Vusumuzi Dube
Harare Bureau
Multilateral organisations must actively work towards attainment of peace and security in Southern Africa, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has reiterated, with peace being the cornerstone of development.
He was speaking during the launch of the 55th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum in Angola yesterday. The forum launched the SADC Parliamentary Forum Strategic Plan from 2024 to 2028.
Advocate Mudenda said peace remained a critical component in SADC’s development agenda. “If one part of the body suffers pain, every part of the body suffers with it. If one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. To that extent, insecurity in one SADC state will of necessity create collateral insecurity on other sister republics.”
He said the region had put in place measures to deal with insecurity in northern Mozambique and the eastern DRC.
Advocate Mudenda implored inter-parliamentary organisations to leverage parliamentary diplomacy and constructive dialogue to address conflicts in Sudan, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
The strategic plan emphasises capacity-building of national parliaments on emerging themes such as gender, sexual and reproductive health rights, climate action, leadership on normative frameworks and fiscal governance of member parliaments. It has been developed with a forward-looking approach, focusing on strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and democracy, thereby enhancing the legislative capabilities of member parliaments.
The plan outlines key objectives and initiatives designed to address the unique challenges faced by SADC and to harness opportunities for growth and development through parliamentary oversight and a robust budget ecosystem.
Bongani Ndlovu