ISSN 1027-0353
African Journal of Political Science ISSN 3461-2165 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 001-013, October, 2009. © International Scholars Journals
Review
The challenges of regional integration in Southern Africa
Mark Chingono* and Steve Nakana
University of Zimbabwe, P. O. Box MP167 Mount Pleasant Harare, Zimbabwe.
Accepted 12 September, 2008
Abstract
Regional integration is increasingly being accepted as essential in facilitating economic and political development. Yet dominant development theories informing policy have yet to integrate ‘integration theory’ into their models. In Southern Africa, the attempt to achieve regional integration using ‘disintegrative’ development models has led to paralysis and pain. This paper highlights this contradiction and shows that regional integration presupposes complementary economic policies and productive structures. Economic nationalism and the mono-cultural production of raw materials militate against regional integration and this explains why in Southern Africa there is so much inertia but little progress.
Keywords: Regional integration, economic development, political development, productive structures.