22 Aug 2024

SADC is on the verge of a historic transformation with the establishment of a regional Parliament gaining significant support from member states.

This was announced by the leader of the SADC PF lobby mission, Zimbabwe’s National Assembly Speaker, Rt. Honourable Advocate Jacob Mudenda at a media briefing in Gaborone on Tuesday.

Adv. Mudenda attributed such progress to the growing support among member states, particularly Botswana, which had agreed to endorse the necessary treaty amendment.

“We had paid a courtesy call to His Excellency The President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi to lobby Botswana to support the SADC treaty amendment, to which agreed and this in turn will make the vision of transforming the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a regional Parliament,” he said.

He added that despite the exercise having taken 10 years, since it began in 2014 to be realised, the development marked a pivotal moment in SADC’s history.

“Other countries such as Madagascar, Mauritius and Comoros will also sign the treaty amendment, which will complete the number of countries that form the SADC region and in turn will make the establishment of a SADC parliament a reality,” he stated.

He added that the move represented a major step forward in deepening regional integration, strengthening democracy and enhancing the role of parliaments in the governance of the region.

However, he indicated that previously the progress was often stalled by changes in government leadership, requiring the lobby team to repeatedly engage new Heads of State to secure their support for the initiative.

He further expressed optimism about the recent developments, particularly following discussions with His Excellency President Masisi.

Adv. Mudenda highlighted that the President’s insightful questions about the proposed Parliament’s structure indicated a desire for a robust legislative body that would play a crucial role in promoting regional integration within SADC.

“From His Excellency President Masisi’s perceptive observations, it was clear that he wants this Parliament to be very robust in its legislative agenda and in its role in advocating for the multi-faceted regional integration of the SADC region.

We are happy that he indicated that Botswana would sign the agreement amending the SADC treaty in terms of Article 9, subsection 1, so that the proposed regional parliament becomes one of the organs of SADC, as a fully-fledged institution,” he said.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Honourable Advocate Phandu Skelemani affirmed that a regional Parliament was essential for SADC integration.

“The focus and understanding have always been that we are going to be united as a single entity politically and economically.

In order to do that there must be control on how to run that entity and that answer was to have a Parliament for SADC and in the end, the laws that are going to affect SADC come from one entity,” he said.

He added that a regional Parliament would provide the necessary oversight and legislative framework to govern SADC as a unified entity, ensuring that laws affecting the region originated from a single body.

“Hence when the SADC PF came about, I had no difficulty in advocating for this type of Parliament,” he said.

The SADC PF is an inter-parliamentary body that brings together national parliaments of SADC member states to promote democracy, peace, security, and socio-economic development across the region.

The lobby team which arrived in Botswana on Sunday, returned to their respective countries on Wednesday. ENDS