Salutations

• Mémounatou Ibrahima, Third Deputy Speaker of the Ecowas Parliament;

• Dr. Anne Itto Leonardo, Chairperson of the East Africa Legislative Assembly Women Caucus;

• Marie Rose Nguini-Effa, President African Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA);

• Mr Galal Nasir, Head of Committee Documentation Research and Library Division at the Pan African Parliament (PAP);

• Ms Bénite Dibateza, Programmes Officer and Network Coordinator for the Network for Women Parliamentarians, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA);

• Ms Brigitte Filion, Consultant, Gender Partnership Programme, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU);

• Citizens of the SADC Region following proceedings on various platforms;
• Members of the Media;

Dear Colleagues and distinguished participants,

It is with immense pleasure that I welcome you to this inter-parliamentary event under the auspices of the SADC Parliamentary Forum. This event is unlike others, because as we discuss the finalisation of the GBV Model Law, we are also reinforcing not only the valued bonds that we share between national Parliaments of Africa and around the world, but also the bonds of solidarity between regional and international parliamentary organisations which stand fiercely as the custodians of parliamentary democracy from a supra-national perspective. Thus today, we are celebrating parliamentarism and inter- parliamentary cooperation in a unique dimension under the umbrella of the SADC Parliamentary Forum. As Secretary General of the SADC-PF, I am honoured to be addressing this diverse audience of distinguished representatives from august organisations all around the world. In this respect, I wish to start by paying a tribute to the noble cause of inter-parliamentary cooperation and by recognising the resilience of inter-parliamentary networks around the world that have staunchly stood the test of time despite operational challenges. Yet, while inter-parliamentary organisations continue to promote stable democracies and the sovereignty and independence of Parliaments worldwide, there is a lot that remains to be done for democracy and human rights to be instilled across the world. I am confident that   you   will   corroborate   the   Forum’s   view that together, we can go further.

• Why is the engagement with inter-parliamentary organisations important?

Having said this, I wish to turn to the mainstay of the today’s theme of discussions which is the SADC Model Law on GBV. It is indeed apposite that inter- parliamentary organisations have a comprehensive say on the SADC Model Law on GBV which is currently in process of finalisation. As you may be aware, the Model Law on GBV entailed a wide calendar of consultations that have been made with several stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as the judiciary. Inter-parliamentary organisations are peer organisations to the Forum and it was imperative to garner your esteemed insight as a final step before validating and adopting the Model Law.

Moreover, the participation of inter-parliamentary organisations will be quintessential to disseminate the SADC Model Law on GBV within the SADC region and beyond its borders. The SADC Model Law on GBV is not only a Model Law for SADC. Gender-based violence knows no bounds, and is not delimited by territory. GBV is a contemporary human rights issue and it can cause serious human rights violations such as the right to physical integrity, the right to health and the right to life. GBV affects all regions of the world without fail and it preys on the wealthy as well as the poor. At the same time, I am confident that all major inter-parliamentary organisations around the world subscribe to the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, from which have stemmed the ensuing International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the corresponding International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. If we are to believe and uphold the principles laid down in international conventions, then GBV is a problem for all without distinction. In this respect, Member States have a duty to prevent their citizens from suffering inhuman, degrading treatment and punishment. If we are to believe and uphold the principles laid down in international conventions, then GBV is a problem for all without distinction.

From this perspective, the SADC Model Law on GBV is thus a Model Law that can be utilised for benchmarking purposes by all inter-parliamentary organisations around the world, and by extension all corresponding national Member Parliaments. While the SADC Model Law on GBV will remain as a benchmark and guiding reference, the Model Law may be adapted to frame legal frameworks on GBV at both the regional and domestic level. As observed with other Model Laws developed by the Forum, Model Laws have the potential of exerting ripple effects and influencing regions and people beyond the geographical scope of the SADC. I thus invite you to consider the session of today as serendipitous, and as a stepping stone towards further collaborative opportunities. Inter-parliamentary organisations can thus act as emissaries to share the Model Law on GBV and assist other regions of the world in enhancing their respective GBV legal frameworks.

• What are the issues which the Forum intends to advance with inter-parliamentary organisations

Dear Colleagues and distinguished Participants,

In your capacity as representatives of inter- Parliamentary organisations, you will be in the right position to attest to the fact that Model Laws only mark a beginning. Indeed, the Model Law on GBV will need to be progressively domesticated once adopted by the Forum, and thereafter the Forum will continue to monitor the domestication efforts made by Member States through the work conducted by its oversight organ, the Regional Parliamentary Model Laws Oversight Committee (RPMLOC).

Thus, looking forward, the Forum and inter- parliamentary organisations need to join hands and muster joint efforts to discuss issues such as the duality of norms and the normative divide that exists between national and international law, the concepts of monism and dualism, the need to identify the bottlenecks to domestication, to cite a few. The meeting of today is thus also to reflect on the ways and means to pave the way forward for the SADC Model Law on GBV by engaging reflections to jointly tackle GBV by capacity development. This will include regularly building the capacity of Parliamentarians on identifying the challenges to domestication and sharing cross-learning experiences that can save the time and energy for pro-active MPs who want to bolster their GBV frameworks at national level. Capacity development will also need to be targeted to legislative staff of State law offices and Parliaments, as well as those that assist Gender Caucuses.

There is also a further need for inter-parliamentary organisations including the Forum to reflect on the value that Model Laws or regional instruments made by inter-parliamentary bodies bring to the existing body of international law, and in this respect, how far can the Model Law on GBV influence international law.

Within the scope of its mandate under the Strategic Plan (2019-2023) of the Forum, the SADC-PF is thus poised to act as a think tank to attract ideas and proposals from peer inter-parliamentary organisations around the world in view of spearheading issues such as benchmarking and domestication that need to be promptly overcome for Parliamentarians to incorporate Model Laws within the national legal system, including the SADC Model Law on GBV which would be the subject of today’s discussions.

In addition, the Forum will be keen to collaborate with like-minded inter-parliamentary organisations to pool resources and develop advocacy content that can further facilitate the assimilation of the SADC Model Law on GBV not only by Parliaments but by other stakeholders in the law-making process such as Line Ministries, technocrats, civil society organisations, to cite a few. Advocacy content include parliamentary manuals, brochures, as well as animated videos, cartoons or any other content that can appeal to the attention of stakeholders and buttress the need to address GBV through a legislative framework, with the Model Law serving in the backdrop as a guiding normative standard.

• Implementing a plan for the Forum to disseminate the Model Law

Distinguished Colleagues and Participants,

I wish to end by saying that your collaboration today is highly appreciated as the Forum embarks into the final stages of the adoption of the SADC Model Law on GBV. In the months to come, the Forum will be finalising its dissemination plan for the SADC Model Law pursuant to its adoption by the 50th Plenary Assembly, and representatives present today are invited to engage their organisations to participate constructively to this exercise. The Forum firmly believes that baby steps can turn into giant steps by the earnest collaboration of like-minded organisations which are unified by the shared vision to eradicate GBV once and for all.

On this good note, I wish to thank you again for your attendance today, and I wish you all a pleasant session.

Thank You.

Ms B.Sekgoma, Secretary General,

SADC Parliamentary Forum 30th September 2021

**

WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Monday 27 September 2021 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) will tomorrow, Tuesday 28 September 2021, hold a virtual meeting on social accountability and oversight in the implementation of SADC regional commitments in health and agriculture in Zimbabwe. 

The meeting, a collaboration of the SADC-PF and the Partnership for Social Accountability, is a first of five national dialogues aimed at assisting SADC-PF Members and national Parliamentarians to critically assess the implementation and monitoring of regional agreements in their countries. The other four countries who are still to benefit from this initiative which will give Parliamentarians an opportunity to reflect on possible parliamentary interventions are Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. 

Details of the meeting are as follows: 

Date: Tuesday, 28^th September 2021 

Time: 09:30 to 16:00 Harare/Pretoria Time. 

MEDIA ACCESS: Meetings of the SADC-PF are open to the media and journalists who are interested in covering them must register on the following link to be added to a SADC-PF Accredited Media WhatsApp group where information on events of the Forum are regularly shared with the media: 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kj519Su3Py04YY8PW1t1Xy 

Registration for the meeting can be accessed on the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkc-yurjIrE9dBYNeXb9V6J5KEst5sdQK3 

The meeting will be broadcast live on DSTV Channel 408 and also streamed live on the SADC-PF social media platforms on the links below: 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ

ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM 

Enquiries: Modise Kabeli +27 81 715 9969 or 

Documents

• Media Advisory: SADC PF holds Virtual Meeting on Implementation of SADC Commitments in Health and Agriculture in Zimbabwe
• Programme for the Virtual Meeting on Social Accountability and Oversight in the Implementation of SADC Regional Commitments in Health and Agriculture –Zimbabwe

Director of Ceremonies; Mr Sheuneni Kurasha Thank you;

Her Royal Highness Princess Mihanta Ramanantsoa, Madagascar;

Professor Ezra Chitando, World Council of Churches, Southern Africa;

Distinguished religious and traditional leaders; Members of Senate and House of Chiefs

Ms Eva Jhala- Esteemed Legal Drafter; TWG Members here represented; Members of the Media;

Staff of SADC PF and National Parliaments;

It is a unique honour for me to welcome you all, on behalf of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, to this consultative meeting. I address you as a lay person in matters of theology and tradition, rather as an ordinary citizen of the region who is occupying the position of Secretary General. I consider it a rare privilege to address you my leaders and hope you will find it in your hearts to conciliate my views with yours should there be any discrepancy.

As you may be aware, this consultative meeting is being held in the margins of the development of the SADC Model Law on GBV which necessitated wide consultations with the appropriate stakeholders. Needless to say that the consultations would have been incomplete without the august participation of traditional and regional leaders. Being mindful of the crucial importance of faith leaders in the GBV discourse, it was thus imperative to engage you on the road to progressive norms such that your valued input is comprehensively garnered at this stage.

