Solidarity statement by Hon. Sylvia Lucas, Vice President of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, to the official opening of the fifth plenary session of the sixth parliament of the Pan-African Parliament
It is with deep honour and a profound sense of Pan-African solidarity that I bring you warm greetings from the SADC Parliamentary Forum and its 15 Member Parliaments. I also bring the best wishes of our President, Hon. Justin Tokely, Speaker of the National Assembly of Madagascar.
Mr. President, I thank you for the kind invitation to attend this Fifth Plenary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan African Parliament and to deliver this Solidarity Message on behalf of the SADC PF.
Allow me to congratulate the Pan African Parliament for convening this important session under the visionary theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”
This theme is timely and essential. It calls upon all Africans – within the continent and in the diaspora – to stand firm in reclaiming justice, dignity, and historical redress. The SADC PF fully associates itself with this powerful vision.
We commend the Pan African Parliament under your exemplary leadership, Mr. President, for continuously placing people-centred justice, inclusive development, and regional unity at the core of its deliberations.
From your advocacy on the rights of women and youth, to promoting accountability and climate justice, PAP has remained a torchbearer of continental legislative activism. Your presence and active participation at the 57th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC PF in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe earlier this year was a clear demonstration of your commitment to Pan-African cooperation.
We recall with appreciation how you eloquently urged African parliaments to embrace digital transformation and artificial intelligence to enhance legislative responsiveness and regional development. We echo your sentiments and reaffirm our shared commitment to building agile, future-ready parliaments.
The SADC PF and PAP are natural allies, united by a shared mandate to promote democracy, good governance, regional integration, and socio-economic transformation. In this regard, we see significant scope for deepened collaboration across several fronts:
As Regional Economic Communities, we have a pivotal role in leading efforts that advance justice particularly gender-responsive reparations—and in strengthening regional coordination to realize the AU’s vision by 2025. Today, I wish to outline some concrete policy actions that we can collectively undertake to reinforce our efforts.
- Let us joint hands as parliamentary leadership in harmonizing policies across member states to embed reparations and gender-sensitive approaches in national development plans, ensuring consistency and accountability. Furthermore,establish regional technical working groups comprising policymakers, civil society, and experts to facilitate knowledge sharing, coordinate initiatives, and monitor progress on reparative justice and gender inclusion.
- These groups can serve as platforms for exchanging best practices and designing joint regional strategies.
- Let us also strengthen data collection and research efforts at the regional level to better understand the scope of past injustices, gender disparities, and the impact of reparations programs. Accurate data will enable evidence-based policymaking and targeted interventions.
- Let us promote regional dialogue and awareness campaigns to foster understanding and consensus on the importance of justice and gender equality, engaging communities and traditional authorities to build broad-based support.
- Work collaboratively to mobilize and coordinate resource allocation. This could involve establishing regional financial pools possibly supported by development partners to fund reparations initiatives, especially those focused on empowering women and marginalized groups. We must never forget the face of poverty, is black, female,young and African.
- Let us mainstream gender and reparative justice considerations into regional development projects, trade policies, and peacebuilding efforts. This ensures that gender justice is an integral part of our broader development agenda.
- Enhance partnerships and synergies between regional institutions and the African Union, international donors, and development agencies to leverage technical assistance, funding, and expertise. By undertaking these concrete actions, our regional bodies can exemplify leadership, promote regional cohesion, and ensure that reparative justice and gender equality are effectively advanced across Africa, aligning with the AU’s 2025 objectives.
Mr President, I am further, pleased to provide an update on the ongoing efforts to transform the SADC PF into a fully-fledged SADC Regional Parliament. This historic process is progressing steadily. So far 13 of then 15 SADC member states have already signed the Agreement to amend the SADC Protocol establishing the SADC parliament. We are optimistic that the remaining two will sign soon. We are grateful for the unwavering support that the PAP, under your leadership, has rendered towards this noble cause. We count on your continued solidarity as we seek to institutionalise a binding parliamentary voice for the peoples of the SADC region.
We must, however, confront the sobering reality of dwindling donor support, which threatens the sustainability of many of our programmes. This is not merely a financial concern; it is a concern for democracy.
As African parliamentary institutions, we must explore new models of cooperation, resource mobilisation, and partnership. Let us consider co-developing toolkits, joint missions, and knowledge-sharing platforms to support our Member States amidst these constraints.
Honourable Members, history beckons. Our people deserve a future that is free, fair, just, and united. We must rise to this moment with courage and conviction. Let PAP and SADC PF lead the charge in partnership.
Let us continue to convene joint committees. Let us align our oversight on climate, justice, youth, and trade. Let us speak with one African parliamentary voice.
As we open this Plenary Session today, may the theme of justice and reparations not be a slogan, but a call to redemptive action. May our deliberations translate into policies that heal, empower, and unite.
I thank you.
