John Grobler
16 June 2008
Stockholm — Future development cooperation between Namibia and Sweden will increasingly stress "actor-driven development" which Sweden hoped would develop into more equal partnerships with the stable democracies of southern Africa, according to Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Joakim Stymne.
Stymne, speaking on the sidelines of the annual review of development between Sweden and Namibia in Stockholm last week, signalled that economic, rather than political, common cause would in future direct bilateral relations.
While countries like Namibia, Botswana and South Africa still faced huge hurdles in terms of health, education and poverty, the Swedish government saw these countries as candidates for more equal partnership than was possible elsewhere in Africa.
"We believe there is much stronger basis for a much more equal and truer partnership [with these countries] than what we have become used to seeing in Africa," he said This required much stronger and equal partnerships, where development cooperation would shift away from state-to-state to local government and business-driven cooperation, he said.
One such "actor-driven" development presently under discussion was the Walvis Bay Corridor initiative, said Director-General of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr Peter Katjavivi, interviewed with Stymne.
Last week, Sweden sponsored 10 delegates from the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, representing local transport and logistics concerns, to travel to Stockholm, Goeteborg and Malmoe to meet with their Swedish counterparts.
With its strategic geographic position between the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and an exceptionally well-developed infrastructure, Sweden and its 52 ports play a major role in trans-European trade and logistics.
The country is also a major exporter of especially mining technology, which equipment in 2006 saw Sweden export SEK 60.4 million (SEK1.00 = about N$1.20) in goods to and through Namibia.
In contrast, Namibia only exported SEK 5.7 million worth of goods to Sweden in 2006, according to figures made available by the Swedish government.
By acting as a gateway to the landlocked economies of Zambia, Botswana, southern DRC and Zimbabwe, Namibia could address this trade imbalance, Dr Katjavivi suggested.
Johnny Smith, CEO of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, in various presentations to Swedish companies pointed out that by shipping their goods via Walvis Bay, Swedish companies could save themselves up to a week in sea-time, while stream-lining of customs procedures along the Kalahari - and Caprivi Corridors meant cross-border delays of less than 30 minutes.
Swedish multi-nationals such as Atlas-Copco, one of the world's largest manufacturers of specialised mining equipment, appeared pleasantly surprised at the possibilities.
Others expressed interest in moving heavy shipments to Angola via Namibia, and directed specific questions to the likes of Namport CEO Sebby Kankondi and TransNamib's Jack Dempsey.
A Swedish Trade Council office would be opened in Namibia (but the embassy to close) soon that would encourage "trade for aid" under European Union EPA agreements "to gradually integrate Namibia into world trade," Stymne said.
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