Africa / World

Moses Magadza  A SADC regional seminar on children’s rights and climate change got underway in Cape Town on 2 July 2025 with the deputy speaker of the parliament of Botswana, Helen Manyeneng, challenging SADC parliamentarians to reimagine climate governance through the eyes of the region’s most vulnerable - its children. Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Manyeneng, a member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, made a call to action, warning that “the storm is already upon us” and children are bearing the brunt. “We meet here not out of routine,” told delegates gathered at the School of Public Health at the University…

Moses Magadza A three-day regional workshop got underway in Cape Town on Tuesday to finalise a pioneering digital dashboard to track the implementation of the SADC Model Law on eradicating child marriage and protecting children already in marriage. The SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and other partners convened the meeting, which brought together delegates, including monitoring and evaluation specialists, data scientists, SRHR researchers, youth activists, and civil society partners from SADC member states, with several participating online. The gathering is the latest milestone for a technical working group that, after earlier sessions in Johannesburg and Windhoek, has already produced a…

Moses Magadza The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) has joined the National Assembly of Angola in mourning the passing of Diamantino Domingos Mussokola, an Angolan legislator and active member of the Forum.  Mussokola died on Friday, 13 June 2025, in Luanda at the age of 54. In a statement issued in Luanda, the speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, Carolina Cerqueira, paid tribute to the late parliamentarian, hailing his legacy of humility, camaraderie, and wisdom.  “As a Member of Parliament, Diamantino Domingos Mussokola leaves behind a legacy of humility, camaraderie, and wisdom that enriched political debates…

Moses Magadza The SADC Parliamentary Forum has signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with key regional and international organisations towards inclusive and strategic collaboration.  The MoUs with Oxfam, the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF), the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC) and the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) were signed on the margins of the SADC PF’s 57th Plenary Assembly Session hosted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe in Victoria Falls City last week. Speaking during the signing, the Secretary General of the SADC PF, Boemo Sekgoma, stressed the strategic importance of…

Moses Magadza The Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Africa Trust, Alice Kanengoni, has called for a bold reimagining of trade justice in Southern Africa, urging a shift away from exclusive technical approaches to inclusive, people-driven frameworks that centre those most affected by global economic shifts. Kanengoni made the call when she delivered welcome remarks at the beginning of a High-Level Dialogue on Trade Justice in Johannesburg co-convened with the SADC Parliamentary Forum. She welcomed the gathering of parliamentarians, civic organisations, feminist movements, cross-border traders, and policy experts to what she described as “a pivotal convening”. “This is not just…

Moses Magadza The chairperson of the human and social development and special programmes committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Mope Khati, has urged members of parliament to help in transforming the region’s prison systems through the development of a progressive Model Law on Prison Oversight. Speaking during the official opening of the standing committee’s statutory meeting in Johannesburg, Khati paid tribute to the late clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia, Roy Ngulube. “His impact on parliamentarism was profound, his shoes too big to fill and the void he has left behind will be felt for a time…

Moses Magadza The President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Justin Tokley of Madagascar, has called on the region’s parliamentary leaders to act decisively in defense of democracy, social justice, and regional resilience. Tokley made the call at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Geopolitical Group meeting last week in remarks made on his behalf by Dithapelo Keorapetse, the Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. “We meet at an opportune time when the geopolitics of the world call for further regional and international cooperation,”…

Moses Magadza The SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) has expressed sorrow following the death of Roy Ngulube, the clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia, who died on 7 April 2025 while on official duty in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Ngulube was in Tashkent as part of a Zambian parliamentary delegation attending the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, led by Speaker Nelly Mutti.  His sudden passing has sent shockwaves across the region, with tributes pouring in to honour a man widely respected for his dedication to parliamentary service and regional cooperation. In a condolence message, the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary…