THE ROLE OF ADULT EDUCATION IN THE PROMOTION OF PARTICIPATORY AND REGIONALISED DEVELOPMENT FOR RE-CHARACTERISATION OF SADC

The development of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) remains pivotal for transformation and amelioration of the living conditions of the citizens of the member states. It is therefore essential for countries that are members of SADC to realise economic prosperity, political liberalisation, social transformation and prudent utilisation of environmental finite resources through the active participation of citizens of the member states. The efforts that are geared towards the realisation of a prosperous SADC should be employed through the promotion of regionalised policies and re-characterisation of the citizenship agenda. SADC economic, political, social and technological interventions are marred with ostracising of the majority of the people in the regional bloc. The ostracising of some regional citizens is based on race, tribe, political affiliation, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and ideological orientation, which result in them been denied the opportunities to participate in the activities that are meant to transform their lives. The research presents some discourse on the role of adult education in sensitising and educating the ordinary people within the SADC countries, to generate narratives around the issues that lessen their power to participate actively in the efforts that are towards the building of the regional body, which is supposed to have a clear agenda for participatory development. It is noted that the SADC countries engage in various activities that are apt for their development, amidst the discriminatory characteristics that leave a significant number of the underprivileged and those with divergent views with no room to participate. The influence of the corporate entities has rendered the states in the SADC region less accommodative of indigenous ideas, with preference been given to exotic ideologies by the governing elites. The paper exemplifies this position by showing how Basarwa in countries such as Botswana, Namibia and South Africa do not play any noticeable economic, political, social and technological roles in the running of their respective countries. It is argued therefore that SADC should through Adult Education promote the necessary camaraderie and quid pro quo within the citizens of the SADC countries so that their knowledge of what obtains in their respective countries can be achieved. If the regional body is to be more responsive, it has to be more accommodative and it is through educating its constituents that it can realise both qualitative and quantitative forms of development. The paper argues that adult education is chiefly important for any form of development to take place because it is a vehicle through which underprivileged sections of the populations such as the San (Basarwa) can be transformed, so as to be knowledgeable, skilful and have germane attitudes to foster their participation and enhance regional development.