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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, welcomed the committee’s Mozambican counterpart, the Communities of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique, to Parliament yesterday.
 
The purpose of the Mozambican visit is to facilitate an exchange of views and experiences and to consolidate friendly cooperation between the two countries. In welcoming the delegation, Mr Mahumapelo said the portfolio committee welcomes the continued exchange of information between South Africa and Mozambique and would like it to continue. He mentioned the importance of trade relations between the two countries and said the political relationship is also strong.
 
Mr Mahumapelo assured the Mozambican delegation that South Africa will continue to assist Mozambique where it can, with natural and other disasters. He then went on to explain the South African Parliament’s constitutional role: “We make sure that we live to what the Constitution of South Africa says. Parliament is responsible for three things: law making, oversight and we must ensure public participation. These are the three cardinal responsibilities of Parliament and they cascade through the committees of Parliament.”
 
Mr Mahumapelo also explained the role of Chapter Nine institutions in deepening democracy in South Africa. Among those institutions, he mentioned the Office of the Auditor-General, which he said plays a crucial role in South Africa’s democracy by checking up on how taxpayers’ money is spent.
 
The Chairperson of the International Relations, Cooperation and Communities of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique and the leader of the delegation, Ms Catarina Mário Dimande António, gave a brief overview of the political, economic and social situation in Mozambique following various natural disasters, COVID-19 and the fight against terrorism.
 
She indicated that the devastation caused by terrorism has stabilised thanks to the combined actions of defence and security forces supported by the SADC and Rwandan forces. “We would like to thank South Africa for the unconditional support in fighting against terrorism in Mozambique and by sending its military personnel and for providing humanitarian support,” she said. Infrastructure is now being rebuilt and public administration and financial services are continuing.
 
From an economic point of view, the Mozambican government has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to resume financial support, which was suspended in 2015. We will continue to work on this cooperation with South Africa and Mozambique, she concluded.
 
Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo.