ABSTRACT
In a regional security system, the order of priorities is bound to change. As circumstances shift, alliance partners join hands to prevent members of the security system from violating the established principles and rules. Within Southern African Development Community (SADC), the institutions charged with security functions will have to reflect the changed nature and purpose of the military in the region. Arms control is an important prerequisite for military stability. Within the SADC structure the rationale for specific force levels and structures of its member states might conceivably be discussed with a view to agreeing on levels commensurate with the requirements of both national and regional security. For regional institutions to become an effective tool for building and maintaining security in Southern Africa, an intellectual foundation is required which is not bound up with narrow national interests. Regional security can only be achieved if mutual trust governs relations between the states in Southern Africa.