I. Why is the engagement with faith and leaders important?

Distinguished religious and traditional leaders,

The Forum is aware that your input as religious and traditional leaders is necessary to strengthen the social fabric of the SADC region. The SADC-PF has always promoted broad consultations on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights whereby there is ample room for consultation with religious and traditional leaders, and this has been the norm /since the inception of the Forum.

The SADC Model Law on GBV brings international best practices on GBV legislation to the shore of the SADC region, and the Model Law is specifically destined and customised for the SADC context.

In this regard, we are aware that Parliamentarians need to work in close tandem with religious and traditional leaders to ease the adaptation of the legal provisions to the local context.

II. The adaptations required to ease acceptance

I believe you will concur with me to find that the legal provisions concerning GBV are mostly in harmony with religious and traditional values. Where there are discrepancies, we will be open to discuss about them, and we indeed require your immense wisdom and on-the-field experience to rationalise provisions in view of the finalisation of the SADC Model Law.

During the presentations today on the SADC GBV Model Law, you will find that the mainstay of the Model Law consists of an unflinching compliance with human rights that are generally accepted internationally in global instruments as well as in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

To cite but a few, the GBV Model Law is premised on the human right to physical integrity, the human right to health, the human right to life, and the protection of the individual from torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. We are all born in the image of God. We are all God’s children and equal in his eyes and from whence the idea of human rights comes. It follows in my view therefore that an injury to one is an injury to all.

In a spirit of Ubuntu, the Forum is mindful that shared religious and traditional values constitute the foundations of the notions of Pan-Africanism and the friendship, unity and solidarity that exists between Member States of the SADC, as well as from Member States of the African Union.

Religious and traditional beliefs, irrespective of the faith or religion, all point towards peace, justice, and freedom of the individual from torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. All religions and traditions of the SADC region want people to be safe and to feel safe whether at home or in the workplace. Besides, it is only when people feel safe about themselves that they can calmly and peacefully pursue their human right to freedom of religion and conscience. At the same time, the SADC Model Law on GBV is gender neutral, that is in simple terms, it covers both acts made by men on women, and women on men. The Model Law would apply without discrimination based on sex, race, religion, gender, or political opinion.

This is why we firmly believe that the SADC Model Law on GBV would also speak to the values preached by African religious and traditional leaders and there would be no difficulty for the acceptance and assimilation of the Model Law at national level.

III. Requesting help to do away with GBV taboos

Distinguished religious and traditional leaders, On this note, I would like to appeal to your leadership skills within your respective communities and religious groupings, to encourage adults as well as the youth to do away with the taboos that contribute to the promotion of GBV. For instance, within a marriage, whether it is a civil or traditional marriage, a spouse may not report GBV due to the fear of being stigmatised by society. The answer to this predicament is certainly not to silence the aggrieved spouse who is suffering atrocities, but instead to ensure that when GBV reports are made, there is an adequate level of confidentiality that allows authorities to take action without the matter being widely gossiped about and putting to discomfort or shame the parties involved.

There are indeed competing interests here in trying to preserve the sacrosanct relationship of marriage and at the same time, eradicating GBV in modern contemporary Africa.

In this respect, the Forum does not have all the answers to the questions that may arise, simply because, to make things work and to eradicate GBV, everybody has to play their part at the appropriate time. It is indeed impossible to forecast every scenario that may occur in the GBV context although a robust framework can be put in place through the Model Law.

This is why the role of religious and traditional leaders are so important since you are the implementers of positive change in society. You are the ones who are on the forefront to eliminate stigmas and work with authorities to make sure that the law is respected and the safety of individuals are ensured. You are also the ones who make public speeches to large groups of followers and they trust you and your wisdom. You wear multiple hats as preachers, peace keepers and also educators.

Educating individuals on GBV is as important as the implementation of the law itself since without education about the law and what it protects, the status quo will remain forever in society.

IV. About the Model Law as a regional instrument

Distinguished religious and traditional leaders, Before I end, I would like to say a few words about the Model Law on GBV as a regional instrument that awaits domestication in Member States.

While the Model Law provides for a benchmark that can influence the drafting styles of SADC national Parliaments as well as the content of national laws, there will be a measure of contextualisation and further adaptation that will occur at the national level when the GBV law, or amendments to the law, are enacted in Parliaments.

This is to therefore request religious and traditional leaders here today to keep an eye on GBV legislative reform at national level and to contribute abundantly to local reforms that are in line with the GBV Model Law.

While your wise input is required today, your guidance and contributions would be further required in consultations made at national level at the appropriate time. When such legislative opportunities will arise, SRHR Researchers based at national level within Parliaments will be in touch with you for further streamlining and contextualisation to befit the domestic realm.

Having made the above remarks, I wish to thank you again for your attendance today, and I wish you all a pleasant session.

Thank You.

Ms B.Sekgoma, Secretary General,

SADC Parliamentary Forum 23rd September 2021

**

Statement by the Secretary General During Stakeholder Consultations for the GBV Model Law – Religious and Traditional Leaders on 23rd September 2021