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Our Keynote Speaker, Hon. Maureen Hinda- Mbuende,Deputy Minister of Finance ,in the Republic of Namibia, a distinguished Finance practitioner in both private and public spheres

  • Distinguished Gatekeepers and engines of our Ministries responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Good Governance and Institutional reforms, Planning Commissions, and Accountants General of SADC Member States and all Officials in their hierarchy;
  • Mr Daniel Greenberg, Legal Drafter for the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management;
  • Meeting Facilitator, Mr Jason Rosario Braganza an Economist with over ten years’ experience working on international development in Africa specialising on trade and regional integration; finance for development and tax among others;
  • Representative of Media Organisations;
  • Distinguished Participants;
  • Ladies and Gentlemen;

Dear Colleagues and distinguished participants,

  • Introduction

Allow me to heartily welcome you as representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Departments to this consultative event held in the margins of the adoption of the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management (PFM).

As you may be aware, the Forum is accustomed to engaging in multi-stakeholder consultative sessions prior to the adoption of its Model Laws in view of ensuring that the Model Law is as inclusive as possible taking into account the objective of the Forum to promote participatory democracy through the preparation of its legislative instruments.

In this respect, a series of consultations will be held with stakeholders and it has been deemed appropriate to engage representatives of Line Ministries and Offices of the Accountant General at an early stage in the consultation process in view of harvesting your crucial views on PFM from an administrative and governance perspective.

As you are aware, PFM involves diverse aspects all of which cannot be encapsulated in a single legislation. From procurement of contracts to financial instructions for Government to draw invoices, there is a range of PFM issues which prevail that needs to be mastered by representatives of Line Ministries and Accountants Generals.

You will find that the Model Law addresses PFM from the parliamentary angle, in other words from the effective oversight which may be exerted by Parliament over PFM processes which are conducted by the State through Line Ministries, the Accountant General or other statutory bodies. It is thus within this contextual framework that stakeholders present today should consider the provisions of the Model Law.

When examining the Model Law, you will thus be guided to comment on the interactions between Line Ministries and Accountants General on the one hand, and Parliament on the other hand.

  • Why engage Line Ministries and Accountants General?

I shall now say a few words on the reasons for engaging representatives of Line Ministries and Accountants General today.

It is commonplace that Line Ministries and Accountants General are the implementers of the PFM system. Line Ministries prepare the budget, manage public debt, engage in State expenditures, and monitor the whole system for discrepancies. While Line Ministries also engage in policy on PFM, the Offices of the Accountants General disburse funds and pay to the interested parties pursuant to receiving instructions to that effect. The main fund used by Government, which is often called the Consolidated Fund in many SADC Member States, is managed by Line Ministries with disbursements made by the Accountant General. You will kindly find that the notion of Consolidated Fund, and its management, equally prevails in the SADC Model Law under Part 4.

Line Ministries and the Accountant General both comply with the appropriation ceilings approved by Parliament through Budget legislation and they adhere to the existing PFM framework. These aspects are covered under Part 5 of the Model Law.

In this respect, there can be no better than Line Ministries and representatives of Accountant General Offices to give their constructive views on the existing PFM framework and comment on the SADC Model Law in view of enhancing same for the guiding reference of Member States. Whilst you will note that the Finance Ministry is involved with nearly all Parts of the SADC Model Law, especially Parts 3 to 8, there is also the necessary reporting to Parliament which is conducted through Parliamentary Questions and the tabling of financial reports.

It is apt to add that from a policy perspective, all regulations pertaining to PFM are developed by the Finance Ministry, although the regulations may be mainly for logistical purposes where independent institutions such as the Office of the Auditor General or the Central Bank are concerned.

In addition, I wish to emphasize that Line Ministries will be the principal protagonists involved in the eventual domestication of the SADC Model Law on PFM after its adoption. Hence, it is imperative for representatives present today to understand the main provisions of the Model Law in view of working out how they compare with national legislation, and earmark the areas for improvement which could be made at national level at the appropriate legislative opportunity.

Furthermore, representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Offices also interact with Ministers and Parliamentarians, and are best placed to advise them on the reforms which need to take place to improve the PFM framework of Member States. You are permanent advisers and counsellors on PFM processes and since most of you are public officials, you remain unaffected by election cycles and thus stay on to advise successive governments. It

is thus quintessential that you are capacitated on the PFM Model Law well before the legal instrument is adopted and communicated to Member States through their domestic parliaments.

