While Namibia had started exploring various possibilities for power supply, including the use of renewable energy in various forms, in the wake of South Africa’s diminishing capacity, one door opened in a most “unlikely” direction. Our neighbour, South Africa, can no longer guarantee supply of power come August 2007, due to high domestic demand. And it goes without saying that power shortage would spell disaster for the country, to the extent where economic investment from within and without would be severely jeopardized. Hence, the power deal of Wednesday should be seen as a collective benefit, not only for the people and economy of Namibia, but for the people and economy of Zimbabwe as well as the region as a whole. The signing on Wednesday of a multi-million-dollar loan and power purchase agreement between Namibia and Zimbabwe will consolidate the regional cooperation that SADC Heads of State always call for. The loan part of the agreement provides for the rehabilitation of four generators at the power plant at Hwange, Zimbabwe. This is existing infrastructure in Zimbabwe that has not been able to operate at full capacity because of frequent breakdowns. That situation already meant diminished domestic power supply for Zimbabwe, not to mention economic disruption. The eventual rehabilitation of the whole power station will no doubt facilitate the supply of power at capacity level, which would also provide guarantees for local supply as well as for export. Although the agreement states that Namibia will be able to import power early next year, which might be viewed by some as not soon enough, consider how long it would have taken Namibia to erect its own power plant and to ensure supply. The point here is that the benefits of the deal are widespread. And just as the benefits will be collective, so should our interdependency, in more respects than one. In the words of the poet, John Donne, “no man is an island, entire unto himself…”, neither is any country immune to the influences of another, particularly if the other country is a neighbour. The scope for cooperation is limitless, and the challenge has been thrown to the business communities of the two countries to be more aggressive in promoting business as well as to open new opportunities of trade. The frameworks exist; what is needed is the creation of new opportunities. Total trade between Zimbabwe and Namibia has continued to grow over the past five years, expanding by 18,1 percent from US$19ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 327ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 847 in 2000 to over US$22-million in 2003. And it is clear that these figures can be bettered with closer cooperation which can be facilitated by the existing frameworks. Having said that, however, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we mutually work to the spirit of this and other agreements that have been signed during the State visit of President Mugabe and his entourage, as well as future ones. Working on them and ensuring their realization, will benefit not only our two countries but the region as a whole, if not the entire continent of Africa, a continent whose majority of countries continues to grapple with challenges of an economic nature.