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Yesterday, the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hon Jacob F. N. Mudenda, led a high-level delegation in a strategic lobbying effort to secure Botswana’s support for the Transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) into a fully-fledged SADC Parliament under Article 9(1) of the SADC Treaty.
At his invitation, the delegation paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, President Dr. Eric Keabetswe Masisi, at the Office of the President and Cabinet.
The delegation included Hon. Phandu Tombola Chaha Skelemani, Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, Hon. Speaker Angela Thokozile Didiza of South Africa, Hon. Speaker Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA, of Zambia, Hon. Phillipus Wido Katamelo of Namibia, a proxy for Hon. Prof. Peter Katjavivi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, who is on Parliamentary business in China and Hon. Pedro Sebastião of Angola, who was a proxy for Hon. Caroline Cerquira, Speaker of Parliament of Angola. Ms. Boemo Segkoma, Secretary General of the SADC PF, attended the lobbying meeting. The delegation emphasized the critical need for establishing the SADC Parliament as a key SADC institution to enhance regional integration through multifaceted Parliamentary processes and shared best practices.
On behalf of the Lobby Team, Advocate Mudenda presented the delegation’s message to His Excellency, President Masisi.
“Let me begin by congratulating you on the successful 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government which took place in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 7th the 18th August 2024. Your participation as Botswana was conspicuously imprinted. In that context, before the 44th Summit, Excellency, we received an invitation for a courtesy call for the Lobby Team to meet Your Excellency today.
“We would like to thank you abundantly for your generosity in sharing your limited time, given the competing priorities you are seized with, just a month before the General Elections. This critical invitation affirms Your Excellency’s latent desire to achieve traction by Botswana on the proposed SADC Parliament,” Hon Mudenda said.
He noted with gratitude that the 44th Summit of the Heads of State and Government guided that: “Member States who have not signed the Agreement Amending the SADC Treaty were urged to sign the treaty and recognise the SADC Parliament as one of the SADC Institutions. Further, Member States were urged to submit comments to the Secretariat on the Draft Protocol on the SADC Parliament within six (6) months after the Draft Protocol was shared with Member States on 18th August 2024.
“We are emboldened by this compelling plea Your Excellency. Accordingly, allow me to update Your Excellency, that there is currently momentum to sign the Agreement amending the SADC Treaty to recognise the SADC Parliament with Mauritius and Madagascar having in principle committed to depositing their signatures after the 44th SADC Summit. We are in consultation with the Comoros, who are not yet a member of the SADC PF, but through the Indian Ocean grouping, have indicated willingness to sign, in solidarity with all Member States that are bound by the SADC Treaty.”
To that extent, the Lobby Team expressed gratitude that 12 Member States have now signed the Agreement to amend the SADC Treaty which is now in force.
Accordingly, and in the spirit of inclusivity, Hon Mudenda said it behoves Botswana to sign up as the Headquarters of SADC to which the Regional Parliament will be part of its organ once the amended SADC Treaty has been acceded to by the Member States.
In concert with the commitment spirit of the founding ethos of the Frontline States, where Botswana played a key role in the achievement of the freedom and independence of other countries in the region, it WAS THE LOBBY TEAM’S sincere hope that all countries will append their signatures to the Agreement to amend the SADC Treaty for the establishment of the SADC Parliament, including Botswana.
The Member States recognize the strategic role that Botswana continues to play in the regional integration agenda and are grateful for Botswana’s active participation in the affairs of SADC since its precursor, the Frontline States, whose forebearers marched forward in unison to liberate Southern Africa.
On that score, Hon Mudenda acknowledged the active participation of Hon. Speaker Hon. Phandu Tombola Chaha Skelemani, for his positive contribution during most of the SADC PF meetings, insisting they are stronger together and that the SADC Unity must remain unbreakable.
Your Excellency, following the endorsed Road Map by the successive SADC Summits, the transformation proposal for the SADC Parliament will not interfere with the authority of Member States under the principle of sovereignty as envisaged in the SADC Community which is anchored in its constitutive Treaty and the now enforced Agreement that the SADC PF transforms into a Regional Parliament. The transformation is grounded solely on an increase in linkages between SADC organs with the Regional Parliament having a deliberative Parliamentary role among other regional responsibilities
“There are no other financial, legal, or impeding administrative implications to consider which do not exist already according to the operations of the SADC Parliamentary Forum as it transforms into the SADC Parliament. The annual subscriptions of Member States which constitute the core revenue of the organization will not be raised as a result of the transformation process.”
It was noted that in terms of governance, the SADC Forum has always been given a clean bill on audits, both internally and externally. Furthermore, the SADC Parliament will be the fifth anchor to the Pan African Parliament (PAP) which to date has been the missing gap.
“We plead with you, Excellency to sign the Agreement to establish a regional Parliament, which will serve as a pivotal pillar in advancing SADC’s regional multifaceted integration, particularly in alignment with the SADC Summit’s current focus on industrialization. This will enable us to march together as a united region for the common good of Parliamentary democracy and the developmental aspirations of the SADC citizenry.”
President Masisi pledged to sign the Agreement amending the SADC Treaty to establish a SADC Parliament, making the lobbying mission a highly successful one. This milestone achievement, after a decade of concerted efforts, significantly advances the region’s multifaceted integration agenda.
The Lobby Team expressed deep gratitude to His Excellency, President Masisi, for his commitment to regional integration and further expressed gratitude for Hon. Skelemani’s vigorous efforts in driving the Republic of Botswana toward signing the Agreement. Yesterday marked a great achievement for the lobbying effort, with the Team being indebted to President Masisi’s kind gesture of inviting them to Botswana to express his unfettered commitment to signing the Agreement to amend the Treaty to Transform SADC PF into a SADC Parliament after the constructive deliberations with the Lobbying Team.