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Staff Writer
The SADC Parliamentary Forum has joined the Government, people of Namibia and the international community in expressing deepest condolences following the passing on of Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the former Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia and also former President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
In a statement, the President of SADC PF, Fernando da Piedade Dais dos Santos, who is also Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, said death had robbed the world of a “liberation hero, diplomat par excellence and an internationalist.”
Gurirab died on Saturday 14 July 2018. He served as Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia after the late Dr. Mose Tjitendero, the founding Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Namibia who was also the founding Chairperson of the SADC PF.
President of SADC PF, Fernando da Piedade Dais dos Santos, who is also Speaker of the National Assembly of AngolaDos Santos said Namibia was not only instrumental in establishing the SADC PF, but continues to host the Forum’s Secretariat.
“As a result, the SADC PF has benefitted from the wise stewardship of three successive Speakers of the National Assembly. This bears testimony to Namibia’s commitment to the SADC Integration Agenda and to the Forum, which is the voice of SADC Parliamentarians,” he said.
Dos Santos recalled that in 2007, SADC Parliamentarians nominated Gurirab as their candidate for the coveted position of President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
“Subsequently the African continent unanimously endorsed his candidature. Hon. Dr. Gurirab was elected by more than 170 parliaments and served from 2008 to 2011,” he said.
He said Gurirab took Parliamentary diplomacy to new heights in that during his tenure, the IPU was granted observer status by the United Nations.
“By supporting the call for the transformation of the SADC PF into a SADC Regional Parliament, Hon. Dr. Gurirab advocated for the appreciation of Parliamentary diplomacy in the SADC Region.”
Dos Santos said the greatest honour that the SADC Region could bestow “on this gentle giant” is to heed the call for the establishment of a SADC Regional Parliament.
“The upcoming 38th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government which will be held on 17th – 18th August 2018 in Windhoek, presents a golden opportunity,” Dos Santos said.
He noted Gurirab’s commitment and role in shaping the international development agenda.
“The leadership he provided during his tenure as President of the United Nations General Assembly (1999-2000) led to the development of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs.) The MDGs laid the foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the current international blueprint,” he said.
Quoting the vision statement of the 17 SDGs which run from 2015 to 2030, dos Santos said: “We can be the first generation to end extreme poverty, the most determined generation in history to end injustice and inequality, and the last generation to be threatened by climate change.”
He encouraged the world to recommit to serving humanity in honour of Gurirab.
BLURB: As demands for land become more strident across SADC, the region's MPs say it is time to wake up, smell the coffee and ensure access to this inelastic resource for all citizens especially women, the majority of whom work it but do not own it.
Luanda, Angola - A veteran South African lawmaker has challenged SADC Member Parliament to support legislative frameworks that promote women's access to and ownership of land.
Morotua- Veteran South African Lawmaker Rosalia MorotuaLawmaker Rosalia Morotua made the call through a motion moved during the 43 rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum which took place here last week.
In the motion, moved on her behalf by fellow South African Member of Parliament (MP), Siphosezwe Masango, Morotua enjoined SADC Member Parliaments to debate the gendered dimension of land ownership and agricultural industrialization in their respective countries.
Additionally, she encouraged the SADC PF to engage the SADC Secretariat to determine progress toward advancing women's access to land in the agricultural sector in keeping with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
"The limited sex-disaggregated data for land ownership in the SADC Region shows that men own most of the region's land," she said.
Tanzanian MP Esther Masi seconded Morotua's motion.
"Women in most of the SADC Member States simply do not own land resources, yet are the ones that produce food and feed our nations," Masi said and added that in Tanzania, it was estimated that women produced about 80% of the food.
Malawi MP Patricia Kainga said the SADC Gender Protocol barometer of 2017 attributes the poor access to land by women to stringent trade facilities that most women are unable to qualify for and customary practices that prevent women from inheriting the land.
"This region has a task to protect our women in land ownership and credit facilities," she said.
Zambian lawmaker Professor Kandu Luo said many rural women were suffering due to lack of access to land. She called for mechanization of agriculture to ease the burden on women who work on the land.
"The whole issue of tilling the land with hoes is really something that we should be looking at and mechanization of agriculture activities is extremely important," Luo said.
An MP from Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, said SADC Member States could learn something from his country about the land issue.
"As a Parliament and as a people, we have identified this issue and we have passed the necessary laws to do away with discrimination. Today, women and men in the Seychelles have equal access to land. Women can inherit land and there are no issues," he said.
