WINDHOEK – The Chairperson of the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI) Committee, Hon. Ruth Mendes, has warned that the non-renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the United States represents one of the greatest shocks to African economies since the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially reversing years of trade gains and industrial growth.

A Joint Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Thematic Committee on Climate Change continued travelling across Zimbabwe this week, gathering public input on the proposed Climate Change Bill as part of nationwide hearings to ensure inclusivity in the law-making process.

Development practitioner and gender advocate Nyasha Mudavanhu has been following these public hearings and contributing her views on the Bill.

Researchers and community representatives in Shamva have urged the Parliament of Zimbabwe to strengthen the proposed Climate Change Management Bill to ensure it protects vulnerable populations, promotes genuine community participation, and enhances enforcement mechanisms.

The Joint Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Thematic Committee on Climate Change — with funding from Sweden through the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance Project of the SADC Parliamentary Forum — is gathering public input on the Bill as part of nationwide hearings to ensure inclusivity in the law-making process.

For Thomas Sithole (28), a resident of Chipinge, Zimbabwe, the mention of climate change brings back harrowing memories.

He recalls vividly when Cyclone Idai struck eastern Zimbabwe on 15 March 2019, hitting Chipinge and Chimanimani districts the hardest, with torrential rains, intense winds and landslides causing massive devastation.

A social scientist has urged Parliament to broaden its definition of vulnerable populations in the proposed Climate Change Management Bill, warning that pregnant and postpartum women and their infants are increasingly at risk due to rising temperatures.

The Joint Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Thematic Committee on Climate Change, with funding from Sweden through the Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance Project of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), are gathering public input on the Bill as part of nationwide hearings to ensure inclusivity in the law-making process.

Speaking during a public hearing on the Bill at Shamva Country Club, Mr. Samson Chikura, a technical lead on Cool Roof Technology implementation at High Horizons, said climate change was creating new categories of vulnerability not reflected in the current draft.

“Rising temperatures pose serious risks, particularly to pregnant women—especially during their second and third trimesters—postpartum women, and their infants,” he noted.

Mr. Chikura warned that heat stress and high indoor temperatures could trigger cardiovascular strain during and after pregnancy, threatening maternal and child health outcomes. He urged Parliament to explicitly include these groups under vulnerable populations in line with Zimbabwe’s constitutional commitment to social justice.

“Their needs must be recognised and addressed within a constitutional and legislative framework. Inclusion is not only a matter of social justice but a necessary step in fostering resilience,” Chikura said.

Climate Health Interventions and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

To protect climate-affected mothers and children, Chikura proposed several interventions:

• Establish climate-related maternal health surveillance programmes to detect heat stress impacts early.
• Educate families on heat risks, hydration, and low-cost cooling methods.
• Create public cooling centres and promote heat-mitigation housing designs.
• Ensure maternal health considerations are reflected in local and national adaptation strategies.
• Integrate Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with scientific approaches for locally tailored solutions.

“Mitigation and adaptation must tap into Indigenous Knowledge Systems,” he stressed. “By integrating these considerations, we can create a more comprehensive approach that not only addresses climate impacts but prioritises the health and well-being of our most vulnerable populations.”

Strengthening Climate Finance for Local Impact

Mr. Chikura also urged lawmakers to strengthen climate financing provisions under Clause 27 of the Bill, which establishes a National Climate Fund. He welcomed the initiative but warned that without strong governance, funds might not reach vulnerable communities.

He proposed introducing a Fiscal Equalisation Framework to prioritise poor and climate-vulnerable communities using clear criteria—such as geography, poverty levels, and exposure to droughts, floods, or extreme heat. He also called for Intergovernmental Transfer Systems to ensure resources flow efficiently from the Treasury to local communities, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track investment impacts and prevent misuse.

“Climate finance must not get stuck in Harare. It must build resilience where climate shocks are felt the most,” he said.

Public hearings on the Bill continue across Zimbabwe as Parliament gathers input to shape the nation’s first comprehensive climate law.

MURAMBINDA GROWTH POINT, BUHERA — Citizens in Murambinda, Zimbabwe, have called on Parliament to strengthen environmental accountability, decentralise climate governance, and ensure fair distribution of climate funds as lawmakers continue nationwide consultations on the Climate Change Management Bill.

The Joint Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Thematic Committee on Climate Change held their second public hearing on Wednesday at the Better Schools Programme of Zimbabwe (BSPZ) Centre in Murambinda, Manicaland Province. These consultations are conducted under Section 141 of the Constitution, which mandates Parliament to engage citizens in the law-making process.

The hearings are supported by the Sweden-funded Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Project under the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), which seeks to integrate gender, health, and rights considerations into climate policies.

Harare, 23 October 2025 — The Parliament of Zimbabwe has launched a series of nationwide public hearings on the Climate Change Management Bill 2025, marking a major step in ensuring that citizens’ voices shape the country’s legislative response to climate change. The hearings, which run from 20 to 27 October 2025, aim to gather input from citizens, experts, civil society, traditional leaders, and industry representatives across all provinces.

Johannesburg, 24 October 2025 — The Vice-President of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Hon. Sylvia Lucas, has called for stronger parliamentary oversight of prisons to protect human rights, promote public health, and reinforce democratic accountability across the SADC region.

Speaking at the opening of a virtual consultation on the development of a SADC Model Law on Prison Oversight, Hon. Lucas emphasized that the initiative aligns with the region’s commitment to building humane, transparent, and health-conscious correctional systems.

The Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, urges parliamentarians and researchers to strengthen monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to capture and demonstrate the tangible impact of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) interventions across the SADC region.

Officially opening the Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Development Workshop in Johannesburg on October 1, 2025, organised under the SADC PF’s SRHR, HIV and AIDS, and Governance Programme supported by Sweden, Ms. Sekgoma described the Forum as entering a “defining point” in its journey to deliver universal access to integrated SRHR and HIV and AIDS services, promote gender-responsive climate action, and entrench democratic accountability.