The Pan Afrikanist Watchman
The Secretary General of Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF)Her Excellency Boemo Sekgoma is now the Patron for the SADC Youth Parliament.
The official announcement was made by Washington Mumbamarwo the Head of Media, Advocacy and Communications Department of SAYoF on Thursday June 8th 2023 at a Regional Press Conference chaired by Dr. Keratiloe Mogotsi of Wits Business School.
H.E Sekgoma noted that the SADC Parliamentary Forum is directly involved in spearheading the development agenda for the youth of the region, whether it is in the fields of gender equality, education, housing, employment or in attaining an adequate standard of living.
” …I wish to reiterate that it is an honour for me to be the Patron for the SADC Youth Parliament. There is much that we can do together and much that the Youth Parliament shares with the SADC-PF”, H.E Sekgoma said.
She went on that together, “we can ensure that national Parliaments of the region bring youth advancement to the forefront of parliamentary interventions.”
As Patron of the SADC Youth Parliament, H.E Sekgoma also wishes to invite partners to work closely with the organisation to achieve the regional developmental agenda where youth involvement is a cross-cutting theme that deserves a consistent engagement from stakeholders.
She would like for partners to also provide resources and capacities that will allow them to soar. She described the youth as a driving force – the Steve Bikos and Kwame Nkrumahs of the region.
In her role as Patron, H.E Sekgoma does not perform any executive function, does not sit on its Board nor in its Management. The Patron is not paid directly or indirectly but her role is Honorary, as she does not have any contract with the organisation or duration of tenure.
Her Excellency Sekgoma told The Pan Afrikanist that she accepted the role of Patron since the SADC Youth Parliament furthers similar objectives as the Forum, and therefore felt there is need to mutually support each other as partners within the Forum’s partnership matrix.
In his closing remarks, Sheuneni Kurasha the Chief Mentor of the SADC Youth Parliament noted that ‘…young people across the country and the region will look up to the Parliament to be a vehicle that will live up to expectation,
“… and the parliament must influence policy.., young people from Southern Africa have been leading from the front…, young people need to continue to provide leadership to the region and to the world…”, he urged.
Watch the full video here: https://www.facebook.com/SAYoF.SADC/videos/773132710940891
About Southern Africa Youth Forum “SAYoF”
The Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF-SADC) is a coordinating body and a regional platform for youth and youth organizations in SADC, SAYoF-SADC works with the SADC Secretariat, and is a youth representative in the SADC-CNGO. SAYoF-SADC is founded based on the increasing demand by young people to be important players and stockholders in regional processes, proffer solidarity at national and regional level, participation in sustainable transformation and in the agenda set by SADC Heads of State, the SADC Secretariat, SADC organs among other regional and International stakeholders, using the Youth Development Model (YDM). The Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF-SADC) is the primary convener of the SAYoF-SADC Youth Forum and the SADC Youth Parliament. SAYoF-SADC is the Africa Focal Point in United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY-Migration) and a member of the Africa Youth Front on Coronavirus (Covid-19), a high-level policy and advocacy framework set by the African Union (AU) for young people to co-lead Africa’s response to Covid-19. SAYoF-SADC is also leading work on: Youth Leadership and Governance, Transitional Justice and Peace Building, Climate Change and Environment, Business and Entrepreneurship, Disability, Effective Development Cooperation and Integration in the Region. SAYoF-SADC sits in the SADC-CNGO Regional Committee on Africa Charter for Democracy, Election and Governance (ACDEG) representing young people in the region
SAYoF-SADC is composed of youth organizations, young people and formations working in all SADC member states, taking advantage of their diversity and innovativeness to transform lives at regional and national level. SAYoF believes that, youth in the SADC Region should be stakeholders, stockholders and leaders not only beneficiaries of regional and state resources as indicated in the Youth Development Model (YDM). SAYoF believes real transformation is when young people are sustainably part of the development trajectory and are at the center of policies and instruments by SADC and its member states.