He encouraged national parliaments to resolve the land question at national level.
"Bring those motions on; fight those injustices and through that, women will get their proper place in society," Ramkalawan said.
Zambian MP Elizabeth Phiri urged SADC Member States to protect the rights of mainly disadvantaged women and girls. She said many widows were getting a raw deal.
"When a man dies, relatives of this man come and get everything from the woman. Other tribes think giving birth to a girl-child is a curse; they would rather have boys through out," Phiri said.
She urged MPs to hold their governments accountable with respect to the domestication and implementation of relevant protocols such as the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.
Botswana MP Duma Boko suggested that MPs use legislation to promote equitable access to land.
"Land is an inelastic resource. If someone holds tracts and tracts of land, rendering such land available only to himself and his family, is there a way we can free up some of that land?"
He warned that the writing was on the wall and enjoined his fellow lawmakers to wake up and smell the coffee.
"This is the question that bedevils South Africa, it bedeviled Zimbabwe with all the difficulty that it brought, and it now seems to bedevil the womenfolk," Boko said.
He cautioned against assuming that men were the only ones denying women access to land and called for a hard look at customary law and other factors.
"Under customary law, what are the rules that apply for the devolution and succession of land? In a lot of instances when you say the relatives of the man come and take the land, you may actually be talking about the mother of the man who has died. So, it is another woman grabbing land from a daughter-in-law. It must not appear as if all the time it is the men."
South African MP Shaik Emmam argued that land ownership bestows dignity on people and urged governments to help citizens acquire it.
"I want to encourage all SADC Member States to at least provide serviced land to every family, particularly women," he said.
Lesotho MP Tsepang Mosena said land was key in the quest for self-determination by nations and socio economic development of all people. She recalled land was at the top of the list of grievances when many SADC Member States waged liberation struggles.
"The guns have since fallen silent in many parts of Africa. However, demands for equitable access to land are growing more and more strident. Indeed, in many of our Member States, equitable land distribution remains an unfinished, emotive business," she said.
Mosena said she was aware that some SADC Member States had begun taking steps to "right this historical injustice" but challenged them to be more transparent about it.
"While I congratulate them, I would like to seize the opportunity to challenge (them) to generate and openly distribute disaggregated data showing how all citizens - regardless of gender or sex - are benefiting from land redistribution because I am fully persuaded that in many of our Member States, land ownership patterns remain skewed in favour of the male gender."
She said very little land was in the hands of women and girls "yet they make the majority in many our Member States and bear a disproportionate burden of providing care to the sick, broke and busted".
She attributed women's low access to land to their lower income earning capabilities due to a plethora of that include lower educational access and attainment, patriarchy and patriarchal lineage propped up by deeply entrenched beliefs about inheritance and succession.
"Strange as it might sound in the 21st century, we still have Member States in which the girl child cannot inherit her father's land ahead of or alongside her male siblings."
Mosena argued that lack of access to land results in exclusion from life-changing opportunities and increases women and girls' vulnerability to exploitation, poverty, HIV infection and unmet sexual and reproductive sexual rights.
"A woman who cannot access land may be forced to become a subordinate appendage of the man who owns and controls land as well as what it produces. In such a relationship, this woman has little or no say in many issues including her own reproductive rights. As representatives of the people, we can surely change this situation," she said.
She said there was justification for legislative intervention to level up land redistribution in many SADC Member States.
"I support legislated affirmative action to address gender disparities in land ownership. Ideally, our local and traditional authorities should be required to allocate or reserve a certain minimum quota of land for our female citizens to change the prevailing embarrassing situation," she said.
… as SADC PF denounces attacks at rallies
Staff Writer in Luanda, Angola
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, Adv. Jacob Mudenda has briefed the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum on Zimbabwe's preparedness for harmonised elections scheduled for July 30 2018.
Mudenda spoke on Thursday immediately after the 14-member regional body issued a strongly-worded statement condemning a suspected grenade attack at a rally that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had addressed in Bulawayo on 23 June 2018. The statement, read out on behalf of the Forum by Mozambican Parliamentarian Jaine Bessa Augusto Neto, also condemned a grenade attack that appeared to have targeted Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Rt. Hon. Abiy Ahmed, on the same day.
"We strongly condemn these heinous and barbaric acts of terrorism which are an affront, to the peace and tranquillity prevailing both in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and the African continent as a whole," the statement read.
