Africa / World

In the final declaration of the 7th EU–AU Summit, adopted on November 25, 2025, in Luanda under the chairmanship of Angolan President João Lourenço, there is a passage about “volatility of tariffs and uncertainty in trade policy” that in Washington will almost certainly be perceived as a direct and undisguised criticism of the United States. The tariffs are quite unambiguously contrasted here with the “stability and predictable rules” that Europe supposedly offers to African countries. “We emphasise that growing uncertainty in trade policy and tariff volatility in global trade pose a challenge to the world economy. In this context, trade…

Justicia Shipena  Africa’s climate negotiators say that high debt, costly finances and new trade barriers are making it harder for the continent to meet its climate commitments.  The message was delivered by Richard Muyungi, chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), during a meeting on Wednesday with United Nations (UN) secretary general António Guterres at the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) climate conference in Belém, Brazil. Many African countries, according to Muyungi, are grappling with high borrowing costs, limited access to long-term finance, and increasing debt vulnerabilities.  He also warned that new unilateral climate-related trade measures threaten African industries…

Moses Magadza  A panel discussion following the inaugural public lecture honouring the late chief Theresa Kachindamoto of Malawi stirred reflection, debate and renewed urgency for coordinated regional action to eradicate child marriage. The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with funding from Sweden and in collaboration with the National Assembly of Zambia, the University of Zambia’s School of Law, CARE International, and other partners, convened the public lecture on Monday last week. Moderated by gender advocate Lynn Chinene of CARE Zambia, the panel discussion brought together traditional leaders, legal experts, lawmakers, youth representatives and students as efforts intensified…

Moses Magadza  The chairperson of the committee of clerks and secretaries general of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Xolile George, has highlighted the role of clerks and secretaries of national parliaments in transforming the forum into a fully fledged SADC regional parliament. George, who is the clerk of the Parliament of South Africa, did this on Tuesday when he officially opened a statutory meeting of the Committee under the theme “Ensuring Operational Continuity Post Elections in SADC Member States.” “We gather here as a special crop of clerks and secretaries to our national parliaments with a special call and…

Moses Magadza  Parliamentarians from SADC member states have concluded a high-level meeting and training toward transforming food systems and eradicating hunger in Southern Africa with strong commitments to legislative reforms, regional cooperation, and rights-based governance of agrifood systems.  Convened from 22 to 24 July 2025, the inaugural meeting of the SADC Parliamentary Alliance on Agrifood Systems, Food Security and Nutrition, coupled with an intensive Subregional Training on Legislating the Right to Adequate Food, brought together lawmakers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  The SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the…