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Remember Deketeke
Herald Reporter
Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda and the president of the SADC Parliamentary Forum Mr Roger Mancienne on Thursday paid a courtesy call on Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss regional cooperation and integration efforts among other issues.
Adv Mudenda provided President Lourenço with a comprehensive update on the progress towards amending the SADC Treaty to allow for the transformation process which is aimed at elevating the SADC Parliamentary Forum from its current status to a fully-fledged regional parliament.
Eleven countries have so far signed the agreement to amend the treaty with Zambia being the latest country, to sign the pact at the ongoing 55th Plenary Assembly. The regional bloc is on the verge of attaining the desired threshold of 12 member signatures which will chart a historic way forward in aligning the bloc with other four African regional blocs which have regional parliaments as constituent parliamentary entities anchoring the Pan African Parliament (PAP).
Mr Mancienne said President Lourenço, the outgoing Sadc chair, promised to lobby the Heads of State of outstanding countries to sign the agreement. Adv Mudenda said President Lourenço appreciated the report and reaffirmed Angola’s dedication to seeing this programme through to completion.
“The envisaged SADC regional parliament will complete the five regional parliament blocs for PAP. President Lourenço expressed his appreciation for the update and reiterated Angola’s commitment to the consummation of this initiative,” he said.
“The President acknowledged the critical role that a regional parliament would play in promoting democracy, good governance and socio-economic development across the SADC region and in a strategically consolidated manner.”
Adv Mudenda also met his Angolan counterpart, Ms Carolina Cerqueira, with whom he discussed the shared historical and cordial bilateral relations between the two countries.
He commended Ms Cerqueira for successfully hosting the 147th IPU and 55th SADC PF plenary assemblies.
“Doubtless, it is no mean feat to host 180 national parliaments and this attests to the rugged tenacity of the host country, Angola in espousing intense parliamentary diplomacy,” said Adv Mudenda.
He extolled the leadership qualities exemplified by the host Speaker, which he said served as inspiration to the girl child.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu