The Southern African Development Community (SADC) experiences high levels of cross border human traffic due to trade, cultural and language links across the fifteen countries. Technological advances and increased domestic competition have contributed to lower domestic retail tariffs for mobile cellular services. Unfortunately, this has not extended to international mobile roaming (IMR) retail tariffs which remain unacceptably high. These high tariffs have attracted harsh criticism from commentators and prompted calls for regulatory intervention. This study investigates the level of international mobile roaming (IMR) retail tariffs, usage and demand elasticity. It further considers whether competition or regulation play a greater role in reducing these tariffs and whether regulatory intervention is likely to reduce competition. The research took the form of a quantitative study and used an online survey questionnaire as the data collection tool. The results of the study confirmed that international mobile roaming (IMR) retail tariffs are indeed high, resulting in poor uptake by cost conscious travellers who pay for their own cellular usage. The finding that competition plays a greater role than regulation in reducing IMR retail tariffs is not significant. It was concluded that neither competition nor regulation are sufficient on their own to provide increased social welfare. The best result is obtained when competition is allowed to flourish, underpinned by an enabling regulatory framework. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Globalisation and trade integration have positioned Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a development imperative for many developing countries, including Southern African Development Community (SADC) economies. Despite concerted efforts both at individual country level and at regional level, FDI flows to the SADC region have declined compared to other regions in the world. The main reasons posited for SADC's inability to attract and retain FDI include negative risk perceptions; a weak ease of doing business environment, and endemic corruption. Hence, the study seeks to investigate the relationship between FDI inflows and corruption and ease of doing business in SADC. The research applies Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) analysis to all 16 SADC countries over a period of 2010 to 2019. The results show that although both corruption and ease of doing business are significantly and positively relate to FDI inflows in SADC, ease of doing business affects FDI to a greater extent compared to corruption. In addition, the inclusion of the interaction between corruption and ease of doing business shows that FDI inflows are more closely attracted by ease of doing business than by corruption.

Instability and political repression are two reasons why many states in Africa are unable to develop. African regional organizations have the potential to encourage democracy, stability and development within their regions if they have the right tools. Using case studies of two major interventions by African regional organizations this thesis will determine what those tools may be. Both the intervention of ECOWAS into Liberia and the SADC into the DRC were rife with problems but they were able to bring some stability and even democracy to states in crisis. This thesis finds that African regional organizations can promote democracy and stability, but the focus is always on stability for the region. With strong institutions and mandates, policy agreement and strong leadership, African regional organizations can bring stability, development and even democracy to their regions.

No description available.

No description available.

Magister Legum - LLM

A rebours du schéma élaboré dans le cadre du Traité d’Abuja signé le 3 juin 1991 par les Etats membres de L’Organisation de l’unité Africaine (OUA), la divergence actuelle des systèmes régionaux africains constitue une dénaturation de l’approche convenue. Ce texte prévoit en effet dans son article 6, la création des Communautés économiques régionales (CER) comme une modalité de l’intégration continentale. A ce titre, huit CER sont aujourd’hui reconnues par l’Union Africaine : la Communauté Economique des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO) ; la Communauté Economique des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (CEEAC) ; la Communauté de l’Afrique de l’Est (CAE) ; la Southern Africa Development Community (SADC); l’Autorité Intergouvernementale pour le Développement (IGAD); le Marché Commun de l’Afrique Australe et Orientale (COMESA); l’Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA); et la Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens (CEN-SAD). L’établissement de la Communauté économique africaine instituée par le Traité, reste subordonné à la réussite de ces systèmes communautaires régionaux. Toutefois, la multiplication d’autres organisations communautaires sous-régionales - en plus de celles reconnues - d’une part, et la mise en œuvre de programmes et activités similaires dans le domaine économique d’autre part, tendent à compromettre la réalisation du projet africain. Cette situation fait échec au concept de départ qui établit le principe d’une exclusivité régionale à la faveur de la CER reconnue. A cause de chevauchements des objectifs poursuivis, il s’ensuit entre les organisations régionales, des rapports de rivalité plutôt que de complémentarité, aboutissant à la coexistence des systèmes d’intégration concurrents. Les rapports entre les CER et l’Organisation continentale rendent également visibles les insuffisances liées à la coordination du processus projeté. L’Union Africaine ne disposant pas du tout ou pas suffisamment des moyens juridiques lui permettant une intrusion dans la mise en œuvre des programmes communautaires régionaux, l’application des dispositions du Traité d’Abuja par les CER, ne semble pas homogène. La matérialisation des ambitions affichées par les Etats signataires demeure à ce jour conditionnée par la rationalisation de l’intégration envisagée. Cette étude vise à proposer quelques pistes de solutions en ce sens. / In stark contrast to the vision which emerged from the Treaty of Abuja, ratified by the member states of the Organisation of African Unity on the 3rd of June 1991, the present divergence of regional systems in Africa constitutes a serious distortion of the approach that was agreed upon. Indeed, in Article 6, the treaty sets forth the “strengthening of existing regional economic communities” (RECs) as a means of achieving integration on a continental scale. Along these lines, the African Union now recognizes eight RECs: the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD). As laid out in the treaty, the establishment of the African Economic Community is entirely dependent upon the success of these regional community systems. At the same time, the increase of other community organisations at the sub-regional level, beyond those officially recognized, on the one hand, and the implementation of similar programmes and activities, on the other hand, tend to endanger the realisation of the African project. This situation flies in the face of the original idea, which was based on the principle of the regional exclusivity of the recognized RECs. As a result of the various overlapping goals that are being pursued by difference organisations, competitive rather than complimentary relations have led to a coexistence of rival systems of integration. The relations between the RECs and the continental organization (the AU) have also made apparent the inadequacy of the coordination procedure that had been envisaged. As the African Union does not have sufficient legal means at its disposal to intervene in the implementation of regional community programmes, the execution of the Treaty of Abuja by the RECs lacks homogeneity. In order to achieve the ambitions declared by those member states who signed the treaty, a rationalisation of the proposed integration is necessary. The present study puts forward several proposals as to how such a rationalisation may be accomplished.

