MORE ON SADC REFORM

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 002660 DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S DEPARTMENT PASS TO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE DEPARTMENT PASS TO CARICOM COLLECTIVE DEPARTMENT PASS TO MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2005 TAGS: PREL PGOV SADC SF SUBJECT: MORE ON SADC REFORM REF: A. A) PRETORIA 1680 ¶B. B) PRETORIA 2537 CLASSIFIED BY POLCOUNSELOR MDRAGSDALE, REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) ALONG WITH PARTICIPATING IN THE REFORM OF SADC'S ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY (REF A),SOUTH AFRICA IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE OVERALL REFORM OF SADC AS AN INSTITUTION. AS A MEMBER OF THE "TROIKA PLUS ONE" (SOUTH AFRICA, NAMIBIA, ZIMBABWE, AND MOZAMBIQUE) REFORM COMMITTEE, SOUTH AFRICA HAS CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING OF SADC, IN LINE WITH THE 1999 SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE. ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS' (DFA) DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR SADC AFFAIRS AJ BRAMDEO, THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH MET IN MID-MARCH, IS SCHEDULED TO MEET AGAIN APRIL 12-14 IN MAPUTO. IN A MARCH 27 MEETING, BRAMDEO TOLD POLOFF THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD ALSO BE SENDING A DELEGATION IN APRIL TO VISIT VARIOUS REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS MERCOSUR, CARICOM, AND ECOWAS IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THEY COULD PROVIDE USEFUL GUIDANCE FOR SADC REFORM (COMMENT. ON MARCH 31 BRAMDEO TOLD POLOFF THAT SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT MBEKI AND MALI PRESIDENT KONARE DISCUSSED POSSIBLE SADC-ECOWAS COOPERATION. SEE REF B. END COMMENT.) ¶2. (C) ACCORDING TO BRAMDEO, THE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS CREATED A "CLUSTER" APPROACH TO SADC, WHEREBY ALL THE SECTORAL COORDINATING UNITS AND THE COMMISSIONS ON TRANSPORT AND ENERGY WOULD BE COLLAPSED INTO 5 CLUSTERS, OVERSEEN BY DIRECTORATES. THESE DIRECTORATES, BRAMDEO TOLD POLOFF, WOULD ALL BE LOCATED WITHIN THE SADC SECRETARIAT IN GABORONE. ALTHOUGH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS NOT YET FINALIZED DETAILS SUCH AS CALENDARIZATION OF THE PROCESS, POSITION DESCRIPTION DEVELOPMENT, AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES, BRAMDEO AFFIRMED THAT IT ENVISIONS THE DIRECTORATES WOULD HAVE A TOTAL STAFF OF APPROXIMATELY 50 PERSONS, ALL OF WHOM WOULD BE FROM THE SADC REGION. BRAMDEO STRESSED THAT THE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS TRANSPARENT AND COMPETITIVE COMPETITION FOR THESE POSITIONS, WITH THE JOBS GOING TO THE MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, REGARDLESS OF NATIONALITY. BRAMEDO DID NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF USING SADC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FROM INTERNATIONAL DONORS TO FINANCE THESE CLUSTERS (AND SALARIES). THE CLUSTERS AND THEIR DIRECTORATES WOULD FOCUS ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SADC "PRIORITIES" (AS DEFINED BY THE COORDINATING UNITS),AND ON ESTABLISHING BENCHMARKS AND TIMEFRAMES FOR PHASED-IN APPROACHES TO REGIONAL PROJECTS. THIS WAY, SAID BRAMDEO, THE INSTITUTION WOULD BETTER BE ABLE TO GAUGE ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. ¶3. (C) RECOGNIZING THE ISSUE OF NATIONAL SENSITIVITIES (ESPECIALLY FROM THE SMALLER SADC MEMBERS WHO STAND TO LOSE THEIR SECTORAL COORDINATING ROLES),BRAMDEO INDICATED THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WAS PREPARED TO "LOBBY" FOR ITS REFORM PROGRAM. HE SAID THE ORGAN AND SOCIAL REFORM COMMITTEES WOULD "MERGE" THEIR PROJECTS IN JUNE AND PRESENT THE COMBINED RESTRUCTURE PROPOSAL AT THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL, AFTER WHICH LOBBYING EFFORTS WOULD BEGIN IN EARNEST. ¶4. (C) ON AN ASIDE, BRAMDEO ADDED THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE NEXT SADC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSSESS WELL-DEFINED MANAGERIAL SKILLS AND MEET SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL CRITERIA. BRAMDEO DID NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT SADC WOULD CHOOSE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR (SUCH AS A RETIRED CEO) RATHER THAN SOMEONE FROM THE POLITICAL ARENA FOR THE POSITION. HE SAID THE HEADS OF STATE WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ISSUE DURING THE NEXT SADC SUMMIT IN AUGUST 2000. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) SOUTH AFRICA CONTINUES TO WORK WITHIN THE SADC SYSTEM IN ITS ATTEMPTS TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL COOPERATION. ALTHOUGH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS SOUND AMBITIOUS, THE LACK OF DETAIL ON ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES SUCH AS REMUNERATION AND CALENDARIZATION INDICATES THAT THE FRUITION OF ANY REFORM IS STILL A LONG TIME IN COMING. END COMMENT. LEWIS