Security and Development

The document argues that security and development are mutually reinforcing and that a 'secure community' requires a people-centered approach to both. It critiques the dominance of neoliberal economic paradigms in Southern Africa, particularly in Namibia and South Africa, asserting that these frameworks often marginalize women and prioritize economic growth over human security. Through case studies and theoretical exploration, the authors advocate for a gendered approach to development that addresses both practical and strategic needs to achieve genuine emancipation.

• The authors propose the concept of a 'secure community' as a regional ideal for Southern Africa, which differs from a traditional 'security community' by pursuing the dual objectives of both security and development, rather than just the 'elimination of war'.
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is found to be failing as a 'secure community' because it lacks a functional security structure and is overwhelmingly biased toward 'economic integration via market liberalisation' at the expense of multidimensional development.
• In Namibia, development policies are described as being 'disciplined' by a hegemonic neoliberal discourse promoted by international agencies like the World Bank and IMF, which prioritizes market productivity over the redistribution of land and resources.
• The document identifies a 'feminisation of poverty' in Africa, where women perform 67% of the world's working hours but earn only 10% of the world's income and own less than 1% of the world's property.
• Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) are argued to negatively impact African women by curbing social service expenditure, which increases the unpaid domestic workload for women and limits their ability to access new economic opportunities.
• The analysis of South Africa's Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) reveals a gap between gender-sensitive policy goals and actual implementation; projects in agriculture, education, and housing often remain 'gender-neutral', which in practice reinforces existing male dominance.
• In South Africa, the 'Women's Budget Initiative' introduced in 1994 is highlighted as a positive mechanism to ensure that government expenditure specifies its impact on women.
• The document argues that 'true' democracy in Africa must move beyond formal elections to include a redistribution of resources and the empowerment of women to control their own lives.
• The authors conclude that economic growth (GDP) in Africa does not automatically translate into security for the masses and often benefits a 'neocolonial oligarchy' while widening the gap between the rich and poor.

APA

Solomon, H., & Schoeman, M. (1998). Security and Development. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono27.pdf

Chicago

Solomon, Hussein, and Maxi Schoeman. Security and Development. Institute for Security Studies, 1998. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono27.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Solomon |first1=Hussein |last2=Schoeman |first2=Maxi |title=Security and Development |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 1998 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono27.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{solomon1998security, author = {Solomon, Hussein and Schoeman, Maxi}, title = {{Security and Development}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1998}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono27.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }