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Capacity Development Session for SRHR Researchers and Budget Analysis Session Welcome Remarks by the Secretary General (SG), 26th February 2022
26 Fev. 2022 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumDear Colleagues and distinguished participants,
Welcome to this meeting. In my capacity as Secretary General of the SADC-PF, it is with immense pleasure that I welcome you to this regional event under the SRHR Project after nearly 2 years of successive virtual meetings. It is nice to finally see you face to face, and I hope this meeting will herald other physical meetings to take place in 2022 and 2023.
First, I would like to start by emphasising that you should not let your guard down regarding Covid-19 sanitary measures. During these few days, while we will be together, it is crucial that we observe social distancing and hygiene precautions in view of
ensuring that everybody goes back home safe and sound. Remember that we are not safe until everybody is safe.
Getting to topic, I would like to highlight the vital importance of this capacity building exercise under the SRHR Project. As you are aware, this exercise is earmarked to occur every year, especially due to the importance of the budgetary mandate of MPs across SADC. You will recall that the last exercise was held virtually in September 2020 in Year 2 of the Project. It was thus imperative that we meet again in Year 3 to revive the activity and take stock of the SRHR developments relating to your national Budgets. It is also expected that this session will be repeated in Year 4 of the Project to enable the gains with regards to budget analysis to be fully reaped.
Colleagues, it is trite that without the budget, nothing can be achieved. No school or hospital can be built and no SRHR service procured. All promises and commitments made concerning SRHR require funding in one way or the other. The state Budget thus remains the most reliable single source of funds for the State to conduct its SRHR activities including
promoting gender equality, preventing early and unintended pregnancy, helping children to remain in school, to mention but a few areas of intervention.In addition, the implementation of regional and international commitments under treaties, and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) all have budgetary implications. The budgetary mandate of MPs thus forms part of one of the key outcomes under the SRHR Project.
At the same time, this session was quintessential to introduce you to the new democracy component under the SRHR Project. Most of you would have been aware of this welcome development through my Internal Memo issued last January. Yet, the introductory activity was urgently needed as your reporting on Outcomes 8 and 9 under the new amended Project has already started last year. SRHR and Democracy are now intertwined, with robust democracy being a powerful driver to advance SRHR. As Project implementers, it was thus necessary to ensure that you are updated on how to approach the Project in the months to come.
This session is equally to understand how the budget process across SADC can be improved from a governance perspective, and who better than Experts from the Technical Working Group of the Forum to demonstrate this deficit. This would undeniably assist you in your thinking process as you engage MPs regarding your own national budget and propose avenues to improve budget governance.
This aspect is thus befitting to this session in particular as the Forum is as we speak developing the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management which has a dedicated chapter of provisions on Budgeting. It may interest you to know that under the Model Law, the Budget document presented to Parliament would need to have a separate description of budget lines which enable the advancement of the SDGs, UHC, and other international commitments such that monitoring of same becomes a straightforward task. The SADC region must move on from this situation where treaties are ratified without any mechanism for regular accountability with regards to domestication, and the yearly Budget must thus become an instrument for follow up. I am confident that once adopted, you will know how to utilise the Model Law and weave it with the budget initiatives under the SRHR Project.
Finally, I would like to add that this session is also a peer learning one where you will have the opportunity to present about your respective state budgets for the last financial year and demonstrate how has SRHR been promoted or advanced through different budget lines. As you are aware, the final years in every Project are dedicated to peer and cross-learning, and hence from now on we expect SRHR Researchers to be leading at national level as well as at the regional level. In addition, it would be appreciated if you could find time in the margins of this session to sort out your pending reports with Ms Pamela Nyika, the Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant of the Forum.
With these words, I wish you a pleasant session. Thank you
Ms B.Sekgoma, Secretary General,
SADC Parliamentary Forum 26th February 2022
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STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL DURING STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS FOR THE SADC MODEL LAW ON PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, WITH LINE MINISTRIES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF ACCOUNTANTS GENERAL
15 Fev. 2022 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumOur 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
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MEDIA ADVISORY: SADC PF KICKS OFF CONSULTATIONS ON DRAFT MODEL LAW ON PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT WITH SADC AUDITORS GENERAL
07 Fev. 2022 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumWINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Monday 07 February 2022 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) will tomorrow, Tuesday 08 February 2022, kick off its series of consultative meetings on the draft SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management.
The SADC PF, through its Standing Committees, has identified various legal and regulatory gaps in PFM that weaken the public financial management system and impedes the State’s ability to address its national objectives as well as fulfil international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E) English Region CEO, Ms Meisie Nkau, will deliver the keynote address at the first virtual consultative meeting to be held with the Auditors General of SADC Member States.Mr Daniel Greenberg, the Legal Drafter of the Model Law, will present the draft.