The Plenary, which is the supreme decision-making of the SADC PF said the region's MPs could not remain silent while "criminals and violence perpetrators attempt to create instability, chaos and despondency in these two sovereign States, in the Region and in Africa in general, by subverting the will of the people to be governed democratically and peacefully".
The Plenary enjoined the people of Zimbabwe and Ethiopia to remain united in the face of "cowardly and desperate attacks" on their sovereignty and democracy.
Through the statement, the SADC Parliamentary Forum conveyed condolences to the families of people who died in the attacks and wished the many that were injured speedy recovery.
"The law must take its full course in pursuing and bringing to book the enemies of peace who committed these heinous acts of terrorism," the Plenary said.
The SADC PF statement followed a similar statement by the President of Angola Joao Lourencio.
Mudenda told the Plenary that Zimbabwe's election roadmap for the harmonised elections was formally set in motion by a Proclamation issued by President Mnangagwa, setting July 30 as the date for the Elections.
"Section 143 (1) of our Constitution clearly provides that the life of Parliament is five years beginning on the day the President-Elect was sworn in and that Parliament stands dissolved at midnight on the day before the first day of the elections which is 29 July 2018. Section 158 (1) of our Constitution states that a general election must be held not more than thirty days before the expiry of the five-year period specified in section 143 (3) of the national Constitution cited above. Accordingly, nomination courts sat on 14th June 2018," Mudenda explained.
He said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, is an independent Commission established in terms of section 238 of the Constitution to manage Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Authority elections, would prepare for, conduct and supervise elections "in such a manner that they are conducted efficiently, freely, fairly and transparently in accordance with the Electoral law as provided for in section 239(a) of our Constitution".
The Speaker said all election observers would be accredited by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in terms of section 239(i) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
He revealed that pre-election observation missions from the United States, European Union, the United Nations and the Commonwealth had already visited Zimbabwe while the Electoral Commission had assured Zimbabwe and the international community that the elections would be conducted democratically in a peaceful political environment.
Mudenda said the "mushrooming" of 128 political Parties and a record 23 Presidential candidates set to participate in the elections was proof of the transparent democratic space unprecedented since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.
"In the same vein, media coverage for the electoral process has been pervasive and inclusive of all political Parties."
He said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had since produced copies of the updated voters' roll for inspection by the public and political parties.
"It should also be noted that the current elections will be conducted using a biometric voters' roll similar to the Namibian experience. As at 29 th May 2018, a total of 5 524 188 people had registered to vote. In terms of our law, the registration for voters stopped 12 days after the close of the Nomination Courts."
Noting that the Zimbabwean Head of State had categorically stated on numerous occasions that the country would conduct free, transparent, fair and credible elections, Mudenda said all political parties had been campaigning freely in the country.
"A number of countries and international organisations such as the Commonwealth, the African Union, the European Union, the Swedish government, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Republican International Institute have sent teams to pre-assess the prevailing electoral environment before rolling out their observation teams."
He said the teams had concluded that the electoral environment was conducive to holding free, fair, transparent and possibly credible elections.
"To bolster this scenario … all the 23 Presidential candidates signed a PEACE PLEDGE on 26th June 2018 to the effect that all these candidates must be advocates for peaceful elections before, during and after their conclusion."
Additionally, he said, electoral courts had been established in the country's ten provinces to deal with all electoral breaches expeditiously.
Meanwhile, the President of SADC PF will no longer have to hit the table with his or her clenched fist to call for order. This after Mozambique donated a hammer to the President on Thursday.
Busy schedule for MPs at 43rd SADC PF Plenary Session
27 Jui 2018 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumFrom Moses Magadza in Luanda, Angola
Luanda - Members of Parliament (MPs) from different SADC Member States attending the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum were bracing for a busy time with important reports and motions set for consideration after the Plenary began in earnest on Wednesday.
The MPs were expected to receive and debate a number of key motions as they tackle common challenges affecting the SADC Region. The Plenary began with an official opening ceremony and a symposium on Monday. This Plenary, which is the ultimate decision-making body of SADC PF, will consider a report of the Forum’s Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is the management board of the Forum which provides stewardship over management and financial matters of the institution, which brings together 14 National Parliaments and approximately 2 500 MPs throughout the SADC Region.
