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Twelve SADC member countries have signed a treaty to convert the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a Regional Parliament.
Botswana is currently in discussions with the SADC Lobby Mission Team regarding its participation in the treaty.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Nelly Mutti, along with other Speakers from SADC member parliaments, recently met with Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, to advocate for Botswana’s endorsement of the treaty.
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This information was detailed in a statement issued on Monday in Lusaka by Julia Malunga, First Secretary Press at the Zambian High Commission.
“They also informed him that only four countries had yet to sign the Treaty,” Mutti said.
She noted that the new SADC Parliament would introduce several features, including the creation of a joint administrative task team from the SADC Secretariat and the SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretariat.
This team would support regional integration by addressing key issues such as a new protocol on gender, health, and investment.
“It will also ensure deeper commitment to monitoring the domestication of Model Laws by engaging national parliaments through scorecards, as well as efficient monitoring and evaluation of strategic objectives akin to international standards (half-term evaluation of strategic plan and full-term evaluation in collaboration with Member Parliaments),” Mutti stated.
As of now, 12 countries have signed the treaty amending the agreement.
“Botswana, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Comoros are yet to sign the Treaty,” she added.
Jacob Francis Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, expressed hope that all countries would sign the agreement.
“The Lobby team is extremely happy that 12 member states, as we have stated, have in fact now appended their signatures to the agreement which would lead to the amendment of the SADC Treaty in the establishment of the SADC Parliament.
“It now behooves the great Republic of Botswana, we believe to sign up as well,” Mudenda said.
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