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The Speaker of Parliament Hon Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda is in Algiers, Algeria, on a Parliamentary Bilateral Visit at the invitation of his counterpart, His Excellency, Speaker Brahim Boughali, Speaker of the People’s National Assembly. He is accompanied by members of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, namely, Hon. Webster Kotiwani Shamu, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and international Trade Committee as well as Hon. Zalera Makari and Hon Godfrey Dube and support staff.
The Speaker’s delegation was received at the Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport by the Host Speaker, His Excellency Speaker Boughali, and Hon. AL Sidchikh Ouahid, the Vice President of the People’s National Assembly who is permanently attached to the delegation for the duration of the visit. The Zimbabwe Ambassador to Algeria, His Excellency Mr. Vusumuzi Ntonga, and Embassy Officials were part of the reception party at the airport.
On the 30th of April 2023, the Hon. Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe met his counterpart, the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly at the National People’s Assembly. During the meeting, the two Speakers recalled the longstanding relations which subsist between Algeria and Zimbabwe, dating back to the liberation struggle before the independence of Zimbabwe, wherein Algeria rendered moral support as well as military training to the Zimbabwean freedom fighters. In this context, Speaker Boughali expressed affable congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, and the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe on Zimbabwe’s historic 43rd Independence Anniversary which was celebrated on 18th April 2023. Given the long-standing political relations, Speaker Boughali observed that it has become imperative to elevate the bilateral political relations while at the same time upscaling the economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two sister Republics.
With regard to relations between the two legislatures, Speaker Boughali hailed the Bilateral Visit as an avenue to deepen existing Parliamentary relations in an effort to strengthen Parliamentary diplomacy. On that score, he emphasised the need to establish a fully-fledged Friendship Association to bolster sustainable cooperation as well as to share Parliamentary best practices between the two legislatures.
Speaker Boughali also called for collaborative efforts between the two legislatures in addressing the myriad of African and global challenges that include climate change impact, depressed economic growth post-COVID-19 and several conflicts among others. In this context, he challenged Africa to resolve African problems and challenges by coming up with African solutions that are relevant in mitigating such conflict and challenges. In this regard, it was imperative that the two legislatures supported each other at regional and international fora as guided by the African Union’s political principles.
The Host Speaker appreciated Speaker Mudenda’s practical extensive experience in legislative processes and looked forward to sharing such experiences in the realisation of the socio-economic aspirations of the two sister Republics.
In response to the Host Speaker’s welcome remarks, Speaker Mudenda conveyed fraternal greetings from His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, to the Algerian people through the Parliament of Algeria. Speaker Mudenda further expressed his gratitude to the Host Speaker for inviting him to undertake the Bilateral Visit and thanked the Host Speaker for the hospitality extended to the delegation since its arrival on 29 April 2023. As clear testimony of these excellent relations, Speaker Mudenda expressed gratitude to his counterpart, Speaker Boughali, for Speaker Mudenda’s nomination in respect of the Cremer-Passy Prize proposed by Algeria’s IPU delegation who virtually attended the Africa Geopolitical Group meeting to select its candidate for that Prize. Consequently, Speaker Mudenda was unanimously nominated as Africa’s sole candidate for the Prize. While the other four Geopolitical Groups of the IPU may submit their nominations in line with the Cremer-Passy Rules, the Africa Geopolitical Group remained hopeful that Africa would clinch the Prize. In accepting the nomination by Africa, Speaker Mudenda affirmed that the coveted Prize would be an honour to the Africa Geopolitical Group.
Speaker Mudenda concurred with the Host Speaker on the need to support each other’s positions at the international fora. In this regard, he acknowledged with gratitude Algeria’s consistent support of Zimbabwe at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations (UN), and the African Union (AU). In the same vein, he extended gratitude for the philanthropic support of Zimbabwe during COVID–19, Cyclone Idai as well as generous scholarships extended to Zimbabwean students. On the Parliamentary front, Speaker Mudenda extended gratitude for Algeria’s support of Hon. Chief Fortune Z. Charumbira’s Presidency of the Pan African Parliament (PAP).
