African Speakers of Parliaments Deliberate on Key Developmental Matters Affecting the Continent

Speakers and other leaders and representatives of national parliaments from the continent held a symposium on the theme: Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.

The P20 Symposium of Speakers of Parliaments was held on the sidelines of the ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament currently underway in Midrand, Gauteng.

The South African delegation, led by the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Ms Refiloe Mtshweni-Tsipane, comprises the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Les Govender, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Dr Annelie Lotriet, the House Chairperson for Committees and Oversight in the NA, Mr Cedric Frolick, and the House Chairpersons for International Relations in the NA and NCOP, Ms Zandile Majozi and Mr Bheki Radebe, respectively.

Discussions during the symposium, which is part of the build-up to the P20 summit to be held later this year as part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, centred around climate change, mining and agriculture as well as trade justice in Africa. Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane said the discussions at the symposium were of a high standard and she believes they will form part of the deliberations in the coming P20 summit later this year.

The President of the Pan African Parliament, Chief Fortune Charumbira, called on the continent to stand with South Africa and make an input into the G20 process for the benefit of the entire continent. Setting the tone for the deliberations, Mr Frolick, in turn, challenged his colleagues to rethink new policy interventions that parliaments can advance to support beneficiation in the mining sector, improve environmental justice in the discussions on climate change and build sustainable economies on the African continent. “We should use the G20 opportunity to shape global policies that impact the African continent. We cannot afford that the P20 and G20 become just another event in Africa and thereafter it is business as usual,” he said.

Mr Frolick said the symposium was to create clear positions that reflect the continent’s position and challenges of the past, the present and the future through strengthening collaborations and communication among presiding officers and parliamentarians. Regarding climate change, which he said is a threat to the continent’s food, water and energy security, Mr Frolick said the biggest challenges were mitigation and adaptation. The biggest hindrance to Africa’s efforts to respond to the impacts of climate change is funding, he said, adding that the continent will require between 2.6 and 3 trillion dollars to fulfil its climate change commitments.

Mr Radebe, the NCOP House Chairperson for International Relations, spoke about the importance of the agricultural sector to the economy of the continent and the livelihoods of citizens. “The agricultural sector is a strategic priority to foster economic growth, employment creation, food security, and poverty reduction. However, the lack of finances, climate change and access to markets are some of the constraints to the sector on the continent,” he said. Mr Radebe also raised concerns about what he believes are unfair practices in some international climate change agreements that seek to treat low-emission countries the same as the biggest polluters of the environment. “We cannot be treated the same while we don’t contribute equally to environmental pollution,” he said. “We do want to decarbonise but not with punitive measures.”

The Chairperson of the Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Committee of the PAP, Mr Garry Sakata, said Africa cannot continue relying on developed countries to fund climate change on the continent and called on parliaments and governments to come up with solutions and ideas to fund adaptation and mitigation efforts.

During discussions on mining, there was a strong call for parliaments to legislate and enforce ethical mining standards. There was also a concern raised from the floor about the need to act against big multinational companies that fund wars on the continent for illicit mining. There was also a suggestion for African countries to consider incorporating mining subjects into the schooling system, rather than only teaching them at the university level.

Parliamentarians also called for the need to encourage their countries to take full advantage of the Africa Free Trade Agreement, an initiative that seeks to promote trading among African countries.

Sakhile Mokoena
29 July 2025