True to form, up until now the Zuma administration – in its recent forays into the African continent, and particularly the southern African region – is following the agenda set by the African National Congress (ANC) at its national conference of December 2007 at Polokwane.  The high profile visits by President Jacob Zuma to Angola and Zimbabwe should be seen against this background – although in the instance of Zimbabwe, the specific responsibilities assumed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) also played an important role.

While the ANC clearly, as a long-term goal, spelled out its ambitions for the “revival of the idea of an African Union Government", southern Africa was identified as an important point of departure. In this regard, the Polokwane conference adopted a resolution that stated, among others, that the “conference strongly recommends the consolidation of SADC as a Regional Economic Community as a first step towards the development of the African Union Government.” The resolution also stated that, “the ANC has to play a prominent role in strengthening and consolidating the region politically. “To achieve our economic and political programmes as agreed by the SADC regional leadership – our approach should be developmental and ensure diversification of the economies of the member states. “Furthermore, the SADC Parliament should be established so that it could engage and contribute to a common approach on issues in the region.” In recent weeks, we have reported on some the challenges facing the region, including the strain that negotiations with the European Union have placed on the Southern African Customs Union, and the difficulties in getting the government of national union in Zimbabwe to function properly. This week we take a look at some of the challenges involved in engaging with Angola and Zimbabwe in the wake of President Zuma’s recent visits to these two neighbors of South Africa.