Online Reporter
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SPEAKER of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, has been commended by his African counterparts for his exemplary leadership after successfully presiding over the 2026 Pan-African Parliament Annual Conference of Speakers, which concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration aimed at accelerating the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Adv Mudenda, who attended the two-day conference alongside Senate president Mabel Chinomona, was unanimously elected by the Conference Bureau to chair the proceedings.
According to a media release issued at the close of the conference, Adv Mudenda’s stewardship earned widespread acclaim from delegates, with the Speaker of Parliament of Lesotho, on behalf of the plenary, expressing “unreserved approbation for the sterling leadership and curated stewardship exhibited by Speaker Mudenda during his tenure as Bureau president.”
The conference, held under the theme; “The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Strengthening Relations with National and Regional Parliaments and Contributing to the Achievements of the Objectives of Agenda 2063,” brought together Speakers of Parliament and representatives of regional and inter-parliamentary organisations from across Africa.
In his closing address, Adv Mudenda praised delegates for their commitment to improving the livelihoods of Africans through progressive legislation.
“I applaud the Speakers and representatives of Speakers who graced the 2026 edition of the conference for their dedication to championing the upliftment of African livelihoods by crafting model laws that resonate with international standards,” he said.
The conference officially unveiled three model laws covering gender equality, labour migration and sustainable soil management, which are expected to guide legislative harmonisation across African union member states.
Adv Mudenda described parliamentary diplomacy as “an indispensable pillar of continental governance,” saying delegates had adopted the Johannesburg Declaration and its accompanying Action Plan as “a transformative continental compact” that places African legislatures at the forefront of implementing Agenda 2063.
He, however, warned against what he termed an “implementation deficit.”
“Africa has too often produced admirable frameworks, visionary blueprints and eloquent declarations, only for many to be left unimplemented,” Adv Mudenda said.
“The Midrand Declaration must become a living, actionable instrument whose success is measured by real transformation in the lives of Africa’s people.”
On continental integration, Advocate Mudenda renewed calls for the ratification of the Malabo Protocol, noting that it had secured only 15 of the required 28 ratifications to enter into force.
The conference unanimously adopted the Johannesburg Declaration, committing African parliaments to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, harmonise national legislation with Agenda 2063, accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, promote the domestication of Pan-African Parliament Model Laws and enhance oversight of continental development programmes.
In his closing remarks, PAP president, Chief Fortune Charumbira lauded the Johannesburg Declaration as “a concrete roadmap” for advancing legislative action, economic integration, peace and improved livelihoods across Africa, urging member states to implement its recommendations without delay.
