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Democracy and Governance: Regional Center for Southern Africa
The Southern Africa regional program covers 12 of the 14 countries that
are members of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The country mix ranges from very
poor (Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) to middle income
(Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland). The region is anchored by the modern and
dominant economy of South Africa, although many of the countries in southern Africa continue to be
predominantly agricultural. Although agriculture accounts for 70-80% of employment, it contributes only
about 20% of regional GDP. Average regional GDP growth in 2003 was 3.1%, which is better than the
2.4% of 2002, but only half of the estimated 6.2% the region needs to meet its poverty alleviation goals.
Challenged by poverty, hard hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and continually beset by droughts and food
insecurity, the region has seen its average life expectancy drop from 57 to only 33 years. The continuing
political crisis in Zimbabwe illustrates the fragility of democratic institutions in the region.
Against this bleak picture is the more positive one of a region with relatively well-developed infrastructure,
diverse natural resources, nascent democratic governments, generally better education and, apart from
HIV/AIDS, better health than the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. The region remains relatively peaceful
compared with other African sub-regions, which makes possible its move toward regional integration. In
the past five years, under the leadership of SADC, regional agreements ("Protocols") concerning trade,
transport, communications, energy, shared watercourses, and corruption have been signed by SADC
member states.
The United States has three main interests in southern Africa: increasing trade and strengthening
economic ties with the SADC region; mitigating the region’s HIV/AIDS crisis and recurrent food insecurity;
and strengthening democracy to improve the climate for trade and reduce the risk of conflict in the region.
(Excerpted from the 2005 Congressional Budget Justification for the Regional Center for Southern Africa)
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