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Zimbabwe has been honoured for its commitment to supporting the work of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary
Forum (SADC PF) and advancing parliamentary democracy.
This was revealed by HE Boemo Sekgoma, the SADC PF Secretary-General in her remarks during the official opening of the 57th Plenary Session of SADC PF today at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe has given much more to the Forum than we could ever give back. It will be recalled that the launch of the SADC Model Law on eradicating child marriages and protecting children already in marriage took place here in Zimbabwe in 2016, presided by none other than the then Vice President and now the current President, His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambuzo Mnangagwa, signalling Zimbabwe’s commitment at the highest level of leadership to the work of the SADC Parliamentary Forum and the protection and promotion of the rights of the girl child,” HE Sekgoma said.
She acknowledged the visionary leadership of the Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hon Jacob Mudenda, who for several years, has served as the Chairperson of the Legal Sub-Committees of the Forum, providing nuanced guidance on legal issues.
Hon Mudenda was praised for ably representing the SADC Parliamentary Forum as the Head or Chair of the Lobby Mission to transform the Forum into a Regional Parliament. The progress made to date lies in part in the resilient, fortitude and unwavering commitment of Hon Speaker Modenda to the actualisation of the SADC PF’s Transformation Agenda.
As a thought leader, Honourable Speaker Mudenda powerfully put his vast wisdom and discernment at the service of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
“Honourable Delegates and Director of Ceremonies, Zimbabwe’s diversity and unique resilience have enabled her to move from its traditional economic pillars to embrace innovation and smart governance. For example, in the fight against HIV and AIDS, Zimbabwe has pioneered innovative domestic co-enhancing through the National AIDS Trust Fund, popularly known as the AIDS Levy, a model that has inspired many across the continent.
“This home-grown solution has enabled Zimbabwe to scale up HIV treatment, prevention and support services. It exemplifies what we at the SADC Parliamentary Forum advocate for – sustainable, locally-led financing for health and social development,” HE Sekgoma added.
She also congratulated the Parliament of Zimbabwe for being the only parliament in the world certified under the ISO 9001-2015 International Standard for Quality Management.
In her address, Hon Angela Nokubatha Dube, the Southern Africa Youth Parliament representative for persons with disabilities, paid tribute to the SADC PF for opening its doors to allow PWDs voices to be heard, their perspectives to be valued, and their contributions to meaningfully shape the future of the SADC region.
She said their partnership with the SADC PF has been pivotal in amplifying youth participation across various platforms. Through this collaboration, the Southern Africa Youth Parliamentarians have not only benefited from the mentorship and leadership of the Secretary General, Her Excellency Boemo Sekgoma, who also serves as Patron of the Youth Parliament, but have also been accorded meaningful opportunities to participate in key SADC PF processes.
These include Public Hearings, where young people have actively contributed to policy dialogue and legislative review processes. PWDs concerns and aspirations have not only been heard but also taken seriously and incorporated into regional policy frameworks. Moreover, young people are regularly invited to participate in the Gender Equality, Women’s Advancement, and Youth Development Committee, other Standing Committees, and Plenary Assembly sessions. These engagements are a vital part of parliamentary learning journey and play a key role in strengthening the institutional capacity of the Youth Parliament.
“SADC PF has further supported joint efforts with young people to co-create innovative solutions to the pressing challenges we face. Together, we have hosted impactful campaigns, facilitated intergenerational dialogues, and issued joint statements to commemorate International Youth Day each year. We are also collaborating to establish a Youth Academy, envisioned as a premier capacity-building institution for emerging leaders across the SADC region,” Hon Dube added.
Dr. Judith Kateera, the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary-Corporate Affairs, said the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is resulting in global transformation driven by the popularity of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT highly popularized by International and Global Media platforms.
She said the power of AI to transform Parliamentary Processes across the SADC Region remains huge and cannot be understated since the integration of AI in legislative functions can revolutionize Parliaments, strengthen democratic governance, enhance legislative efficiency, transparency and citizen engagement, and ensure more informed decision-making.
“We support and encourage developments in that regard. This auspicious event’s theme which is: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for effective and efficient Parliamentary processes in the SADC Region: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities” is therefore very befitting and timely.
“Whilst on the global level, AI is presenting many opportunities and potential benefits for sustainable, socio-economic development, including potential contribution to the attainment of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 (Towards the Africa we want), AI is seen as a double-edged sword that is changing the world at an unprecedented pace,” Dr Kateera said.
In his solidarity remarks, Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP, said the continental legislative body’s role in driving continental integration lies in the strength, functionality and effectiveness of regional Parliaments.
“It is, therefore, within PAP’s interests to have a strong SADC PF, a robust CEMAC, a vibrant EALA, an effective ECOWAS Parliament and a vigorous IGAD. It is in this context that the Pan African Parliament lends its full support to the transformation of the SADC PF into a SADC Regional Parliament. It is sad, nay, tragic, that the SADC Region is the only region in Africa without an established regional Parliament.
“I am, therefore, pleased to note the notable progress that has been made in the Transformation Agenda since the approval of the Agreement Amending the SADC Treaty to establish the SADC Parliament, which was adopted at the 42nd SADC Summit held in August 2022 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. It is heartening to note that the Agreement officially came into operation on 11 July 2024, after 12 of the 16 Member States had signed it. To date, 13 Member States have now signed the Agreement — most recently Botswana, on 26 March 2025 — and Madagascar is currently completing the formalities for its signature,” Chief Charumbira said.