Acting SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma said early this week that the Executive Committee would present three reports: on general management of the institution, on financial matters and a one related to amendment to the rules and constitution of the Forum with a view to strengthen certain areas - including establishment of a forum for chairpersons of Standing Committees and the Chairperson of the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC).
The Plenary was set to receive and consider reports from all Standing Committees of the SADC PF that met prior to the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session. A joint session of some Standing Committees was also on the cards.
Sekgoma said in terms of motions, topical ones were expected to be moved. One of the motions would focus on strengthening developmental States in Southern Africa as an alternative model to the neo-liberal developmental framework. Honourable Siphosezwe Masango of South Africa was expected to move that motion.
Another motion would be on engagement with the Parliaments of Comoros and Madagascar to encourage them to join SADC PF. This after their governments have already joined SADC and have been formally admitted.
A motion calling for concerted efforts to combat sexual harassment in the workplace throughout the region is expected from Hon. Regina Esparon of Seychelles.
Botswana’s Hon. Polson Majaga, was set to move a motion calling on MPs to take concrete steps to address the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security in the SADC Region, given the huge number of people who rely on agriculture.
South Africa’s Stevens Mokgalapa, MP, was expected to move a motion calling on SADC Parliaments to do more to sustain efforts to promote electoral integrity in the Region.
ATTENTION: SADC Members of Parliament stand at attention as the National anthem of Angola is played at the start of the 43rd Plenary Assembly Session of SADC PF in Lunda, Angola. Photo: Moses MagadzaThis motion follows a decision by the 39th Plenary Assembly of SADC PF which met in the Kingdom of Eswatini in 2016 and resolved to develop a SADC Model Law on Elections against the backdrop of the adoption of the Revised SADC Guidelines and Principles Governing Democratic Elections.
This motion comes in the context of a very busy electoral calendar in the SADC Region between 2018 and 2019, during which 10 SADC Member States are expected to hold elections. In 2018 Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madagascar and the Kingdom of Eswatini will hold elections. In 2019, Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique Namibia and Mauritius will also go to the polls.
South Africa’s veteran politician Rosalia Morutoa is expected to move a motion on gender dimensions to land ownership and agricultural industrialization in Southern Africa.
In all, 12 of the 14 SADC PF Member Parliaments are represented at this Plenary and observers say the fact that many of the national delegations are being headed by Speakers shows the seriousness with with SADC Member States take the SADC PF and the work that it does.
In recent years the Forum has developed Model Laws to address common regional challenges that include child marriages, notably with financial support from Sweden and Norway who supported a four-year project to build the capacity of MPs to advocate for universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS services. Plans are underway to develop a SADC Model Law on key populations as the region strives to ensure that no one is left behind or falls through the crack towards.
This is the third time that Angola is hosting the SADC PF Plenary. A delegation of 11 members led by Hon Professor Peter Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly, is representing Namibia at the Plenary Session.
… as SADC PF Plenary gets underway
Staff Writer
The 43rd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) got underway here on Monday with the President of Angola strongly denouncing suspected grenade attacks that appeared to have targeted the leaders of Zimbabwe and Ethiopia recently.
Last Saturday an explosion rocked White City Stadium in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city where President Emmerson Mnangagwa had been addressing a rally. Although the Zimbabwean Head of State escaped unscathed, nearly 50 people including his two deputies were injured. Reports now indicate that two of those injured have succumbed to their injuries. Also last week, a grenade exploded killing two people and injuring many others at a rally for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa.
Angolan President, Joao LourencoWhile officially opening the SADC PF Plenary Session, Angolan President Joao Lourenco strongly condemned the attack that took place in Zimbabwe at a public rally as "cowardly, criminal and undemocratic."
He encouraged Zimbabweans to continue working toward holding elections scheduled for 30 July 2018. Angola chairs the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation, a body created by SADC to deal with peace and security matters in the SADC region. Lourenco said the attacks in Bulawayo and Addis Ababa must be condemned because they sought to undermine efforts that are ongoing toward holding democratic elections, particularly in Zimbabwe.
He said the attacks were reprehensible, also, because they happened at a political rally where many innocent people could be maimed or killed while exercising their civil liberties which are enshrined in the Constitution as well as in the constitutive instruments of SADC, including the revised principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.
Turning to regional integration and development, the Angolan Head of State called for concerted efforts towards the SADC region's industrialization and optimum use of its natural resources.
