2018 SADC people summit communique

Southern African People’s Solidarity Network
2018 SADC PEOPLE SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE TO THE SADC HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
PRESENTED TO THE INCOMING CHAIRPERSON OF SADC, HIS EXECELLENCY, THE PRESIDENT OF NAMIBIA, HAGE GEINGOB ON THE 17th of AUGUST 2018 at the SAFARI HOTEL, WINDHOEK NAMIBIA

We, the more than 800 delegates drawn from grassroots social movements, community based organisations, faith based organisations, small scale food producers, women’s organisations, labour, students, youths, children, economic justice, human rights, people with disabilities and other various sectors of social movements gathered at the SADC People Summit convened by the Southern Africa People Solidarity Network (SAPSN) at the Windhoek Show Grounds in Windhoek, Namibia, from 16-17 August 2018 under the theme “Reclaiming SADC for social, economic and political justice, free movement and use of natural resources for youth employment, affordable land and housing for all.”
Appreciating the effort of SADC Secretariat in opening its doors to Social Movements in general and particularly acknowledging the role of the SAPSN in mobilising citizens of the region to defend their livelihoods, offer alternatives and reclaim their space and voice in the SADC processes; Further appreciating the space created by the incoming SADC Chairperson, His Excellency President of Namibia Hage Geingob for the social movements and civil society on the 15th of August 2018 and his pledge to engage with the civil society organisations and social movements in the region on key issues bedevilling the region;
Notingthe existence of the SADC as a regional economic bloc with a relatively better peace and security dividend in a well-resourced Africa in terms of natural and human resources but burdened with the responsibility to address the threats to peace and human security in specific SADC member states such as the DRC, Zimbabwe and Lesotho where the military and police continue to meddle in politics, in the process violating fundamental human rights;
Viva the People of SADC! Viva the solidarity and citizenship of SADC Viva!!!!!!!
Concerned with:
 Destruction of the Nature and Natural Resources Base through extractivism,
 Exclusion of women in developmental processes and traditional leadership, structures that do not respect the voices of marginalised groups,
 Shrinking civic and citizens’ space, human rights violations and persecutions targeting human rights defenders in the region and limited freedom of movement of citizens in the region,
 Lack of trade facilitation, inadequate border infrastructure, limited access to finance, lack of markets, limited knowledge about simplified trade protocols and harassment of informal sector and cross border traders,
 Alarmingly high child marriages in the SADC Region with 39% of girls marrying before the age of 18 and the weak knowledge management and documentation on ending child marriage.
 Unabated lack of progress on ending violence against women in the region
 Economic Partnership Agreements the SADC countries have signed with the European Union and the Post Continuous Agreement about to commence.
 Lack of freedom of movement of people in the SADC region.
Outraged by
 Corruption and theft of public goods by corporates in collusion with the local elites including political leadership
 Militarisation of civilian politics which strips off the SADC citizenry of its right to determine governance and election outcomes through democratic processes
 Systematic abuse of human rights by transnational corporations who are dispossessing the citizens of their land and natural resources, paying slave wages, subjecting workers to slave working conditions and the massacres of the people that have taken place in a number of SADC countries like South Africa, Lesotho and DRC where resistance has occurred
 Outraged by customary land distribution patterns that predicate women’s access to land
 Looting of nature without consideration of life ecosystems and future generations
 Capitalist Patriarchy land ownership patterns that are in greater concentration in the hands of foreign interests
 Lack of commitment by most SADC member countries to allocate adequate resources to the public services sectors such as education, health and social protection. Most SADC countries have failed to meet the thresholds as stated in their declaration e.g on Agriculture, health and education
 Insensitive youth and children policies.
 High youth unemployment and impractical education system that focuses mainly on theory than being practical to address the regional challenges through harnessing the youth dividend.
Viva the People of SADC! Viva the solidarity and citizenship of SADC Viva!!!!!!!
We commit
 To heighten, broaden and deepen our levels of solidarity beyond the SADC People Summit through regionalising our campaigns, national engagements with the SADC institutions and holding them accountable to implement specific protocols that have impact on the poor, marginalised and vulnerable SADC citizens.
 To better collaborate and coordinate our horizontal and vertical engagements to address our concerns.
 To continue mobilising the citizens in particular women, girls and youths of the region against globalisation, transnational corporations and all forms of social, economic, political injustices in defence of our sovereignty and natural resources.
 Create a monitoring framework within the SADC People’s Summit to review progress and monitor implementation and compliance to commitments by the SADC and the SADC member states.
 Provide evidence through research and lived experiences as the citizens of the SADC.
 Engage governments to commit towards addressing youths and children challenges
We now therefore call on SADC member States and Governments to address the following issues raised by the different clusters who convened at the 2018 SADC People Summit at the Windhoek Show grounds:
1. Democracy, Governance and Human Rights
 Ensure that all countries demilitarize the civilian space and governments and return to civilian rule and uphold the rule of law
 SADC should put time bound reform programme for Lesotho to commence reforms in earnest failing to which the regional body should withdraw their support.
 Strengthening of independent institutions that support democracy in the region
 Upgrade the SADC Principles and Guidelines on Democratic Elections to a protocol so that they are enforceable with clear sanctions for non-compliance by member states.
 Revive the SADC Tribunal with its original form and powers as before its disbandment
 Demand an inquest into the murders of civilians in Zimbabwe in August 2018
 SADC and AU must develop action plans and implement initiatives that strengthen democracy before, during and after elections as well as ensure that election observer missions move from election observation to election monitoring.
Viva the People of SADC! Viva the solidarity and citizenship of SADC Viva!!!!!!!
2. Youth Empowerment and Participation
 Reduction of retirement age to at least 55 as well as a reduction in the age at which one is eligible to contest in presidential elections to 30 years.
 Sustainable youth economic empowerment programmes/fund, set an average salary wage for employees In the same vein all SADC governments to set up an ICT fund, increase investments in education, health, agriculture and ensure academic freedoms.
 An active desk for youth and children at SADC Secretariat for self-representation and support organic youth social movements.
 Explore youth employment and financing opportunity in the renewable energy sector done through SACREE and revive the SADC water youth network.
3. Economic Justice (Tax, Debt & Trade)
 Support the establishment of a Binding treaty on TNCs, business and human rights.
 A protocol on the Right to say NO based on the principles of Free Prior, Informed and continuous Consent;
 Put an end to illicit financial flows by implementing the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows Recommendations of 2014
 There should be consultation at all levels of Informal Traders in the second phase of the ACFTA negotiations on investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy.
 Introduce a special travel document for informal cross border traders/ and removal of visa requirements for SADC member states.
 Expedite and champion the call for cancellation of odious and illegitimate debt in SADC member countries;
 A socio-economic development agenda anchored on inclusivity, equality and sustainability; and
 Increased meaningful youth participation in economic and natural resources governance.
 Economic development economic model geared towards respect of nature in line with the concept of human rights and livelihoods for future generations.
 Withdrawal from the EPAs Agreements and Post Cotonou Process.
 We demand compensation for mine workers during the colonial and apartheid era exploitations.
 Legal frameworks that enables labour brokered workers to exercise their rights
Viva the People of SADC! Viva the solidarity and citizenship of SADC Viva!!!!!!!
4. Gender Justice and Empowerment- Land & Agriculture
 Meet their Maputo Declaration commitments to allocating 10% of national budgets to agricultural and rural development policy implementation;
 Stop the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture;
 Diversification of inputs available through subsidy programmes to support small holder farmers particularly the rural women farmers.
 Expedite the implementation of gender sensitive land reform programmes in SADC member states.
 Limit and eventually phase out subsidies on multinational corporate inputs and a shift to subsidies for diverse, locally produced agricultural inputs.
 Enact a legislation to end violence against women in the region
 Support
 Demand Secure land rights for women in the region
 Support the process of the UN Declaration of the rights of peasants and other people living in rural areas
5. Climate change, environmental justice and natural resource governance
 Implementation of useful policies and Reforming support programs on climate, environmental justice and natural resources to solve problems faced by communities
 Respecting and enhancing the role of Civil Society participation in the development, implementation and monitoring and evacuation of public policies (climate change, environmental sustainability, participatory budgeting, others)
 Enact binding protocols and mechanisms to ensure that communities have the effective right to say no/ free, prior and informed consent.
 Perform comprehensive reviews and audits to remove contradictions in development policies to protect the rights of the people
6. Young Women Empowerment and Gender Justice
 Governments must provide sufficient budgetary allocation towards ending child marriage programmes across the relevant ministries i.e. formal and informal education including adult education and lifelong learning, Agriculture, Justice, health, gender, social welfare etc
 Efforts to address child marriage must focus on grassroots initiatives recognizing that child marriage is more prevalent in rural areas. Government should ensure that Traditional leaders, religious leaders, members of parliament, ministers, and other civic leaders take a leading role in ending child marriage in their communities.
 SADC governments must embrace and make use of the SADC Model Law on Ending Child Marriage and Protecting Those Already in Marriage. All SADC countries must have legislation that set 18 as minimum age of marriage in line with international and regional instruments
Equal opportunities for both girls and boys to get education
Viva the People of SADC! Viva the solidarity and citizenship of SADC Viva!!!!!!!
7. Social Services Delivery
 Increase in social services budget; to reach SADC set thresholds in various Declarations particularly in education, health and agriculture.
 Stop the privatisation of social services.
We the Peoples of the SADC have been strengthened by our sharing of experiences and aspirations within this people summit and will continue to by all means necessary until we have a voice in the SADC regional processes and reclaiming our true SADC citizenship and not be treated as subjects.
Signed on the 17th of August 2018 in Windhoek by the SAPSN Secretary General
Sofonea Shale
Telephone Number: +26622326855/ +26658854920
Email:shalesofonea@yahoo.com