About 15 consultative meetings are scheduled with representatives of stakeholders involved in the PFM value chain including SADC ministries responsible for finance, Revenue Authorities, Attorneys Generals, the police, and civil society organisations.
Details of the session are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Time: 10:00 to 14:30 Harare/Pretoria Time.
MEDIA ACCESS: Meetings of the SADC-PF are open to the media and journalists who are interested in covering them must register on the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuduuvqD4rE9POoIaurPNUdcrACIqOdH5H
The meetings will be streamed live on the SADC-PF social media platforms on the links below and broadcast live (or recorded for later broadcast) on DSTV Channel 408:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ
ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
Enquiries: Modise Kabeli +27 81 715 9969 or [AT] </" data-ep-b06fd="[DOT] </sm">
MEDIA RELEASE: SADC PF TO FORMULATE MODEL LAW TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN SADC
02 Fev. 2022 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumWINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Wednesday 02 February 2022 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) will soon kick off consultative meetings aimed at putting together a draft SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management (PFM) to heighten parliamentary oversight and boost transparency, openness as well as efficiency in the use of public funds in the region.
The SADC PF, through its Standing Committees, has identified various legal and regulatory gaps in PFM that weaken the public financial management system and impedes the State’s ability to address its national objectives as well as fulfil international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL
10 Dez. 2021 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumIt is with immense pleasure that I release this Statement to celebrate Human Rights Day 2021.
Human Rights Day holds particular importance for the Forum and its Member Parliaments not only because the Forum is a steadfast advocate of human rights in Southern Africa, but because human rights lie at the very foundation and constitute a pillar of a healthy democratic framework. It is trite that without a vibrant culture of human rights, parliamentary sovereignty and the Rule of law would be at stake.
This is also to reiterate that the Forum is committed to promoting civil and political human rights (first-generation rights), as well as economic, social and cultural rights (second-generation rights), both of which are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the African Charter for Human and Peoples’ Rights. Within its Vision to stand as the Flag-Bearer of Democratisation and Socio-Economic Development in Southern Africa, the SADC-PF harnesses core values and guiding principles that speak to the respect for all human rights in their generality. In addition, the Forum also acknowledges the interconnectedness of human rights, and the need not to leave any human right behind when achieving progressive development.
Today, Human Rights Day is also coinciding with the opening ceremony of the 50th Plenary Assembly of the SADC-PF which is a landmark event for the organisation and the Membership. The 50th Plenary Assembly will also be the illustrious platform for the deliberations on the adoption of the SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence, the latter being another landmark instrument to promote human rights for all, without discrimination.
In the decade to follow, the Forum pledges to continue leveraging parliamentary democracy and inter-parliamentary cooperation to implement human rights across the SADC region and beyond.
Happy Human Rights Day 2021!
ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM SECRETARY GENERAL, MS BOEMO SEKGOMA
DECLARAÇÃO DA SECRETÁRIA-GERAL DO FÓRUM PARLAMENTAR DA SADC POR OCASIÃO DO DIA DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS 10 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2021
09 Dez. 2021 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumEstimados Colegas/Parceiros,
É com imenso prazer que divulgo esta Declaração para celebrar o Dia dos Direitos Humanos de 2021.
O Dia dos Direitos Humanos tem particular importância para o Fórum e para os seus Parlamentos Membros, não só porque o Fórum é um acérrimo defensor dos direitos humanos na África Austral, mas também porque os direitos humanos são a pedra angular e constituem um pilar de um quadro democrático saudável. Embora seja prosaico referi-lo, sem uma cultura vibrante de direitos humanos, a soberania parlamentar e o Estado de direito ficariam comprometidos.
Não é demais reiterar que o Fórum está empenhado em promover os direitos humanos civis e políticos (direitos da primeira geração), bem como os direitos económicos, sociais e culturais (direitos da segunda geração), ambos consagrados na Declaração Universal dos Direitos do Homem, e na Carta Africana dos Direitos do Homem e dos Povos. No âmbito da sua Visão de ser o Porta-Estandarte da Democratização e do Desenvolvimento Sócio-Económico na África Austral, o Fórum Parlamentar da SADC mobiliza valores fundamentais e princípios orientadores que falam do respeito por todos os direitos humanos na sua generalidade. Além disso, o Fórum também reconhece a interligação dos direitos humanos, e a necessidade de não deixar qualquer direito humano para trás na consecução de um desenvolvimento progressivo.
