant correlation we found was between RSIF scores and BTI-g scores. DiscussionThe SADC lagged behind the continent as a whole with respect to lead agencies, with other researchers noting that >90% of African countries had such agencies. The two member states with the highest RSIF scores and lowest death rates (Mauritius and Seychelles) are amongst the wealthiest in the region and have extremely small populations. Overall, the SADC was skewed towards low RSIF scores (correlated with poor governance scores) and high death rates. ConclusionAlmost all SADC member states require strengthening of all three RSIF legs to bring them into line with global best practice for Pillar 1, Road Safety Management. Collective regional improvement could be facilitated by longstanding intergovernmental cooperation (with high levels of cross-border traffic) and growing civil society involvement in road safety. If the SADC could become an exemplar on the continent this would boost the chances of halving African road deaths and substantially reducing global deaths by 2030.

Health capital and economic performance in selected Southern African development Community (SADC) countries

Health capital and economic performance in selected Southern African development Community (SADC) countries

Regional integration in Southern Africa: Evidence from the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

This article provides for an informative review on regional integration in Southern Africa by drawing lessons and evidence from the Souther African Development Community (SADC). It provides for a review of literature on the SADC from a regional integration perspective. SADC has expanded into a more expansive regional organisation in response to the challenges faced in the 1990s, and it currently includes South Africa, the region’s superpower. Furthermore, trade integration is receiving more attention, despite not being a main debate point at the Southern African Development Co-Ordinating Conference (SADCC). The SADC Trade Protocol has been decisive in trade integration. The purpose of the Protocol is to ensure that companies operating in each of the nations in the region may fairly compete to service the 150 million customers that comprise the market as a whole. It is anticipated that regional free trade will increase the likelihood of economic growth, increase intra-SADC commercial activity, create jobs, and elevate the standard of living for SADC residents.

Enabling policy environment for water operator partnerships in the Southern African Development Community

AbstractWater service provision has typically been primarily regarded as a government endeavor, especially in developing countries. Various concepts of partnerships have been promoted over the past five decades in the sector, primarily to improve service provision. Among these partnerships, water operator partnerships (WOPs) have been distinguished as a leading concept that promotes easy access to water supply and sanitation. Several WOPs exist worldwide with varying partnership types and characteristics. For WOPs to thrive effectively globally, an enabling environment has to be provided. More so for developing countries that are more susceptible to socio‐economic and climate change factors that affect water service delivery. This paper evaluates the enabling policy environment for WOPs in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Data used for the study include literature from the Global Water Operator Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) WOPs database, as well as other online resources, enabling a detailed understanding of different case studies in the SADC region on a North–South and South–South basis. It must, however, be noted that data availability on the database is dependent on the utilities engaged in the WOP recording and uploading it, and this affected the scope of the study. The database provided three in‐depth case studies from Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, and extensive literature review provided an additional in‐depth case study from Malawi. Strategies such as water reforms and multi‐stakeholder partnerships are highlighted in aiding the WOPs. Findings show that current policies in the region make provisions for partnerships but are not explicit or exhaustive on the different forms of partnerships. The lack of an intermediate third party in countries such as Malawi negatively affects the relationship between the utilities and, subsequently, the success of the WOP. Strategies such as capacity building and stakeholder participation can assist in creating a more enabling policy environment for WOPs.

A Study into Privacy and Legal Issues in Cloud Computing: The Mozambican Context

During the last 10 years, Cloud computing has become an evolving technology providing several benefits such as cost reduction and high flexibility. However, one of the main challenges related to cloud computing is related to data security and privacy. Despite this, worldwide many countries, specially developed countries have adopted cloud computing technology. In Africa, specifically in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mozambique is one the countries who has recently adopted cloud computing technology. However, on the contrary to countries such as Mauritius and South Africa, Mozambique still does not have a national strategy for cloud computing in place, including security and privacy issues. International organizations such as ENISA and NIST as well as ITU have published frameworks related to cloud computing adoption covering data security and privacy issues. Therefore, in this paper we first analyze the cloud computing frameworks published by these international organizations. In addition, the paper also analyses the adoption of cloud computing in developed and developing countries, such as USA, UK, Germany, Mauritius and South Africa. From these analyses, the paper presents some recommendations for Mozambique to adopt best practices and follow international frameworks related to cloud computing including data security and privacy.

Land to the landless: Does the type of approach matter?