Furthermore, Speaker Mudenda concurred with the Host Speaker that there was an absolute need to strengthen existing bilateral relations between the two Republics and the corollary between the two legislatures. While both Speakers acknowledged the strong and cordial relations that exist at the political level between the two sister Republics and their Parliaments, it was desirable that the economic cooperation that exists between the two sister Republics should be upscaled to greater heights. Accordingly, Speaker Mudenda posited that Parliaments had a sacred responsibility for law-making for peace, order and good governance of their respective jurisdictions. Such a sacrosanct responsibility should be executed meticulously by both Parliaments in the exercise of their oversight on their respective executives in order to create a conducive socio-economic environment for the EASE OF DOING BUSINESS in both countries. In that context, Speaker Mudenda lamented the negligible trade between Algeria and Zimbabwe. Accordingly, both Speakers emphasised that it was now time to work together as Parliaments and their Executives to improve the skewed balance of trade the two sister Republics. In this regard, Speaker Mudenda called on the two legislatures to work closely with the Executive to ensure that the Permanent Joint Commission which met in its 3rd Session in 2009 should urgently meet in its 4th Session so that it gives impetus to the actualisation of the 12 Memoranda of Understanding now on the table. In that vein and guided by Algeria’s experience in the extractive industries, Speaker Mudenda indicated to his counterpart that there are some virgin opportunities in the mineral exploitation of the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe. Relatedly, Speaker Mudenda implored his counterpart that his country could assist Zimbabwe with expertise to accelerate infrastructure development in the areas such as energy development and information communication and technological sectors. Both speakers bemoaned the fact that Africa only contributes a paltry 3% to the international gross domestic product yet it is the home to vast natural resources that remain unexploited.
Turning to continental global issues, Speaker Mudenda called for the peaceful resolution of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, which has negatively affected the global economy as well as creating food insecurity and agricultural input shortages such as fertilisers, particularly in Africa. Furthermore, he called for peaceful resolutions of conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, especially the current situation in the Sudan, the Eastern Region of the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as in Northern Mozambique. On the case of Western Sahara and Palestinian independence, both Speakers supported the quest by the two nations for total independence and sovereignty on basis of self-determination
In conclusion and to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two legislatures, both both Speakers agreed that the Parliamentary Friendship Association between the two Parliaments should remain operational and vibrant.
Furthermore, Speaker Mudenda extended an invitation to Hon. Boughali to undertake a Bilateral Visit to Zimbabwe at his earliest convenience.
After meeting the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly, Speaker Mudenda had the pleasure to meet with His Excellency, President Salah Goudjil at the Senate Chambers. In his welcome remarks, the President of the Senate referred to the sound historical relations between Zimbabwe and Algeria dating back to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. In this context, the Senate President affirmed that the Speaker’s visit to the Parliament of Algeria would solidify the already existing political relations and provide an opportunity to further explore areas of cooperation, particularly on the economic front. Additionally, the Senate President welcomed the opportunity to engage in conversations around collaborative efforts in resolving global and continental issues on a multilateral level. The President of the Senate warned against foreign interference in African problems. He posited that Africa, through its regional and continental bodies should proffer solutions to African problems inclusive of the outstanding Western Saharawi’s independence as demanded by the UN Resolutions. Equally, Speaker Mudenda and the Senate President called upon the fulfillment of the two-state approach vis a viz the conflict between Israel and Palestine as proposed by several UN Resolutions.
Speaker Mudenda totally agreed with the Senate President in his assertions. However, Speaker Mudenda applauded the Senate President who attended the burial of the founding father of Zimbabwe, the late Robert Gabriel Mugabe on behalf of Algeria. Speaker Mudenda concurred on the need to strengthen economic relations between the two Republics. Accordingly, he reiterated his call for the Joint Commission to resume its sittings.
Speaker Mudenda thanked Algeria for nominating him for the Cremer-Passy Prize as submitted by the Algerian IPU Group. Notwithstanding a possible challenge from the other four (4) Geopolitical Groups, it is hoped the Africa Geopolitical Group will clinch the Prize in the name of Speaker Mudenda. Within this context, Speaker Mudenda extended his gratitude for Algeria’s support at the international fora, particularly at the IPU where the two Parliaments supported each other on various issues including peace and security.
The President of the Senate welcomed Zimbabwe’s positions and called on collaborative efforts on the international fora especially as both countries are non-aligned Members.
In conclusion, Speaker Mudenda extended an invitation to the President of the Senate to undertake a Bilateral Visit to Zimbabwe on mutually agreeable dates in the near future.