Hoje, o Dia dos Direitos Humanos coincide também com a cerimónia de abertura da 50ª Assembleia Plenária do Fórum Parlamentar da SADC, um evento histórico para a organização e para os Membros. A 50ª Assembleia Plenária será também a ilustre plataforma para as deliberações sobre a adopção da Lei Modelo da SADC sobre a Violência Baseada no Género, sendo esta última mais um instrumento de referência para a promoção dos direitos humanos para todos, sem discriminação.
Na próxima década, o Fórum compromete-se a continuar a potenciar a democracia parlamentar e a cooperação interparlamentar com vista a implementar os direitos humanos em toda a região da SADC e para além dela.
Feliz Dia dos Direitos Humanos de 2021!
Os melhores cumprimentos,
Sra. B. Sekgoma,
Secretária-Geral,
Fórum Parlamentar da SADC
10 de Dezembro de 2021
Media Statement SADC Parliamentary Forum Statement on Travel Bans
29 Nov. 2021 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumMedia Statement SADC Parliamentary Forum Statement on Travel Bans
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA: Sunday, 28 November 2021 The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum is cognisant that the Covid-19 pandemic is causing worldwide fears and tensions, especially with the upsurge of new virus variants.
While public health remains a priority, the Forum considers that there is a need to rely at all times on verified scientific and empirical data, such as those shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO), before imposing travel bans that may seem unjust or harsh for some countries. The need for international cooperation to share information buttresses the recent action of the SADC Group at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held from the 26th-30th November 2021 in Madrid, Spain, which called for greater equality in the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
This echoes the reflection made that nobody is safe until everybody is safe from Covid-19. Indeed, if vaccine equality was in place, the virus may have been long overwhelmed instead of mutating into more threatening variants in some countries.
The IPU General Debate unanimously debated this issue as an emergency Item, where all Parliaments of the world gathered. There is no doubt that policymakers, officials, as well as Parliamentarians from the SADC region are engaging counterparts to react to the travel ban and to find solutions for safe travel.
It is imperative that remedial measures be found, especially bearing in mind the human rights of travellers who are stalled in foreign destinations pending the re-opening of the flight routes back home. Perhaps the most important question currently is which vaccine would respond best to the new variants, and if this information is known, vaccine deployment strategies must be engaged to respond accordingly.
Travel bans are never favourable to the economy, whether it is the economy of the imposing country or one of the affected country. Travel bans are also devastating to airline companies who are struggling to stay afloat and to rebuild after almost 2 years of travel slowdown.
It is thus important for bans to be imposed only based on verified and reliable information that has been preferably endorsed by the WHO.
For scheduling media interviews with the SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General, Ms Boemo M SEKGOMA please contact: Modise Kabeli on Mobile: +27817159969 or Email: [AT] </" data-ep-b06fd="[DOT] </sm"> or [DOT" data-ep-a0ca4="[AT] </small>pa">
Comunicado De Imprensa Declaração Do Fórum Parlamentar Da SADC Sobre As Proibições De Viagens
29 Nov. 2021 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumComunicado De Imprensa Declaração Do Fórum Parlamentar Da SADC Sobre As Proibições De Viagens
WINDHOEK, NAMÍBIA: Domingo, 28 de Novembro de 2021 O Fórum Parlamentar da Comunidade de Desenvolvimento da África Austral tem consciência de que a pandemia de Covid-19 está a causar receios e tensões, sobretudo com a recrudescência de novas variantes do vírus.
Embora a saúde pública continue a ser uma prioridade, o Fórum considera que é preciso confiar sempre em dados científicos e empíricos comprovados, tais como os que são emitidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), antes de se impor proibições de viajar que possam parecer injustas ou severas para alguns países. A necessidade da cooperação internacional na partilha de informação reforça a recente medida tomada pelo Grupo dos Países da SADC na Assembleia da União Interparlamentar (UIP) realizada de 26 a 30 de Novembro de 2021 em Madrid, Espanha, que apelou para maior igualdade na aquisição e distribuição de vacinas de Covid-19.
O referido apelo reitera a reflexão feita de que ninguém é seguro até que todos sejam protegidos contra a Covid-19. De facto, se houvesse igualdade perante as vacinas, o vírus poderia há muito ter sido submergido em vez de continuar a fazer mutações para variantes perigosas em alguns países.
O debate da Assembleia Geral da UIP, que reuniu todos os Parlamentos do mundo, considerou por unanimidade esta questão como um ponto de emergência. É indiscutível que os formuladores de políticas, funcionários, bem como os parlamentares da região da SADC estão a interagir com os seus homólogos para reagir à proibição de viajar e procurar soluções para viagens seguras.
