How Swaziland and South Africa can integrate to improve their economic status through transportation : road and rail transportation

Abstract

Paper presented at the 33rd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 7-10 July 2014 "Leading Transport into the Future", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

Integration may be said to be a key element in most countries’ development policies, for example, South Africa’s “African agenda” which part of its goals were to contribute towards the SADC Common Agenda, in hope for integration of multi and bilateral action programs. Integration may be defined as the process of attaining close and seamless coordination between several organisations, systems etc. There are different forms of integration; regional, system, economic integration to name but a few. The latter form of integration can be defined as a process and as a state of affairs. Regarded as a process, it encompasses measures designed to abolish discrimination between economic units belonging to different national states (Balaso, 1961). Economic integration transpires at a time when two or more nations carry out policies that result in bigger mutual interdependence. It follows that if such countries (those that are to integrate) stem from a single regional or regional integration activities, they are to be termed as ‘regional economic integration.’ (Negasi, 2009) According to a report by the World Bank in 2011, both South Africa and Swaziland were ranked as 3rd world countries (by GNI per capita), with the former classified as upper middle income country whilst Swaziland was classified as a lower middle income state. Both countries are part of the Southern African Development Community. The true objective of SADC is full economic integration of the Southern Africa region and trade liberalization. South Africa and Swaziland already have forged links with each other through the above mentioned organization. “Swaziland and South Africa, both developing 3rd world countries, entered into bilateral and multilateral agreements governing or touching on transport and logistics related issues (Mpata et.al, 2004). Included in these agreements are the SACU Arrangements and the SADC Transport and Communications Protocol.” Since the two countries are already part of an organization which part of its objective is full economic integration, this essay will look at how to link the two countries' development objectives and align them through transport.