What is democracy without peoples' agency, participation, and sense of belonging? The answer is in this timely, rigorous comparative study of South African Development Community. This volume will influence studies on SADC for decades to come.

Mueni wa Muiu, Winston Salem State University

The authors of this book are examining a rather complicated and often overlooked role that the people play in the formation of regional identity in regional integration studies. While maintaining their focus on the SADC region and introducing new concepts, specifically Sadcness and Sadcnization, this book offers new theoretical approaches in the study of regional integration. As such, it can be used as a guide and reference for policy makers as well as researchers in the study of African regional integration. Therefore, it should be in all government institutions, NGO’s as well as libraries.

Claire Ayuma Amuhaya, The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

Sustained regional integration is core to the realization of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. In exploring the possible realization of sadcness and sadcnization in Southern Africa through regional integration, this book employs the doctrine of popular sovereignty to underscore the role of the people as primary agents and beneficiaries of integration. This book uniquely contributes to the ongoing debate on regional integration making it a timely text for students of international studies and related courses, and a reference tool for policymakers, governments, and diplomats.

Mercy Kaburu, United States International University-Africa

This book has tackled the deeply challenging question, why citizen-centerd integration is key to democratization of regional institutions. The editors and contributors build on this cognition to initiate a fundamental debate premised on the understanding that ‘people’s agency’ is and will remain central to SADC's integration. This book is widely enriched in well-ordered ontologies, addresses the punctum caecum of most African institutions in fulfilling their development emancipation, and as such, this book is ideal for historians, political anthropologists, political scientists, and public administration scholars.

Francis Onditi, Riara University, Kenya