‘There are four Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Eastern and Southern Africa – the East African Economic Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Multiple membership to these RECs is one of the hindering factors in the smooth process of economic integration in the region. Although multiple membership is not an overwhelming problem so far, serious implementation problems will arise with the advancement of regional trade towards COMESA and SADC Customs Unions in 2008 and 2010, respectively. No country can be a member of more than one customs union (CU) and therefore Zimbabwe must choose which one it wants to join. The objectives of this briefing are to: Establish the extent to which the four RECs in Eastern and Southern Africa are attractive to Zimbabwe; and Identify the dynamics shaping Zimbabwe’s decisions.’