Uncertainty about land ownership is believed to increase vulnerability of marginalized groups in a society. When agriculture is not only responsible for employing more than half of the labor force population but also the main source of the livelihood of poor families, access to land becomes critical. This paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of the impact of land reform on agricultural output in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Employing a system of equations model and controlling for traditional variables, our study yields several noteworthy findings. First, our results reveal that land development exhibits a positive impact on agricultural output, emphasizing the importance of investment in agriculture. Conversely, the positive coefficient for civil unrest highlights the intricate relationship between land reform and social stability, suggesting that unrest may be a consequence of land reform aimed at addressing inequality. Second, the channel equations shed light on the indirect pathways through which factors like rural population growth rate, life expectancy, and capital stock influence agricultural output. These findings underscore the potential benefits of managing rural population growth, improving healthcare, and increasing investment in agriculture, albeit with varying degrees of impact. Third, our study dissects the different effects of land reform policies. Willing seller-willing buyer and various forms of expropriation are found to be significant in both land development and civil unrest equations, indicating their dual role in promoting land development while potentially contributing to social unrest. Striking a balance between land reform and stability emerges as a crucial policy challenge.

Performance of Women-led Political Parties in Lesotho’s 2022 National Elections

Since the dawn of multi-party democracy in Lesotho in 1993, few political parties have been formed and led by women, and they are not doing well. The main political parties lack the political will and commitment to nominate women as leaders. In the elections of 7 October 2022, none of the main political parties were led by women  and none of them won a single constituency. While many women-led parties could not make it into parliament, a few women leaders got into parliament through Proportional Representation (PR). Four women-led political parties contested the election, all of them performing dismally. It is important to explore why women-led political parties did not perform well, as Lesotho has signed and ratified international protocols on women’s empowerment and equality in politics, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1325, the African Union (AU) Maputo Protocol, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocol on gender and development. All these urge member states to ensure meaningful participation of women in politics and elections, specifically as leaders. We assess the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5) on gender equality and women empowerment to measure the progress Lesotho has made and the challenges yet to be addressed. This article explores factors that contributed to this poor performance and analyses the reasons for the poor performance by reviewing relevant documents regarding the performance of women-led political parties in Lesotho’s 2022 national elections.

Prevalence of alcohol use and associated factors since COVID-19 among school-going adolescents within the Southern African Development Community: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shaped the global landscape and impacted various aspects of individuals’ lives, especially the behaviour of school-going adolescents regarding substance use. Among these substances, alcohol is...

Maximizing Foreign Direct Investment Returns: Unravelling the Complexities and Overcoming Challenges in Dividend Withholding Tax Reclaim Processes

This article explores the complexities surrounding dividend withholding tax reclaim processes and their impact on foreign direct investment returns. It first highlights the growing trend of investors seeking opportunities outside their local stock exchanges and investing in shares abroad or dual-listed shares. Through advanced technology, cross-border transactions have become more prevalent, allowing resident investors to easily purchase shares in foreign markets and non-resident investors to invest in local markets.The refund process often involves submitting extensive documentation, lengthy processing times, potential time limitations for claiming refunds, burdensome administrative procedures, language barriers in foreign jurisdictions, unfamiliar legal requirements, and the possibility of audits or reviews by tax authorities to validate refund claims. Examining these complexities and their impact, this article employs a doctrinal research approach comparing different treaty practices across the Southern African Development Community, also in relation to third countries. It reveals that the complexities of dividend withholding tax reclaim processes significantly affect foreign direct investors’ returns on investment. The article emphasizes the importance of enhancing transparency and consistency in these processes, streamlining documentation requirements, and developing efficient electronic systems.

The Free Movement of People in SADC

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states committed under Article 5(2) (d) of the SADC Treaty to develop policies aimed at the progressive elimination of the obstacles to the free movement of capital, labour, goods and services. The 2005 SADC Protocol on the Movement of People was celebrated as a giant step towards the realization of the regional integration objective of building SADC into a regional community that is fully integrated where citizens enjoy the freedom of movement across regional borders. Whilst substantial efforts have been invested in developing various legal and policy frameworks to open up borders for the free movement of people within SADC, thirty (30) years since the formation of SADC in April 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC); the region is facing serious challenges relating to the free movement of people, migration and labour movement. In reality, SADC member states’ governments have been confronted with serious feasibility challenges, complexities, risks and dilemmas as they attempt to implement commitments made towards the free movement of people in the region, with political, security, economic, strategic, and technical factors often cited as obstacles. This paper sought to critically reflect on the feasibility aspects, policy dilemmas at member state level as well as strategic considerations that stand on the way of free movement of people in SADC. The focus was on examining possibilities, capacities and prospects of SADC member states (in their collectivity and individuality) in addressing the underlying, structural and operational obstacles that are impeding the free movement of people in the region. Secondary data sources are used for analysis, and the three concepts of free movement of people, migration and regional integration provide conceptual lenses for analysis. Findings are key in providing perspectives on how SADC member states may need to collectively address the fundamental questions and issues that facilitate the free movement of people in the region.