The Plenary Assembly session is being held under the theme: Deepening SADC Economic Integration Through Industrialization: The Role of Parliament. Lourenco said the theme was apt given current socioeconomic challenges within the SADC Region that include inability to respond to the needs of the youth in terms of employment.
Observers say industrialization can ensure that as economies of SADC Member States grow, they yield tangible benefits for young people, many of whom have nothing to lose or gain from what has been described as jobless economic growth in some circles.
The SADC PF has been in existence for 21 years and discussions around the role of Members of Parliament in consolidating its gains are gaining traction, with some people citing delays in transforming it into a SADC Regional Parliament as a serious institutional gap thwarting regional integration.
Lourenco reaffirmed his country's commitment to the regional integration agenda and in supporting the role of Parliament. He told delegates that the issue of SADC PF's transformation into a SADC Regional Parliament was being considered at the highest level in Angola and would be discussed at the next summit for SADC Heads of State and Government scheduled for Namibia.
President of SADC Parliamentary Forum and The Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos The Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, is President of SADC PF. Speaking at the same occasion, he called for new and innovative strategies to promote rapid regional economic integration.
SADC PF Acting Secretary General Ms. Boemo Sekgoma told the Angolan President that the Forum had evolved "to tackle issues of major concern to the SADC Region such as good governance, trade, women empowerment, gender equality, and HIV and AIDS, among others."
Sekgoma said as the main policy organ of the SADC PF, the Plenary Assembly had consistently provided a platform which had helped to shape policy and parliamentary processes in all SADC Member States. She explained that 12 SADC Member States were represented.
Notable among delegates attending the plenary are: Hon Fernando da Piedade Dias, Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola; the Rt. Hon Siphiri Motanyane, Speaker of the National Assembly of Lesotho; Hon Veronica Nathaniel Macamo Dlhova, Speaker of the National Assembly of Mozambique; Hon Professor Peter Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia; Hon Nicholas Prea, Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles; Hon Baleka Mbete, Speaker of Parliament of South Africa; and Hon Advocate Jacob Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe.
The Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini and Mauritius are absent with apologies. The East African Legislative Assembly and the Pan African Parliament sent representatives who reiterated the importance of regional parliaments in fostering regional integration.
The 43rd Plenary Assembly Session is being held in the Palace of the National Assembly of Angola, marking the first time that it has been held in a building of a Member Parliament. Some delegates say the fact that Angola put its majestic parliament at the disposal of the Forum during this Plenary is procedurally significant.
Said one delegate: "It is a demonstration of the readiness and the acceptance of by the membership of SADC PF that we are indeed a parliament that has come of age. It speaks to the issue of transformation that SADC PF has been pushing for."
Staff Writer
The SADC Parliamentary Forum has expressed profound sadness following the passing on of former diplomat and Member of Parliament Nora Schimming-Chase.
In a statement, SADC PF Secretary General, Dr Esau Chiviya offered “deepest condolences” to the Government and people of Namibia as well as the entire Schimming-Chase family.
“A respected diplomat and fearless advocate of the rights of women and girls, Hon Schimming-Chase diligently served as Vice-Chairperson of the SADC PF from 15th November 2006 to 27 November 2008. Whenever she presided over the Plenary Assembly Session in place of the Chairperson, she did so with unrivalled eloquence and firmness,” Chiviya said.
The SG said Schimming-Chase once served, also, as a Member of the HIV and AIDS Standing Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum from June 2006 to November 2008.
SADC PF Secretary General, Dr Esau Chiviya“Overall, she devoted a lot of her time and energy furthering the ideals of SADC PF. Namibia and indeed the continent have lost a steadfast advocate for human rights. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose lives were positively impacted by this great woman. Her passing on is a major loss,” he said.
His Royal Highness Prince Guduza, the former Speaker of the National Assembly of Swaziland, who also once served as chairperson of the SADC PF expressed “great shock and a deep sense of sadness” following Schimming –Chase’s death.
“I recall with gratitude how much of a very wise and intelligent person she was. She added value to the very many important tasks that the SADC PF had charged us with,” HRH Guduza said in a statement.
He said the late Schimming-Chase supported ongoing efforts to transform the SADC PF into a Regional Parliament. He added that she a stickler for optimal use of scarce resources at the Forum and cherished peace and tranquillity.
“She was instrumental in motivating Presiding Officers (Speakers) from various countries that are represented in the SADC PF, to go on a goodwill mission and ascertain that the government of Zimbabwe was operating in conformity with the guidelines and dictates of the Government of National Unity (GNU.)”
