Celebrating Westphalia's 350th birthday: Reflections on the state of the state in southern Africa

Abstract

This article celebrates the 350th anniversary of the peace of Westphalia, by examining the agreement's legacy for the states of Southern Africa. Conflicting diagnosis of the ‘state of the state’ abound, prompted amongst other things by the weakness of African and Southern African states and by the impact of globalisation on the region. The article begins with a re‐examination of the Westphalian notion of the state, the development of the colonial and post‐colonial state (as opposed to the modern state), and its place in the international relations of SADC. Utilising Vale's ‘three world’ distinctions between formal states, the peoples of the region and the impact of globalisation on Southern Africa, the article assesses the current condition of and future prospects for the state in the region.