Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
EFFORTS are underway to transform the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a fully-fledged regional parliament, Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi has said.
Since the plan was set in motion, at least 14 SADC member states have signed the agreement to amend the SADC Treaty, paving the way for this significant change.
In a communiqué after Mr Magosi’s meeting with SADC-PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma at the secretariat headquarters in Botswana, the regional bloc said the Executive Secretary reiterated his dedication to the transformation.
He asserted that this initiative would strengthen regional integration and guarantee that citizens enjoy meaningful benefits in their everyday lives.
“The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), HE Elias M Magosi, met with the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), Her Excellency Ms Boemo Sekgoma, at the SADC Headquarters in Gaborone on January 29, 2026.
“The courtesy call focused on enhancing collaboration between the two institutions and promoting citizen engagement across the region.
“HE Magosi reaffirmed SADC’s commitment to the transformation of the Forum into a SADC Parliament, an initiative designed to deepen regional integration and ensure that citizens experience tangible benefits in their daily lives,” said the secretariat.
Both secretariats emphasised the importance of building inclusive platforms for participation and mobilising resources to support this transformation journey.
The SADC-PF, which brings together Members of Parliament from across the region, has long served as a forum for dialogue, legislative harmonisation and democratic exchange.
Its transformation into a SADC Parliament was endorsed by the Summit in Lilongwe, Malawi, in August 2021 and the agreement amending the SADC Treaty was adopted by the Heads of State and Government Summit in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in August 2022.
Since then, notable progress has been achieved, including the amendment of the SADC Treaty, which entered into force on July 11, 2024, and the drafting of a protocol to establish the Parliament.
SADC said the protocol is currently under revision and will be reviewed by the Committee of Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General before submission to the council in August 2026.
Ms Sekgoma commended the secretariat for its support in the transformation process and called for increased collaboration in strengthening institutional capacity, fostering citizen participation and ensuring that the envisioned SADC Parliament reflects the aspirations of the region’s citizenry.
“The meeting highlighted the growing synergy between the SADC secretariat and the SADC-PF, as both institutions work to place citizens at the heart of the regional integration agenda,” said the secretariat.
Mr Magosi was accompanied by the Director of Policy, Planning and Resource Mobilisation (PPRM) at the SADC Secretariat Dr Mike Masiye and the SADC-PF Secretary General was accompanied by Director of Finance and Corporate Services at the SADC-PF Secretariat Ms Yapoka Mungandi.
Peter Tanyanyiwa