HRH Guduza said the former diplomat had remarkable leadership qualities, exuded authority and diligently presided over the Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF whenever she acted as Chairperson.
“She was an extraordinarily brilliant and gifted person.”
Botswana’s former MP Ambassador Duke LefhokoBotswana’s former MP Ambassador Duke Lefhoko, described the late Chase as “the embodiment of kindness, resoluteness, candidness, excellence and diplomatic finesse.”
He said” “She was endowed with the true lion heart trait that I find common among women rather than men.”
He added that Schimming-Chase was a brave woman.
Amb Lefhoko worked with her within the SADC PF when he was Treasurer and subsequently Vice Chairperson of the Forum.
“We participated together in some Election Observation Missions in the SADC Region. She was meticulous at work.”
He recalled that Schimming-Chase was deeply hurt and shed a tear when the Executive within the SADC Region “dealt the SADC Tribunal a fatal blow.”
He said Schimming-Chase was a “true democrat” and said her passing on was a loss not only to Namibia, SADC and Africa, but the rest of the world.
“She possessed a rare trait of being an avid listener and a leader in conversation,” he concluded.
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.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.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.
“BARBARIC!” - Say SADC MPs as they slam alleged Libya slave trade
05 Déc 2017 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumStaff Writer
Members of Parliament from the SADC Region attending the just ended 42 nd Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Windhoek, Namibia have unanimously adopted a motion strongly condemning the reported slave trade of asylum seekers and migrants in Libya.
A July 2017 video clip that went viral showing an auctioneer apparently auctioning off migrants at USD400 apiece has incensed the region's lawmakers, prompting them to take a stand.
South African MP Dr Santosh Vinita Kalyan moved a motion through which Parliamentarians from 13 of the 14 SADC Member States demanded decisive action from the African Union and other regional economic communities to bring the perpetrators "of such heinous crimes" inside and outside Libya to justice.
Kalyan described as "disgraceful" reports of African asylum seekers and migrants being sold into slavery in Libya as they try to reach European shores. She enjoined the SADC PF Plenary "to strongly deplore any form of modern day slavery and human trafficking, particularly of women and girls".
Findings by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights ascribe slavery in transit countries such as Libya to the European Union's efforts to curb migration and tighten borders, without providing alternative safe and legal paths for migrants and refugees.
ANTI-SLAVE TRADE: South African MP Dr Santosh Vinita Kalyan. Kalyan condemned the emergence of what she described as modern-day slavery in which migrants fleeing corruption, oppression and poverty were trying to reach Europe via Libya, only to fall into the clutches of smugglers and being subjected to heinous abuses. Reports say the smugglers extort a large amount of money from the illegal migrants in order to get them across the Mediterranean Sea. Conservative estimates put the number of migrants that have drowned while attempting to cross the treacherous sea at 3000.
Kalyan said Libyan coast guards were reportedly arresting the migrants and taking them to Libyan detention centers where many have been raped, beaten and tortured. Others were being reportedly set upon by smugglers and sold off as either work slaves or sex slaves.
"The EU is complicit in violating the human rights of those migrants and they turn their heads the other way when the coast guard returns them to Libya. Finding a solution is indeed complex. What is very, very sad that this is a brother upon brother crime," the tough-talking MP said.
Libya is party to the UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 1956. The largely lawless North African country has ratified the African Charter on Human and People's Rights of 1986 that expressly prohibits slavery.
Goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals requires the UN Member States to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
The motion generated passionate debate and widespread support.
Mauritius MP Mahomed Osman Cassam Mahomed told the Plenary that the reported slave trade in Libya had been raised in the Mauritius Parliament where opposition and governing political parties strongly condemned it.
MP Ally Ally Saleh from the United Republic of Tanzania said it was "saddening" that slave trade had reared its ugly head in Africa, centuries after it was officially abolished. Noting that Zanzibar was a focal point on slave trade a few centuries ago, Ally Saleh blamed the United Nations and the "imperialistic world" for the reported ongoing slave trade in Libya.
"Libya has been a target of the United Nations and the imperialistic world for a long time. They first pushed Libya into being a failed state …Libya is a conduit for most African people seeking greener pastures in the north. It is very funny that now the western world is coming out with a marshal plan. I don't know if it will succeed because probably we are reaching a stage whereby not only Libya but some other people back this notion of slavery in another form," he said.
