The Southern African Special Administrative Region

An economic heterotopia in Southern Africa

What is a Special Administrative Region? A Special Administrative Region (SAR) is a self-governing administrative division within a sovereign state. SARs have their own judiciaries, courts of final appeal, their own legislature, immigration policies, currencies and extradition processes. SARs are responsible for all issues of state except international diplomatic relations and national defence. With listed exceptions, national laws do not apply in an SAR, and maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the region itself. The listed exceptions involve diplomacy, national defence and other issues beyond the scope of the SAR's autonomy. SARs have a Chief Executive as head of government. An SAR may choose to implement more liberal economic policies while focusing on strict policing.

Where are Special Administrative Regions working today? Probably the best known SARs today are the regions of Hong Kong and Macau, created in 1997 and 1999 respectively. Each have laws which provide the region with a high degree of autonomy from China, a separate political system and a capitalist economy under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’. These regions have grown to have economies comparable to, for example, South Africa or Nevada, USA, while maintaining a relatively crime-free environment. These regions can be seen as leading examples of what can be done in relatively underdeveloped regions.

Present challenges to Southern Africa: Crime and poverty continue to be the major hurdle to the prosperity of Southern Africa. According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the United Nations, South Africa was ranked second for assault and murder (by all means) per capita, in addition to being ranked second for rape and first for rapes per capita. For total crime per capita, South Africa is ranked tenth worst of the sixty countries in the data set. Crime has had a pronounced effect on Southern African society and its economy.

Special Administrative Regions or Special Economic Zones? While the objectives of an SAR are to administer an independent legal system over an autonomous region, the aim of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is to increase foreign investment and to grow the local economy. One of the earliest and the most famous Special Economic Zones is Shenzhen, China, where – through liberal economic policy – a small village has developed into a city with a population of over 10 million. Following the Chinese examples, Special Economic Zones have been established in several countries, including Brazil, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. According to World Bank estimates, as of 2007 there are more than 3,000 projects taking place in SEZs in 120 countries worldwide while Southern Africa has yet to develop one successfully. An autonomous Special Administrative Region may prove to be more successful.

Why has a Special Administrative Region never before been tried in Southern Africa? Much of the last 50 years has been spent transitioning Southern Africa from imperial European rule to independence. While this process has proved successful, emphasis on sustainable development, political governance and policing has been lost. Many areas of Southern Africa are now ready for renewed growth without emphasizing the legacy of a colonial past. The evidence of this is made no more obvious than in the Chinese SARs of Hong Kong and Macau.

Where does a Special Administrative Region make sense in Southern Africa? Southern Africa has many sites which would benefit from separate autonomous administration, although factors such as diversity of economic activity and openness to growth will be key catalysts in Southern Africa’s first SAR.

How is a Special Administrative Region created? A referendum may be called in the sovereign state in which the SAR is proposed. A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal, and it is a form of direct democracy. A referendum is usually initiated either by a legislature or by citizens themselves by means of a petition. The process of initiating a referendum by petition is known as the popular or citizen's initiative.

Political initiative or mainstream politics? The Progressive Initiative – a South African political organisation - has adopted the concept of a Special Administrative Region in South Africa as the cornerstone of its Manifesto. Take a look at what Wikipedia has to say about it.