22.09.2009, ein Beitrag von Nkululeko Khumalo, wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)

Germany is rightly credited for being a major force in pulling Europe together and helping to shape it into a formidable leviathan called the European Union (EU). It is thus unbelievable and thoroughly disgusting, to say the least, that Germany has been part an EU that has wittingly or otherwise precipitated the disintegration of the already fragile African integration bodies particularly the Southern African Customs Union (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

Why is Germany choosing to not only see no evil and hear no evil but to be complicit in the evil being visited on Africa through the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)? In SACU for instance, South Africa and Namibia are fighting a difficult albeit just war to keep the region intact as the EU breaks SACU apart. Germany through its membership of the EU has hoodwinked Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland into believing that EPAs are a godsend and anything, let alone SACU, is worth sacrificing for them. This is despite clear evidence that the destruction of SACU would spell economic doom for Swaziland, Lesotho and Namibia that derive a significant part of their revenues from the SACU common revenue pool. How can Germany be part of this fraud called EPAs when it has such a glowing and glorious history of promoting regional integration?

Germany needs a leader who will stand up for the cause of the weak countries and stop the EU from abusing the EPAs to promote its own interests at the expense of genuine and beneficial regional integration in Africa. We hope the Germans will choose wisely.