Dr Jessie Kabwila, an MP from Malawi who chairs the Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus of SADC PF, called for a media strategy to amplify the SADC Region's indignation over the reported slave trade in Libya.
Swaziland's His Royal Highness Jomo Mfanawemakhosi Dhlamini, also an MP, said what was happening in Libya was tantamount to a vote of no confidence on Africa.
He said: "Have we not failed to do the right thing? Why should somebody subject themselves to that situation? The lack of opportunity, education and so on eventually leads to people subjecting themselves to this. I condemn the slave trade. Africa must look within. Africa must stop blaming others. Africa must be honest with itself. Have we done the right thing with all (resources) that we have? I don't see Europeans migrating to Africa and risking their lives. I don't see Americans, maybe Asians."
Dhlamini said the fact that people were being sold to go and dig was proof that the majority of the people who were being sold "have no particular skill, so they find themselves in that situation".
He added: "Please, let's once again organize ourselves. We have enough resources… Without proper education, there is no hope. Let us reenergize ourselves to invest in education because if people are unskilled and uneducated, they will always be ready to do anything."
Zimbabwe's Dr Samuel Mukanduri, MP, said: "This is a very sad story… Nowadays we sell goods on the market but in Libya, we hear stories that people instead of goods, human beings are being sold like goods. Like tomatoes! Why? It is because we have let the imperialists devastate our economies. People are going to Europe because they know that our resources have been looted in Africa and they want to go and benefit from their sweat."
He called for political systems that create economic opportunities that benefit people.
"We should not let people loot. Those people in positions should desist from corrupt activities because this will disadvantage the citizens of our countries."
Another MP from Swaziland, Sikhumbuzo Ndlovu said what was happening in Libya was symptomatic of retrogression.
"It looks like we are moving back centuries. This is a trade that used to happen many years ago and definitely it doesn't have a place in our world today. It deserves to be condemned in the strongest terms possible. Why would the world move back when we are supposed to be moving forward? It means there is something seriously wrong that we have to address," he opined.
He appealed to the African Union, the EU and the UN to come on board "so that this modern-day slavery is fought with everything at our disposal".
South Africa's Ahmed Shaik-Emam called on all MPs to support the motion and "condemn these barbaric acts of enslavement (and) call for action against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes."
Shaik-Emam slammed the UN and the AU for failing to deal with the challenges in Libya.
"Not long ago, Libya used to provide free housing, free healthcare and free education… but because of what the west has done in Libya, today we have a crisis. But having said that, it doesn't mean that if they have a challenge they must behave in the way that they are behaving and abuse innocent people and violate their human rights."
Namibia's MP Hon. Sophia Swartz called for a clear understanding of what has prompted the slave trade in Libya.
"Each country, what is going on in your country? If you are a political leader, see that people on the ground benefit," she said, adding that foreign direct investment must seek to empower local people.
"If we are not doing those things (our people) will run away looking for greener pastures and this will go on and on. As MPs, we have an oversight function and must ensure that investors who come enter into deals that benefit ordinary people as well."
MPs from Mozambique and Angola also supported the motion and called for urgent steps to halt the reported flagrant violation of the rights of vulnerable migrants.
EZULWINI, SWAZILAND - All the 14 member Parliaments of the SADC Parliamentary Forum are represented at the 39th Plenary Assembly Session of the regional body which officially got underway on Wednesday here.
This is the second time that the Plenary Assembly Session is being held in the Kingdom of Swaziland, the first being in 2004.
Mr Sheuneni Kurasha, the Programme Manager: Democracy & Governance as well as Parliamentary Business Focal Person at SADC PF said the fact that all member states are being represented demonstrates the value they place not just in SADC PF but also in SADC regional integration agenda.
He said the Plenary had begun flawlessly.
"The sub-committees of the Executive Committee met on Monday, including the Parliamentary Business Sub-Committee which considered the parliamentary business for the 39th Plenary Assembly. This was followed by a meeting of the Executive Committee which met on Tuesday and among other things, approved the business for the Plenary Assembly Session," Kurasha said.
In welcome remarks to the delegates who include Speakers of National Parliaments and Members of Parliament, the Speaker in the House of Assembly of Swaziland, Hon Themba Msibi said his country had benefitted immensely from being part of the deliberative body.