  • Expectations from the audience

Charting the way forward, I would like to mention that today, a presentation will be made by the legal drafter on the PFM Model Law which will cover aspects that relate to Line Ministries and Accountants General. You are invited to engage comprehensively with the presenter and pinpoint any areas for improvement. In addition, you may also wish to submit your comments in writing after the end of the session. Same will considered by the legal drafter in view of alignment with international best practices and eventual incorporation in the Model Law.

You are also invited to comment on the adequacy of the Model Law and to express your views on the significance of this legislative instrument developed under the auspices of the SADC-PF.

  • Way forward in terms of domestication

As mentioned earlier, the Model Law will be progressively domesticated at national level, with Line Ministries and Accountants General playing a crucial role to unpack the Model Law for the understanding of MPs and other stakeholders, as well as facilitate its acceptance at institutional level.

Progressive domestication will also be buttressed by the Forum’s dedicated organ in the form of the Regional Parliamentary Model Laws Oversight Committee (RPMLOC) which consists of MPs who are Chairpersons of all Standing Committees of the Forum. After the adoption of the Model Law, parliamentary Scorecards will be issued to Line Ministries to fill in view of setting a baseline and monitoring domestication progress. Representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Offices will thus be called upon to contribute to the Scorecards at the appropriate time.

  • Conclusion

Dear Colleagues and distinguished participants,

I wish to end these introductory remarks by thanking you again for your participation. Ministries and departments such as the Offices of the Accountant Generals are significant scaffolds which tightly fasten together the structure of a healthy parliamentary democracy. If one part of the scaffold falters, the whole structure is put at risk and may threaten to collapse. Your roles are thus pivotal to PFM and your contributions today will likewise constitute important intel that will serve to steer the PFM Model Law to its right destination.

On this thankful note, I wish you all a pleasant session.

Thank you.

Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, Secretary General,

SADC Parliamentary Forum 15th February 2022

**

STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL DURING STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS FOR THE SADC MODEL LAW ON PFM LINE MINISTRIES

Staff Writer in Maputo, Mozambique

On what has been hailed as a great day and a milestone for the SADC Region, the Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum last week adopted the first ever SADC Model Law on Election.

The Chairperson of the SADC PF's Standing Committee on Democratisation, Governance and Human Rights Hon Wavel Ramkalawan from Seychelles, moved for the adoption. He argued that the new Model Law is a "very relevant tool that would assist SADC Member States to incorporate provisions of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and other regional and international election instruments into national legislation and policy".

The Plenary complied and passed the soft law.

Since June 2014, the Forum has endorsed an “Operating like a Parliament” Strategy which heralds the operational paradigm of the Forum as it embarks on a progressively more ambitious phase of inter-Parliamentary integration. The transition from a deliberative body to a fully-fledged SADC Regional Parliament is a logical step in the Forum’s initiatives towards regional integration made over the years, through targeted interventions and resolutions at the level of the Plenary Assembly.

Despite progress made in different spheres, the fact remains that in 2018, the SADC Region continues to be affected by daunting challenges. Improvement of national responses to HIV and AIDS; greater access to affordable medicines and health services; the need to ensure free and liberal trade; improvement of gender equality; enhancement of the democratic systems of the SADC Region through fair elections or access to domestic minerals through mining; and food security, among others; all constitute matters of mutual interest that are confronted with challenges on multiple fronts. Moreover, the SADC Region is affected by the same factors weakening the international economic order and which impact on trade deficit, economic growth, public debt and unemployment rates in Member States.

The Model Laws developed under the auspices of the Forum further attest to the long-standing agility of the Forum in working towards the harmonisation and integration of laws in the region. Altogether, the role of the Forum in helping to enhance sustainable development in the region is undeniable. However, now more than ever, despite the achievements of the SADC PF to date, in its current form, it is clear that there is need for further action beyond its current mandate. Resolutions agreed to at the regional level are not binding on Member States. A SADC Regional Parliament would thus serve to promote good governance and augment the implementation of the decisions of the Executive through the engagement of lawmakers at Regional level on issues of common regional concern. In this regard there is need for a higher inter-Parliamentary body which can bring Member States closer together and engage them to enact laws and administer policies that are border-friendly allowing for political, social and economic integration whilst bearing in mind other common concerns which plague the region. While similar regional inter-Parliamentary systems already exist in Europe, the rest of Africa and other regions of the world, the SADC Region will not replicate but rather develop its Regional Parliament in its own context, given its unique specificities without usurping the sovereignty of Member States.  Furthermore, the achievements of the Forum already lend credence to the fact that inter-Parliamentary cooperation can indeed act as a game-changer in ridding the region of its ominous challenges.

In accordance with inter-state economic modelling, the idea of a completely integrated economic bloc would be marked by the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. Fiscal and non-fiscal barriers to trade would be gradually eliminated thereby allowing free flow of goods across borders. The establishment of a SADC Free Trade Area would constitute a point of departure for future integration, followed by a Customs Union, then a Common Market, a Common Monetary Area and ultimately a Common Currency. Complete monetary integration would imply that there will be no restriction on capital flows across nations which would use a single currency denomination. Monetary policy, price stability, balance of payments and regional debt would be overseen by a central Bank for the region. The integrated regional zone would furthermore be visa-free, with liberalised airline connectivity and initiatives to jointly market the region as a single destination of choice.

 

1.3    The Forum’s Mandate

The SADC-PF is a Regional Inter-Parliamentary body comprising of National Parliaments of SADC Members States (except Madagascar). Currently, the SADC PF comprises 14 Member Parliaments, representing over 3,500 Parliamentarians. The Member Parliaments are; Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The SADC PF was established in 1996 and approved by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government on 8th September 1997, in Blantyre, Malawi. The Summit “approved the establishment of the SADC Parliamentary Forum as an institution of SADC, in accordance with Article 9(2) of the SADC Treaty”. The Summit further noted that the mandate of the Forum was “to constitute a Parliamentary Consultative Assembly, the ultimate goal being the establishment of a Regional Parliamentary Framework for dialogue on issues of regional interest and concern”. 

There are five standing Committees aligned to SADC sectors that oversee program implementation. These Committees are the engine room for Parliamentary Business. Below are the five SADC-PF standing Committees;

  1. Gender Equality, Women advancement and Youth development;
  2. Trade Industry, Finance Development integration;
  3. Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Infrastructure;
  4. Democratisation Governance and Human Rights; and
  5. Human and Social Development and Special Programs.

 

The SADC PF’s mandate as enshrined in its Constitution is as follows:

  • To promote respect for the rule of law, gender equality and equity, individual rights and freedoms, including the promotion and development of cooperation in the economic field in the SADC Region based on the principle of equity and mutual benefit;
  • To promote peace, democracy, security and stability on the basis of collective responsibility and supporting the development of permanent conflict resolution mechanisms in the SADC Sub-Region and strengthening regional solidarity and building a sense of common destiny among the peoples of SADC; and
  • To promote dialogue and cooperation among Member States on socio-economic development issues in order to enhance economic welfare.

 

1.3.1 Objectives of the Forum

  • To strengthen the implementation capacity of SADC by involving Parliamentarians in the affairs of SADC;
  • To advocate the harmonisation, ratification, domestication and implementation of SADC Protocols, treaties and other decisions at the national level
  • To promote the principles of human rights, democracy, peace and security, regional integration, human and social development, economic governance and gender equality through collective responsibility within the SADC Region;
  • To familiarise Parliamentarians of Member Parliaments with the objectives, priorities and decisions of SADC;
  • To provide a parliamentary perspective on issues affecting SADC countries;
  • To provide a Forum for discussion on matters of common interest to SADC; and
  • To promote cooperation with other parliamentary organisations and other stakeholders.

 

1.3.2 Implementing the Mandate

The Forum already operates in accordance with a governance framework which is sanctioned by its Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the SADC-PF. Under this governance structure, the Plenary Assembly is the main decision-making body of the Forum and the Executive Committee is the management body which feeds information to the Plenary Assembly. The other organs of the Forum, namely the Standing Committees and the Regional Women Parliamentary Caucus, also feed information to the Plenary Assembly on specific thematic themes. The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, stands guided by the decisions of all other organs of the Forum and is overseen by the Executive Committee in its operations. All Forum staff fall under the administrative supervision of the Secretary-General.

