www.sarwatch.org

SARW research agenda is being developed in a deliberately evolutionary manner using three approaches to generate research: pro-active, reactive and collaborative research . The emphasis will be on the collaborative research.
SARW will promote research work that is of relevance to governments, Extractive Industries, civil society, communities and academia. It will be a evidence and action based research.

1. Good governance in the extractive industry

1.1  Resource management models inn the Southern Africa

The research will examine  governments’ capacity (mining and energy ministries) to monitor big oil or mining companies operations. Look at human capacity and know how; monitoring of parliaments’ role in ensuring that there is transparency in the collection and utilization of the resources ( capacity to improve legislation in order to boost transparency in the EI); monitoring of government fiscal management capacity: governments’ capacity to collect mineral, oil and gas tax and governments’ management of revenues from mineral or oil resources; evaluation of countries’ mining legislation to establish legal commitment to sustainable development.  It is critical to look into countries’ tax regimes to establish if the tax regimes enable governments to collect sufficient revenue from the extractive industries;

1.2 Contract Transparency

The research will attempt at all time to establish whether government and companies activities are transparent when negotiating and signing contract. The objective of companies is to maximize profits.  Corporate social responsibility normally remains peripheral to the principle objective. This means extractive industries seek to negotiate favourable terms in contracts, minimize their risks and maximize their revenues from the extraction of minerals, oil and gas. These companies will try to do this through legal and sometimes illegal means, such as corrupting government officials to sign dubious contracts, declare wrong information or corrupt custom officials. We know that African governments have a limited skilled and experienced people to negotiate contract and to monitor the activities of companies.

1.3 Revenue Transparency

The research will study models management to establish best models for effective utilisation of revenue. Southern Africa is rich in mineral, oil and gas. The extractive industry is one area that can make a great impact on the economies and lives of many people. SADC countries have not yet diversified their economies. An efficient use of revenue from these commodities can contribute significantly to fighting poverty, improve the socio-economic conditions of all citizens and promote the diversification of the economy.

1.4 Corporate social responsibility and human security

The research will study the contribution of the extractive industry to community socio-economic upliftment. Businesses often ‘showcase’ projects and donations on their promotional material and websites as part of their Corporate Social Investment programme yet fail to disclose the actual contribution. These contributions are often insignificant and all too often an embarrassment when compared to the reported profit. Within the framework of the TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE, businesses need to provide detailed reports on contributions made to Corporate Social Investment, therefore eliminating ‘fake’ contributions also referred to as “window dressing”. This area is critical. It is normally at the level of the corporate that the plans are made to ensure that people continue to have normal life well beyond when the mine has closed its doors.

Gender inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing our continent, and the Southern Africa region in particular. It affects in many ways than one the development agenda of our continent. A special attention is needed on the impact of the EI on the women.  It is important to investigate the impact of the extractive industry on the household especially on women and children. Work conditions for all the workers and the labour laws in the different countries need to be interrogated. It will also look in the conditions of women who work in Extractive industry. Issues related to HIV/Aids, income, education and health will figure strongly.  

• Company-community relations: These are at the heart of sustainable development in extractive industry. What is the impact of extractive industries on socio-economic indicators in the areas they operate? The research will review, periodically, extractive companies’ social responsibility and accountability in the region on matters related to two social issues –Health and education.

• Community development/ empowerment: promotion of small-scale mining activities, procurement, economic diversification, particularly due to the prospect of mining closures and environment degradation.

• Economic life of mining town: We have very little systematic knowledge about the economic and social dynamics of towns where the industries are located and where new ones are increasingly being established; mining towns where mines have closed down; towns which remain dependent on mining activities.

1.5 The civil society 
 
The capacity of civil society in ensuring that the commitment to transparency and accountability is respected in practice; that business commitment to sound reporting (The TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE) not only on their financial status but also on the environment and social corporate investment is respected.  We  will  interrogate the media’s ability to expose corruption or any form of malpractice by government or multinational corporations.

2. Global Geo-Politics and Africa’s natural resources

One critical element of our time is the rising of China and India which has created a swathe of competing interests in the Southern Africa. In Africa China is making inroad in the extractive industry and mining and posing serious threat to traditional actors (West). How is this competition playing itself in our region and what are the implications on the extractive industry.  Are India and China spoilers of the International Regime of Transparency in the Extractive Industry? Or do they give new avenue to African countries of accessing FDI that traditional partners are reluctant to give? How is Extractive Industry changing international power relations? This phenomenon needs to be studied from the point of view not of Europe but Africa. Are Western powers concerns over China’s aggressive investment approach genuine? Or are they simply concerned about Chine’s counterweight to their domination?  What impact does the absence of a global energy policy is creating a power shift away from the consumer (Western countries) to the providers. How can Africa and Southern Africa in particular position themselves? 

3. Regional integration: the harmonization of regional resource management

 This is critical, in a world of powerful multinational, SADC must work  towards the adoption of a common minimum standards for the exploitation and management of mineral resources in SADC; (Standards are required in areas such as mining licensing, mining contract, land rights and tenure, mining fiscal regime, royalties). SADC states are signatories of various regional instruments such the SADC Treaty; Mining Protocol and Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISP) in order to enhance the drive towards deeper and meaningful regional economic and political integration.
The research will on a continual basis evaluation of governments’ commitments to regional, continental and international instrument and propose ways of ensuring that they do abide to their commitments.