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Zimbabwe's impacts on South Africa far greater than previously recognized
Forced Migration Studies Programme, Wits University
October 30, 2008

On 31 October 2008, fifty leaders of South African business, government and civil society are meeting at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of the South African Futures - Zimbabwean Futures Forum. The Forum participants will discuss how current and future developments in Zimbabwe will help shape South Africa's politics, business and society.

The Forum is hosted by Wits' Forced Migration Studies Programme, the School for Public and Development Management, and the International Relations Department. It is generously supported by the Howard G. Buffet Foundation.

Professor Kader Asmal, the former Minister of Education and well-known public intellectual, who is moderating the Forum, says "there is a pressing need to understand how we are linked with our neighbors. As South Africa makes decisions about its future, we must not plan as if we exist in isolation."

Tara Polzer, forum coordinator, explains that, "when we talk about how Zimbabwe has affected South Africa, we usually stop at our diplomatic shortcomings and illegal immigration. This Forum goes beyond this to consider implications for South Africa and the region in terms of business opportunities, food security, public health, employment, safety and security, democratisation and regional integration."

She continues: "Whether Zimbabwe achieves stability and reconstruction or degenerates further not only matters for Zimbabweans; it will directly affect the lives of all South Africans. Although they may not yet realize it, South African institutions have an immediate self-interest in understanding these impacts so that they can either protect themselves and their constituencies or make use of opportunities as they arise."

The high level Forum, the first of its kind on South Africa-Zimbabwe linkages, brings together leaders from different sectors including government, business and civil society, to share insights and pool information. Such cross-sectoral engagements are rare and assist all the actors to develop a better understanding of their own institutions' options and interests.

The background research for the Forum, conducted by a range of experts in the various fields being discussed, has shown that the impacts of Zimbabwe's crisis on South Africa are much wider than previously assumed. While it is clear that the impacts, both negative and potentially positive going into the future, are significant, there is no good empirical evidence on the exact scale of impacts, for example on South Africa's economic growth, its food security challenges or its unemployment problems.

A full report of the Forum will be released in mid-November 2008.

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