Assessment of pharmacovigilance guidelines in the Southern African Development Community: A document review.

Lack of harmonization in pharmacovigilance (PV) practice in resource-limited states in Africa has led to differentiation and marginalization, thus creating an environment where weak or absent PV systems may benefit from regional guidelines. To compare the PV guidelines of Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to international guidelines and identify areas for improvement for aligning PV practice within the SADC region. We utilized a 73-item checklist to assess the PV guidelines of the SADC member states. Checklist parameters were rated using binary scoring. Only seven (Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) of the 16 SADC member states had guidelines to assess. Of these, only four had supporting legislation. All seven national medicines regulatory authorities (NMRA)'s guidelines required reporting of local serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Four NMRAs implemented device vigilance; none specified submission timelines for ADRs associated with substandard or falsified medicines. Only three NMRAs required electronic transmission of individual case safety reports in the E2B format. Five NMRAs mandated safety monitoring during interventional clinical trials. Five NMRAs required aggregate reporting through periodic safety update reports. Only two NMRAs required submission of the development safety update report. Regarding risk management, four NMRAs required notification of actions taken by foreign NMRAs and four NMRAs expected to review Dear Healthcare Professional Letters before distribution by the marketing authorization holder. Areas for improvement of guidelines to establish common process standards and allow for synchronized submissions of comparable data to SADC NMRAs are provided.

The Southern African Development Community Treaty-Nexus; Integration in the Southern African Development Community Region

The Southern African Development Community Treaty-Nexus; Integration in the Southern African Development Community Region; Edts: K. Gombe Adar, D. Mpabanga, K. Lotshwao, T. Molokwane, N. Musekiwa. London: Lexington Book, 2023.

Land Transportation Infrastructure and Economic Growth: An Assessment of the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan

This Southern African Development Community (SADC), as a regional economic integration organization in Africa, has 16 member countries with rich natural resources and tourism resources, attracting the attention of global investors. Although the region's transport infrastructure is among the leading in Africa, it still lags far behind global standards. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of transport infrastructure in SADC, with a particular focus on road transport facilities within the region. Based on SADC's official "SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan Transport Sector Plan, 2012", this paper evaluates the current situation of its road transport infrastructure and conducts an in-depth analysis of the future road development plan in the plan. This research aims to reveal the challenges faced by SADC at the infrastructure level, and provide a comprehensive and in-depth perspective for policy makers, investors and other relevant stakeholders. At the same time, this study can provide some new ideas for future research and provide new solutions to the problems of transportation infrastructure in the SADC region.

Outer packaging labelling of medicines in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries: comparative analysis of requirements and transition terms for harmonisation

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted an urgent need for harmonised requirements for the regulation of medicines. To fully implement harmonised medicines regulations across Africa, common technical standards of medicine regulations are needed. One such technical standard is the labelling of medicines on outer packaging. In this study, we compared outer packaging labelling requirements and transition terms for harmonization for countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.MethodsData on legislation and/or regulatory guidelines for medicine outer packaging labelling from National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) were obtained for countries in the SADC region (n = 16) by February 2023. A detailed comparative content analysis was conducted to determine alignment with the requirements of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) harmonised labelling guidelines to assess readiness levels of each country to transition to the SADC harmonised labelling guideline for outer packaging of medicines.ResultsContent analysis showed at least 11 out of 16 countries require national legal reform to transition to the SADC harmonised labelling guideline. In all cases where countries specified labelling requirements for outer packaging of medicines, these were stipulated in national medicines legislation.ConclusionEven though there is a high level of alignment across the countries in terms of national labelling requirements, most countries in the SADC region would still require national legislative reform to transition to regional harmonised labelling requirements and then ultimately to continental requirements of the African Medicines Agency (AMA).

External shocks’ effects on the co-movements of currency and stock returns in three Southern African Development Community states

External shocks’ effects on the co-movements of currency and stock returns in three Southern African Development Community states

Work-Related Stress Experienced by Male Academics in the SADC Region: A Scoping Review

