Africa / World – Page 2

15 May

SADC PF head calls for economic self-reliance amid rising tariffs

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Moses Magadza Boemo Sekgoma, the Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), has urged Southern African nations to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their economies and regain control over their development trajectory. Speaking via Zoom at the opening of the "High-Level Dialogue on Trade Justice: Mitigating the Impact of US Reciprocal Tariffs on SADC Economies and Women and Girls" on Thursday, Sekgoma acknowledged the far-reaching implications of tariff increases and called for a recalibration of regional trade and production strategies. “While we certainly have no control over foreign jurisdictions and the tariffs they…

23 Apr

SADC MPs for transformation of prisons into centres of reform

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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…

21 Apr

SADC PF to draft model law on prison oversight

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Moses Magadza The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) will host a joint session of its Standing Committees in Johannesburg from 23 to 25 April to begin developing a regional model law on prison oversight. SADC PF secretary general Boemo Sekgoma said the session marks a milestone in strengthening human rights and parliamentary oversight of detention conditions across the region. The meeting will bring together five key standing committees of the Forum to collaborate on content and direction for the proposed model law. “These discussions will focus on promoting democratic oversight and ensuring accountability in line with constitutional…

10 Apr

SADC Speakers push back against global uncertainty, protectionism

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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,”…

08 Apr

SADC PF mourns the passing of clerk of the National Assembly of Zambia

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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…

07 Apr

SADC finalises tool to boost fight against child marriage

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Moses Magadza A technical working group formed by the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), in partnership with regional and international stakeholders, has finalised a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework aimed at tracking progress in the fight against child marriage across Southern Africa. The group met for a week in Windhoek to complete the framework and begin developing a digital dashboard that will monitor how Member States implement the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage. The workshop brought together 28 experts from across the region, including M&E specialists from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and…

23 Mar

SADC PF urges parliaments to act on female genital mutilation

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Moses Magadza The secretary general of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Boemo Sekgoma, has called for urgent and sustained parliamentary action to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Speaking at the launch of the updated Global Report on FGM/Cutting at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Sekgoma described FGM as a “very live and serious issue” in the SADC region that must be tackled with urgency. She noted that, despite regional and international frameworks, the practice continues to devastate the lives of millions of girls, particularly in Africa. “Over 50%…

18 Mar

UNAIDS urges increased hiv investment for women and girls

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Moses Magadza UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Christine Stegling has called on global leaders to prioritize HIV prevention and treatment for women and girls amid shrinking resources. She made the appeal at a high-level side event hosted by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). The event focused on the urgency of HIV prevention and treatment for women and girls, emphasizing the importance of CSW Resolution 60/2 in advancing gender equality and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Stegling praised SADC’s leadership in championing the resolution,…

18 Mar

Growing calls for stronger action on gender equality and HIV

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Moses Magadza Zimbabwe’s Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa, has urged Southern African countries and the global community to intensify efforts in tackling the structural drivers of women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV and gender inequality. The minister made the call during a Southern African Development Community (SADC) side event at the ongoing 69th session of the commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) here on 17 March. Speaking under the theme “Beijing+30: Taking Stock of CSW Resolution 60/2; Keeping the Promise for Women and Girls”, Mutsvangwa, representing Zimbabwe as the current SADC chair,…

18 Feb

Speaker calls for economic self-sufficiency as SADC PF trade training gets underway

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Moses Magadza The Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has urged African nations to move towards economic self-sufficiency by leveraging the continent’s vast natural and human resources. Keorapetse, Southern Africa’s youngest ever Speaker at the age of 42, made the call at the official opening of an online training workshop on trade-related issues, jointly organised by the Trade and Law Centre (TRALAC) and the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with support from SIDA. He stressed the importance of regional integration and intra-African trade. Hon Keorapetse said Africa had untapped economic potential and urged SADC member states to fully…