Issued by Office of the Presidency
Cape Town 17 April 2000
Chairperson
Distinguished delegates to the SADC Parliamentary Forum workshop
I am very happy that the Parliamentary Forum is holding a workshop, which will contribute, to the debate on how SADC should position itself in a world of accelerating global integration.
In this trend of globalisation, countries are forming regional blocs in order to better position themselves in the world economy. This process has both an economic and a political dimension. Europe, for example, has both an economic community and a European Parliament. Our continent, Africa is faced with such fundamental challenge, that we have no alternative but to unite to address our problems with a co-ordinated effort.
For Africa to achieve this, the regions of our continent have to come together as we, SADC member countries are doing, gathered here today. In the process of pooling our efforts we have to identify our priorities and the key things we need to do.
One of these is our parliamentary work and given the importance of an institution that is constituted by the elected public representatives of the people, this is a very crucial area.
In Africa's modern history, we need to ask ourselves whether our Parliaments have played the role expected of them? Have they done enough to focus on the development of their countries? Have they been able to defend the rights and freedoms of their people? Have they been so positioned to be able to prevent abuse and manipulation of political power? Have they been able to stand up to executives and prevent the abuse of the institution itself? Have they helped to create political stability within their own borders and those of their neighbours to establish a climate for democracy to take root? Have they been able to prevent wars and massacres?
I would like to believe that our meeting today is part of the strategy to answer these questions and deal with those matters in which we have been less successful.
The Organisation of African Unity has focused particularly in recent years on the objectives of achieving peace and sustainable development on our continent. The African Charter for Popular Participation in Development was adopted in 1990 at the same time as a landmark Declaration of the Political and Economic Situation in Africa and the Fundamental Changes taking place in the World. In 1993 the OAU established a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights was adopted in 1981 and enhanced by the 1998 Protocol on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and People's Rights which provided an important instrument to ensure the observance of human rights.
I do not believe that our Parliaments in Africa have been able to take sufficient advantage of the political resolutions and declarations of organisations such as the OAU to maximise the advantages for our people.
Meetings of the representatives of the SADC Parliaments give us hope that we are beginning as a bloc, to discuss the role of Parliaments in the Region.
Parliaments are the highest forums of any country's public representation.
Firstly and fore mostly, Parliaments make the laws that govern the country. Whilst the Executive drafts the Bills, Parliament has the responsibility of giving the final approval. It is the job of Parliament to make sure that these laws are appropriate in realising the goals they set out to achieve and that they are correctly worded to do so.
There is more to Parliament than passing laws. Whilst executives face elections, usually every five years, Parliaments are the formal structures through which the executives, in-between elections, account to the electorate that put them into power. Parliaments have therefore, as one of their key functions, the examination and monitoring of the activities of the governments of their countries. In Parliament, Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers can come and report on the progress they are making in the implementation of their policies; on issues affecting the country and on problems that government may be experiencing both locally internationally.
Parliaments are important forums for debate should contribute to a more open climate of discussion in our societies. Issues of concern to the electorate and the country as a whole ought to be given sufficient space for debate in Parliament. Even if the views are those of a small section of the country, they should be heard and subjected to public discussion and scrutiny. It is the one forum where the views of most sections of society have the chance to be articulated. In a properly functioning democratic state, even the tiniest minority has an opportunity to air its views.
Parliaments need to assist opposition parties to play their role effectively. This role does not have to be one of criticism for the sake of criticism but should focus on constructive improvements that the government should be making.
If members of Parliament are to properly represent the people, they need to know what the people think. Equally, the people need to know what their leaders are doing in Parliament and to have the opportunity to interact with them and Parliament as a whole. We need to ask ourselves whether our Parliaments have been sufficiently accounting to the electorate?
In order to deepen democracy, Parliaments need to look at ways of ensuring that information on the their programmes and debates is disseminated amongst the people. There is a need also for the provision of mechanisms for greater interaction between representatives in Parliament and its structures and the people being represented. The laws and programs that we put in place are guiding principles that affect the way that they live their daily lives. There is therefore no place for autocratic behaviour in a democratic parliament.
One of the legacies of the long period of colonisation has been the weakness of structures of civil society in general in postcolonial Africa. Structures of civil society have often been missed out in the transition from waging a struggle for liberation and the struggle for development of a country.
These structures of civil society are necessary in providing forums for different interest groups to formulate position and articulate their views in a structured way. It is important for Parliament to assist in the process of building civil society by providing avenues for interaction between itself civil society organisations.
The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum provides a crucial vehicle for interaction between the Parliaments of the countries in the region.
Most of the Parliaments in the Region have developed out of the Westminster system or have at least been influenced by it. We need to focus on the development of parliamentary institutions relevant to African conditions. Our young democracies have not come about in a vacuum. They have arisen because of - and often in spite of - special circumstances not experienced by Western democracies. What this means for us is that a collective effort is required to guard and to strengthen our democracies. Discussion and evaluation of our own experiences will play a vital part in this process.
The Southern African government, as you may know, is formulating a policy on traditional leaders. One of the crucial issues, under consideration is the relationship between these institutions and Parliament and the other elected structures of government. The issue of traditional leadership is one, which all countries in the Region have faced and addressed in various ways. I hope that a discussion of this matter by this forum will make a significant contribution to the debate in our own country and provide a workable framework that will be useful to other countries in the region and beyond.
This is but one example of the many areas where our institutions of Parliament have of necessity to deviate from the generally accepted wisdom of Western institutions. We cannot get guidance from them or draw from their vast experiences and so African solutions are called for.
Forums such as these are best placed to search for these solutions.
I hope that in your deliberations in this workshop you will focus on issue such as:
1. Good governance
2. Democracy
3. Respect for the rule of law - the Constitution and Human Rights
4. Development; and
5. Political stability and emerge with decisions that will assist both the executives and our Parliaments.
South Africa, in particular, as a new democracy has much to learn from the experiences of many of our sister countries and I am sure that our country also has many experiences that they can also draw from.
Africa is embarking on its own Renaissance. Discussions on these topics in forums such as this will help make our Renaissance a reality.
We wish you well in your deliberations.