Work-related stress exists in various organisations around the globe and academia is no exception. Even though academics have flexible hours, they often find themselves taking work home and trying to finish their outstanding work in the evenings or weekends at the expense of their family time. Thus, this paper was aimed at synthesising the existing literature on work-related stress experienced by male academics in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The objectives of the study were (1) to identify the key sources of work-related stress among male academics within the SADC region; (2) to provide synthesised literature on the impact of work-related stress on the mental health of male academics; and (3) to map the existing literature on coping mechanisms used by male academics to deal with their work-related stress. A scoping review guided by PRISMA-ScR was used to report on the coverage of the literature. To identify the literature, international databases (PubMed, and ScienceDirect), local database (Sabinet African Journals Online) and hand-search through Google Scholar were used. The collected data was analysed thematically using the thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. From the databases, it emerged that there is a paucity of studies addressing academic stress with a focus on male academics within the SADC region. The limited data revealed that stress predominantly arises from role ambiguity and gender factors. Whilst, grappling with work-related stress, some academics tend to attribute blame to themselves and turn to substances or drugs to cope with their stress. From the findings, it could be deduced that academics are not immune to work-related stress regardless of their flexible working hours. The study recommends awareness campaigns on mental health issues and stress management in academia. Keywords: Academia, Male Academics, Scoping Review, Work-Related Stress, SADC

Being there: A scoping review on psychosocial challenges faced by adolescents during bereavement in the Southern African Development Community

Background information: Bereavement enhances adolescent’s chances of suffering from psychosocial problems globally and adolescents in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are not an exception. Due to the mourning condition, some of the adolescents become susceptible to multiple mental disorders, stigmatization and social rejection leading to maladaptive coping mechanisms such as substance abuse. Purpose: This study aimed to synthesize the existing literature on the psychological challenges faced by adolescents during bereavement in SADC. Methods: We opted for a scoping review due to its ability to rapidly map the existing literature sourced from international databases (JSTOR, and PubMed), local databases (Sabinet African Journal) and performed hand-search using Google Scholar. We made use of operators and techniques such as Boolean operators, truncations and MeSH terms. The inclusion of the study was limited to adolescents aged 10–26 years within SADC, primary studies (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods) and a 10-year projection of studies conducted from 2013 to 2023 in SADC. Results: The findings of the study revealed that adolescents in SADC experience feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, anger, grief overload, suicidal thoughts, shock and confusion as a result of bereavement. They are also battling with poor academic performance and abuse due to being socially stigmatized and rejected. To cope with this ordeal, some of the adolescents’ resort to dropping out of school, social isolation and substance abuse. Conclusions and recommendations: Our research has revealed that bereavement in adolescents is closely linked with psychological challenges. In addition to psychological distress, our research has unveiled profound social challenges faced by bereaved adolescents. Adolescents frequently encounter the risk of abuse within their families and experience financial hardships following the loss of loved ones. Thus, recommends a constructive active plan for offering support services to bereaved adolescents and, the adoption and promotion of bereavement programs within families, communities and social welfare centres to address risk factors of maladaptive coping.

Geospatial Tools and Remote Sensing Strategies for Timely Humanitarian Response: A Case Study on Drought Monitoring in Eswatini

This article explores the escalating impact of natural disasters, particularly droughts, in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with a specific focus on Eswatini. Over the last century, approximately 63 million people in SADC countries have been affected by droughts, leading to challenges in agriculture, livestock losses, and severe food and water shortages. Despite being the smallest SADC nation, the Kingdom of Eswatini faces disproportionate consequences due to its susceptibility to climate variability, particularly drought. The inadequacy and unreliability of rainfall have resulted in a drastic reduction in food production, with maize, a staple crop, experiencing a 70% decline. This adverse trend, spanning three decades, has heightened the vulnerability of farmers to climatic shocks, hindering sustainable agricultural development and impeding poverty alleviation efforts. To address the growing threat of drought in the kingdom, a comprehensive approach is imperative, involving coordinated plans and the development of swift humanitarian relief strategies. This study utilized remote sensing technologies to monitor drought and assess its repercussions, evaluating the impact on agricultural production. Additionally, geospatial tools, including Open Route Service (ORS) and Near Neighbor Analysis algorithms, were employed to optimize humanitarian supply chain logistics. Results from the analysis, including Vegetation Health Index (VHI) fluctuations and drought severity mapping, reveal that 1990 was the year the kingdom was most severely hit by drought. This study also found that smallholder farmers practicing rainfed agriculture in vulnerable regions, such as the lower Middleveld and western Lowveld, suffered the severe socioeconomic consequences of agricultural drought, including income loss, food insecurity, and migration patterns. Through this integrated approach, decision makers can engage in targeted interventions, focusing on farming areas needing irrigation infrastructures or populated areas requiring a coordinated humanitarian response amidst climate variability.

Book Review: Ogochukwu Monye Digital Financial Inclusion and Regulation (2023); Oyeniyi Abe Implementing Business and Human Rights Norms in Africa — Law and Policy Interventions (2022); Victor T Amadi Trade, Migration and Law — Free Movement of Persons in the Southern African Development Community (2024)

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