"Swaziland has always been a full member of the Forum and has benefitted in many ways including from many workshops for Members of Parliament and we cannot be more grateful," the Speaker said.
The chairperson of the Regional Women's Parliamentary Forum Hon Francisca Domingos Tomas from Mozambique hailed Swaziland for fighting discrimination of women. She said Swaziland afforded equal opportunities to all her citizens including women, some of who now occupy very senior positions in different spheres. Hon Domingos held out the example of the long serving President of the Senate of Swaziland, who is a woman.
The Secretary General of the SADC PF, Dr Esau Chiviya said the theme for the Plenary Assembly Session provided and opportunity for National Parliaments of the SADC Region to "take stock of the human rights situation in the SADC Region in general in general and the rights of women in particular."
He added: "Parliaments will examine their own centrality the centrality of human rights in law making and at the same time explore strategies for meaningful collaboration."
His Majesty King Mswati III, who was represented by the Acting Prime Minister, Senator Paul Dlamini, officially opened the Plenary Assembly Session whose theme is strengthening the Role of Parliament in Protecting and Realisation of Human Rights in Southern Africa, on Wednesday.
The King took the opportunity to explain the country's democratic system - Monarchical Democracy - which he said had been misunderstood in some quarters.
"Monarchical Democracy is defined as the marriage between the monarchy and the ballot box. The ballot box is the will of the people who vote for an individual, who will provide advice and counsel to the King and country in a manner that ensures transparency and accountability. It is a combination of power with empowerment. It means that the Monarch of Eswatini guarantees the shared power of the people," the King said.
He added: "To those who proclaim that democracy is the answer to all nations and their development, we present ourselves as a testimony to a new democratic ideology that works… the Kingdom of Eswatini's position is that it believes in democracy as an idea but not as an ideal because things that are ideal to you may not be ideal to other people."
Kurasha said among the main highlights of this Plenary Assembly Session is the expected adoption of the Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Those Already in Marriage in Southern Africa.
The law, which was developed in response to the decision by the 35th Plenary Assembly Session held in Mauritius in June 2014, will be a historic milestone by Parliamentarians from the Region in the quest to end the scourge of child marriages bedevilling many countries in the Region.
Other issues to be considered include committee reports by various SADC PF standing committees as well as motions by various Members of Parliament. They include: a motion on the Need for SADC PF to Develop a Model Law on Elections to Facilitate the Domestication of SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections by Member States (mover: Hon. Maneesh Gobin, MP, Mauritius); motion on the Prevalence of the Dual Epidemic of Tuberculosis (TB) and Diabetes around the World (mover: Hon. Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, MP, South Africa); motion on Combating Hunger and Poverty in Southern Africa (mover: Hon Paulo Angola); motion on the Need for Integrated Energy Infrastructure and Security as a Means for Regional Development with Specific Attention to the Inga Dam Project (mover: Hon. Stevens Mokgalapa, MP, South Africa); and motion on the Importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) In the Development of the SADC Region (mover: Hon. Siphosezwe Masango, MP, South Africa).
Other motions include : motion on the Negative Impact of Poor Service Delivery on Women as People Responsible for Care Work at the Household (mover: Hon. Masefele Morutoa, MP, South Africa); motion on The Need For SADC Member States Expedite The Signing And Implementation Of The Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement Aimed At Creating An Enlarged Market Extending From Cape To Cairo (mover: Dr Samson Mukanduri, MP, Zimbabwe).
Approximately 190 delegates including observers from other regional and international organisations that SADC PF collaborates with are attending the Plenary Assembly Session which ends on Sunday.
Staff Writer
MAHE, SEYCHELLES - The 41st Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary Forum gets underway on Monday 10th July 2017, here with a Symposium focusing on the Youths as SADC Member states angle for the demographic dividend that the region's youthful population presents.
The Plenary is SADC PF's highest decision-making body that brings together Speakers of 14th National SADC Member States or their representatives and up to five Members or Parliament from each Member State, observers and resource persons. It meets twice a year. In all, 12 National Parliaments are attending this Plenary. Lesotho and Tanzania are not attending, citing pressing national engagements according to Sheuneni Kurasha, SADC PF's Parliamentary Business Focal Person.
SADC PF Secretary General Dr Esau Chiviya on Saturday told a high level preparatory meeting ahead of the Plenary that the 41st Plenary Assembly Session is being held under the Theme: "Harnessing Demographic Dividend in SADC through investment in Youth."
