Sadc PF Plenary Assembly starts

Farirai Machivenyika in Victoria Falls

THE 57th SADC Plenary Assembly has started at Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls, with the accreditation of delegates and various closed-door meetings being held at the venue.

At least 300 delegates from the 15 SADC member states are expected to attend the week-long event.

President Mnangagwa is expected to preside over the official opening of the Plenary Assembly tomorrow, which is running under the theme: “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Effective and Efficient Parliamentary Processes in the SADC Region: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities”.

The objectives of the Plenary Assembly are as follows; “evaluating the application of AI in enhancing Parliamentary efficiency, transparency and citizen engagement, identifying challenges and opportunities in the deployment of AI within Parliaments, promoting cross-cutting collaboration, digital knowledge transfer and innovation for democratic consolidation in Parliamentary processes as well as deepen parliamentary regional integration, uphold democratic norms and strengthen the capacity of Parliaments across the Southern African region,” read a statement from the country’s Parliament.

SADC PF president Justin Tokley, who is also the Speaker of the National Assembly of Madagascar, will also address the gathering during the opening ceremony, while Secretary General, Ms Boemo Sekgoma, is expected to present credentials of the delegates to the President.

The Pan African Parliament president, Chief Fortune Charumbira and the chairperson of the Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Suhally Josepha Raymond are expected to give solidarity messages.

After the official opening ceremony, a symposium will be held at the same venue in the afternoon.

AI experts from local universities and the private sector as well as from the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services will address the symposium.