Collaborations between inter-parliamentary systems and international organizations further create the snowball effect which lays the foundations for incorporation of the Model Law into domestic legislation of Member States in the SADC region and beyond.  It is the momentum created through collaborations which propagates the sense of ownership of the Model Law as a guiding legislative instrument which should inform African norms.  The international acclaim and general acceptance given to the Model Law will also encourage Member States to incorporate the provisions in the best of delays.

The Acting Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum Ms. Boemo Sekgoma says the SADC PF has evolved to tackle issues of major concern to the SADC Region such as good governance, trade, issues of women empowerment, gender equality and HIV and AIDS among others.

Ms. Sekgoma said this when she introduced delegates to the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session of SADC, which met in the Angolan capital of Luanda in June 2018.

Speaking directly to the President of Angola, His Excellency Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, Ms. Sekgoma said the SADC PF was deeply indebted to Angola, which was hosting the Plenary Assembly Session for the third time.

"This is the third time that the National Assembly of Angola is hosting the SADC Parliamentary Forum Plenary Assembly Session. The first time was right here in Luanda in April of 2002 and the second was in Lubango in June 2011. Throughout the life of the forum, the National Assembly of Angola has demonstrated its unwavering commitment," Ms. Sekgoma said.

She said the Forum was the voice of Parliamentarians of the SADC Region, which draws its membership from 14 national parliaments.

"It provides a platform for Members of Parliament as the representatives of the people, to consult, consider and dialogue on matters of national and regional concern. Through this broad representation of Members of Parliament, the forum is an epitome of participatory democracy," she said.

Ms. Sekgoma explained that the Plenary Assembly is the highest policy making organ and deliberative organ of the SADC PF that meets twice a year to deliberate on matters of policy and make decisions on matters of interest to the SADC PF in particular and to the SADC Region in general. The 43rd SADC Plenary Assembly Session was its first meeting in 2018.

"As the main policy making body of the Forum, the Plenary Assembly has been consistent in providing a platform which has helped to shape policy and parliamentary processes in all the SADC member states. The 43rd Plenary Assembly Session is one such platform that contains that consistence," she said.

The 43rd Plenary Assembly Session was held under the theme: Deepening SADC Economic Integration through Industrialisation - The Role of Parliaments

Ms. Sekgoma said the theme had been carefully selected in order to advance the regional integration agenda of SADC.

"This Plenary Assembly will therefore, critically examine the role of Parliamentarians in deepening SADC's economic integration through industrialization," she said.

She then introduced delegates to the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session to the Angolan Head of State. These were: National Assembly of Angola which had a delegation of 13 members led by Hon. Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, Member of Parliament and Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola and President of the SADC PF and also host of the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session; the Parliament of Botswana, a delegation of 7 members led by Hon. Botlogile M. Tshireletso, Member of Parliament, Assistant Minister of Local Government; the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a delegation of 5 members led by Hon. Bonface Mukono Balamage, Member of Parliament; the Parliament of the Kingdom of Lesotho, a delegation of 8 members led by the right Hon. Sephiri Motanyane, Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho; the National Assembly of Malawi, a delegation of 7 members led by Hon. Patricia Kainga, Member of Parliament; the National Assembly of Mozambique, a delegation of 15 members led by Hon. Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, Speaker of the National Assembly; the National Assembly of Namibia, a delegation of 11 members led by the Hon. Prof. Peter Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly; the National Assembly of Seychelles, a delegation of 7 members led by Hon. Nicholas Prea, Speaker of the National Assembly; the Parliament of South Africa, a delegation of 13 members led by Hon. Baleka Mbete, Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa; the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, a delegation of 7 members led by Hon. Selemani Zedi, Member of Parliament; the National Assembly of Zambia, a delegation of 6 members led by Hon. Prof. Nk'andu Luo, Member of Parliament and Minister of Higher Education; and the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, a delegation of 15 members led by Hon. Adv. Jacob Francis Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly.

She explained that apologies had been received from the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the National Assembly of Mauritius.

"In total, we have 12 Parliaments attending this Plenary Assembly Session, of which 7 delegations are led by Speakers and 5 delegations by Members of Parliament, 5 of the 12 delegations are led by women representing 42 per cent," she said to applause.

Ms. Sekgoma then introduced observers that had been invited to the Plenary. These were: The East Africa Legislative Assembly, a delegation of four members led by Hon. Fatuma Ibrahim Ali, Member of EALA, representing the Speaker; the Pan African Parliament represented by Hon. Helio De Jesus Bina Sanchez, Member of the Pan African Parliament and Chairperson of the PAP West African Caucus, Member of Parliament from Cape Verde; Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Executive Secretary of SADC, represented by Dr Johansein Rutaihwa; and Dr. Elias Isaac Director of the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa, Angola Office.

Ms. Sekgoma expressed gratitude to the Government of the National Assembly of Angola and the people of the Republic of Angola through the Hon. Speaker, Hon. Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola and President of the SADC Parliamentary SADC Forum, "for graciously hosting the 43rd SADC Plenary Assembly Session at this beautiful Palace of the Parliament in this beautiful city of Luanda."

Staff Writer

The 42nd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF ended in the Namibian capital on December 3 2017 with delegates focusing on consolidating issues that started at the 41st plenary assembly session in Seychelles which ushered in a new leadership within the regional deliberative body.

Among the main issues deliberated and agreed upon was the issue of transformation of the SADC PF into a SADC Regional Parliament.

When plenary began, SADC PF President Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos who is also the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, called for concerted efforts to transform the Forum into a regional legislative body in keeping with its founding objectives.

Mr. Sheuneni Kurasha, the Parliamentary Business Focal Person at SADC PF, said many MPs and National Parliaments were now supportive of the envisaged transformation.

"There is consensus among SADC Member Parliaments that there is need for a Regional Parliament. The SADC Treaty places obligation on Member States to ratify SADC decisions for them to take effect," Kurasha said in an interview.

In almost all SADC Member States, ratification SADC and other decisions is the responsibility of Parliament. The absence of a Regional Parliament in Southern Africa means that there is no legislative body that facilitates speedy ratification of SADC decisions by National Parliaments.

"The SADC PF tries to assume that role but within the context and confines of a deliberative body which is not legislative. Accordingly, the just ended plenary resolved to accelerate engagement with SADC Heads of State and Government and other stakeholders on the need for a SADC Regional Parliament," he added.

The SADC Region remains the only one of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of Africa without a regional legislative assembly.

The plenary welcomed progress made toward the development of a SADC Model Law on Elections under the SADC PF's Standing Committee of Democratization, Governance and Human Rights. Expectations are that the Model Law would facilitate the domestication of electoral instruments.

In the area of gender, the plenary agreed to focus on gender-responsive budgeting, which is the main-streaming of gender issues across the budget development process to ensure that issues that affect men and women, but in particular women for historical reasons, are addressed through the budget via allocation of resources.

In the same vein, the plenary highlighted the importance of the participation of women in elections, politics and decision-making to ensure that gender equality as it relates to increased representation, participation, and empowerment of women is realised given, that women constitute the majority in many countries.

VOCAL: ZIMBABWEAN LAWMAKER MONICA MUTSVANGWA (STANDING) MAKES A POINT DURING THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF SADC PF.VOCAL: ZIMBABWEAN LAWMAKER MONICA MUTSVANGWA (STANDING) MAKES A POINT DURING THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF SADC PF.Delegates were briefed on major developments in different countries. For instance, the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, updated the plenary on the situation in Zimbabwe following recent events which led to the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe and the subsequent inauguration of the new President, Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. The plenary wished Zimbabwe well and expressed optimism that the fortunes of ordinary Zimbabweans would improve.

From Lesotho's Speaker of the National Assembly Sephiri Enoch Motanyane, the plenary received an update regarding what has been an ongoing political crisis in that country which has prompted SADC to intervene through a commission previously and more recently, a peace-keeping mission.

In recent years, each time Lesotho went into a general election, it has been forced to form a coalition government because none of the parties has been able to garner adequate numbers to be able to form a government on its own. Those coalition governments have been fractious, leading to their collapse and snap elections being called. Over the past five years, three elections have been called for in Lesotho.

Motanyane explained that there had been notable progress in Lesotho in terms of implementation of reforms recommended by SADC PF, the African Union, the Commonwealth Observer Mission and others after the last elections which were held in May 2017, in which SADC PF participated as an observer.

The plenary welcomed the good tidings of progress in Lesotho and encouraged the new government and stakeholders to continue implementing reforms to ensure that the country returns to normalcy. Recommendations made include the need to regulate political floor-crossing, which has triggered instability when it has led to imbalance in terms of numbers that political parties are required to remain in government.

Angolan Speaker dos Santos briefed the plenary on the last election which took place in Angola on August 23 2017 which SADC PF unfortunately did not observe. SADC regulations stipulate that in order for an election observation mission to be deployed, there is need for a quorum of seven Member States. Only four SADC Member States expressed willingness to send observers to Angola. Since this did not make a quorum, the Forum could not send observes.

Delegates stressed the need for SADC PF to observe all elections in SADC Member States. They argued that this was in line with the oversight mandate of Parliaments.

The plenary noted that Angolan elections were conducted peacefully and ushered in a new President, João Lourenço, a former member of the SADC PF.

Election observation does not seem to be getting the attention of cooperating partners, yet in the eyes of SADC MPs; it remains an important issue as it constitutes an important aspect of democracy.

Noting that the of election observers has a restraining effect, Kurasha said the presence of observers during an election tends to boost the confidence of citizens and minimize election-related conflicts.

"This is because observers have a mandate to assess the extent to which member states adhere to the various codes of conduct that obtain in member parliaments. Election observation missions provide an opportunity for independent witnesses to elections. To that extent, they guarantee integrity of electoral processes."

The plenary resolved that Parliaments that are ready and able must participate in observer missions. However, delegates highlighted the need for all SADC Member Parliaments to participate saying when more Parliaments participate, it becomes cheaper and lends more legitimacy to elections.

Typically, SADC PF observer missions include male and female Parliamentarians from governing and opposition parties, which guarantees plurality.

Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, Job Ndugai, attended the plenary with MPs from his country to a rousing welcome. It was the first time in nearly four years that a Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania attended the plenary.

Tanzania is not only a founder member of the SADC PF, but the country has been very active in the Forum. In brief remarks, Ndugai pledged his National Assembly's unwavering support to the work of SADC PF and the regional integration agenda.

An MP from the United Republic Tanzania, Ally Ally Sally moved one of the motions tabled and adopted during the plenary. The motion called for concerted efforts to ensure women's more active participation and representation as well as empowerment in politics and decision making positions.

Debating of motions tabled during the plenary was so passionate and lengthy that some motions were deferred to the next plenary assembly session which will be held in June 2018 in Angola.

Kurasha said the fact that some motions could not be dealt with was proof of the seriousness with which MPs generally deal with issues brought to plenary.

Among the highlights of the just ended plenary assembly session was the announcement that SADC PF had finally procured an official residence for its Secretary General, Dr Esau Chiviya, in keeping with standard practice and procedures of organizations like SADC PF.

The plenary drew approximately 110 delegates who included Speakers of National Assemblies, Deputy Speakers, MPs and staff of national parliaments from 13 of the 14 SADC PF Member Parliaments.

TETE-A-TETE: Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia , Professor Peter Katjavivi chats with a fellow delegate during the 42nd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF in Windhoek last week.TETE-A-TETE: Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia , Professor Peter Katjavivi chats with a fellow delegate during the 42nd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF in Windhoek last week.The Democratic Republic of Congo was absent with apology. Kurasha expressed gratitude to the Government and the people of the Republic of Namibia, the National Assembly of Namibia as represented by the Speaker Prof Peter Katjavivi and his staff for supporting the plenary.

It is widely accepted that women’s empowerment and gender equality is one of the major challenges facing the SADC region and the world in the 21st century.

These Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures in Southern Africa fall within the context of the strategic objective of the SADC Parliamentary Forum relating to Strengthening Institutions for Democratic Governance. .

Johannesburg - The Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Dr Esau Chiviya, says the Forum has begun mainstreaming gender based violence (GBV) in its work to ensure that the region's Members of Parliament fully appreciate the problem and how it can be addressed.

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À propos de nous

Le Forum parlementaire de la Communauté de développement de l'Afrique australe (SADC PF) a été créé en 1997 conformément à l'article 9 (2) du Traité de la SADC en tant qu'institution autonome de la SADC. Il s'agit d'un organe interparlementaire régional composé de treize (14) parlements représentant plus de 3500 parlementaires dans la région de la SADC.

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