É imperioso que sejam encontradas medidas de reparação, sobretudo tendo em consideração os direitos humanos dos viajantes que estão encalhados em paragens no estrangeiro até que voltem a ser abertas rotas de vôos de retorno para os seus países. Talvez a pergunta mais importante neste momento seja a de saber qual é a vacina que oferece a melhor resposta às novas variantes, e se existe um conhecimento desta informação, devem ser desdobradas estratégias vacinais visando dar a devida resposta.
As proibições de viagem nunca favorecem a economia, quer seja a economia do país que as impõe, quer a do país afectado. As proibições de viajar têm também um efeito devastador para as companhias aéreas que estão em apuros para se manterem à tona e se reconstruírem depois de quase 2 anos de abrandamento de deslocações.
Importa, portanto que as proibições sejam apenas impostas com base em informações verificadas e fiáveis que tenham de preferência sido homologadas pela OMS.
Para o agendamento de entrevistas pelos órgãos da comunicação social com a Secretária-geral do Fórum Parlamentar da SADC, Sra. Boemo M. SEKGOMA, favor entrar em contacto com: Modise Kabeli, pelo terminal telefónico: +27817159969 ou pelo e-mail:sadc" data-ep-b06fd="pf<small> "> or pa" data-ep-b06fd="gov
Communiqué De Presse Communiqué Du Forum Parlementaire De La SADC Sur Les Interdictions De Voyager
29 Nov. 2021 Written by SADC Parliamentary ForumCommuniqué De Presse Communiqué Du Forum Parlementaire De La SADC Sur Les Interdictions De Voyager
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIE : dimanche 28 novembre 2021 Le Forum parlementaire de la Communauté de développement de l’Afrique australe est conscient que la pandémie de Covid- 19 suscite des craintes et des tensions dans le monde entier, notamment dans le contexte de l’apparition de nouveaux variants du virus.
Si la santé publique demeure une priorité, le Forum considère qu’il convient en toutes circonstances de se fier à des données scientifiques et empiriques vérifiées, telles celles qui sont diffusées par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), avant d’imposer des interdictions de voyager qui peuvent sembler injustes ou brutales à certains pays. L’affirmation de la nécessité d’une coopération internationale pour le partage d’informations conforte l’action récente du Groupe de la SADC lors de l’Assemblée de l’Union interparlementaire (UIP) qui s’est tenue du 26 au 30 novembre 2021 à Madrid, en Espagne, qui a appelé à plus d’égalité eu égard à l’achat et à la distribution de vaccins contre la Covid-19.
Cette position fait écho à l’idée selon laquelle personne n’est à l’abri de la Covid-19 tant que tous ne sont pas à l’abri de celle-ci. En effet, si l’égalité vaccinale était effective, le virus aurait pu être vaincu depuis longtemps au lieu de muter sous la forme de variants plus menaçants dans certains pays.
Le Débat général de l’UIP a porté à l’unanimité sur cette question envisagée comme un point d’urgence à l’occasion de cet événement qui a rassemblé tous les parlements du monde. Il ne fait aucun doute que les décideurs politiques, les responsables, ainsi que les parlementaires de la région de la SADC sont en train de mobiliser leurs homologues pour réagir à l’interdiction de voyager et trouver des solutions permettant de voyager en toute sécurité.
Il est indispensable que des mesures correctives soient trouvées, surtout en prenant en considération les droits humains de voyageurs qui sont bloqués dans des pays étrangers en attendant la reprise des liaisons aériennes pour pouvoir retourner chez eux. La question qui importe peut-être le plus à l’heure actuelle est de savoir quel vaccin permettrait de lutter le plus efficacement contre les nouveaux variants et, si cette information est connue, les stratégies pour le déploiement des vaccins doivent être appliquées pour riposter en conséquence.
Les interdictions de voyager ne sont jamais favorables à l’économie, qu’il s’agisse de l’économie du pays qui impose l’interdiction ou de celle du pays qui la subit. Les interdictions de voyager ont aussi des effets dévastateurs sur les compagnies aériennes qui luttent pour rester à flot et pour se reconstruire après presque 2 ans de diminution du nombre de voyages.
Il est donc important que les interdictions ne soient imposées qu’à condition d’être fondées sur des informations vérifiées et fiables qui, de préférence, ont été approuvées par l’OMS.
Pour programmer des entrevues des médias avec la Secrétaire générale du Forum parlementaire de la SADC, Mme Boemo M. Sekgoma, veuillez contacter : Modise Kabeli sur le numéro de portable +27817159969 ou par courriel sur ou za" data-ep-a0ca4="mkabeli<small> ">pa" data-ep-b06fd="gov<small> [DOT">