Magister Legum - LLM / South Africa

Environmentally induced migration has been a contentious topic over the last two decades. Estimates show that over 30 million people worldwide are annually forced to migrate due to serious environmental degradation, natural disasters and depletion of natural resources. Thus the environment is irrefutably changing, and clear linkages can be drawn between environmental change and human mobility. Africa‘s developing status and its vulnerability in the context of environmental shocks compels research on prospective impacts and outcomes in order to develop proper mitigation and adaptation strategies, especially in Southern African Development Community (SADC) where the likelihood of protection measures being successfully implemented is relatively low. This dissertation is aimed at providing the reader with a detailed analysis of the regional normative framework regulating the issue of environmentally induced migration in SADC. Because environmental migrants are not considered to be ―refugees‖ in international law and on account of the fact that many policy makers and practitioners have their reservations as regards even acknowledging the existence of environmental migrants, protection and regulation in this regard is understandably lacking. A comprehensive framework is nonetheless required to regulate this phenomenon as it prompts serious security and sovereignty concerns. Until quite recently, most African countries had not even put in place national migration policies. Although many states have policies in place now, most have not yet been fully and effectively implemented. The normative framework governing specifically environmentally induced migration in SADC similarly renders rather disappointing results. Most of the applicable instruments do not directly raise the issue and the provisions indirectly touching upon the subject matter are subject to interpretation. A binding protocol must therefore be adopted by SADC Member States embracing elements contained in the instruments comprising the current framework. Such a protocol will however have to be liberal enough to acknowledge and provide for environmentally induced migration in its entirety whilst conservative enough so as not to undermine protection regimes for refugees in the true sense of the word. Conflicting interests and sovereignty considerations will, however, undoubtedly continue to hinder progress in this regard. The way forward is therefore away from ultimate sovereignty preservation and toward a regionalised approach where human rights no longer take a backseat. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Environmentally induced migration has been a contentious topic over the last two decades. Estimates show that over 30 million people worldwide are annually forced to migrate due to serious environmental degradation, natural disasters and depletion of natural resources. Thus the environment is irrefutably changing, and clear linkages can be drawn between environmental change and human mobility. Africa‘s developing status and its vulnerability in the context of environmental shocks compels research on prospective impacts and outcomes in order to develop proper mitigation and adaptation strategies, especially in Southern African Development Community (SADC) where the likelihood of protection measures being successfully implemented is relatively low. This dissertation is aimed at providing the reader with a detailed analysis of the regional normative framework regulating the issue of environmentally induced migration in SADC. Because environmental migrants are not considered to be ―refugees‖ in international law and on account of the fact that many policy makers and practitioners have their reservations as regards even acknowledging the existence of environmental migrants, protection and regulation in this regard is understandably lacking. A comprehensive framework is nonetheless required to regulate this phenomenon as it prompts serious security and sovereignty concerns. Until quite recently, most African countries had not even put in place national migration policies. Although many states have policies in place now, most have not yet been fully and effectively implemented. The normative framework governing specifically environmentally induced migration in SADC similarly renders rather disappointing results. Most of the applicable instruments do not directly raise the issue and the provisions indirectly touching upon the subject matter are subject to interpretation. A binding protocol must therefore be adopted by SADC Member States embracing elements contained in the instruments comprising the current framework. Such a protocol will however have to be liberal enough to acknowledge and provide for environmentally induced migration in its entirety whilst conservative enough so as not to undermine protection regimes for refugees in the true sense of the word. Conflicting interests and sovereignty considerations will, however, undoubtedly continue to hinder progress in this regard. The way forward is therefore away from ultimate sovereignty preservation and toward a regionalised approach where human rights no longer take a backseat. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015