Decision Making in the Southern African Development Community

Abstract

As signatories to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Treaty, member states agree on certain principles and objectives which guide them and the security community in decision making. To this end, the SADC through its founding document, the SADC Treaty, sets out the technical details about decision making processes in the organisation. The purpose of this article however, is to analyse what other factors impact upon and influence decision making in the SADC. Findings of the study indicated that member states at times make decisions which undermine the effectiveness and principles of the SADC Treaty. The study was based on a qualitative methodology which made use of documentary search and content analysis. Some states were found to make decisions based upon patron-client relations and prioritisation of national interests over regional interests. Apart from actions taken by some member states, the study also identifies funding and external influences as factors which impact on the SADC’s decisions and undermine the values and principles of the SADC Treaty. The role of personalities in enforcing the values of the SADC Treaty was also identified as a factor in the organisations decision making. The study recommends that the SADC member states make their decisions with their regional commitments as a priority and in the framework of the SADC security community ideals.