By Moses Magadza in Durban, South Africa

The 58th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) ended in eThekwini on Thursday with calls for accelerated parliamentary action on climate change, gender equality, youth empowerment, democratic consolidation, and deeper regional integration.

The week-long assembly, held under the theme “The Impact of Climate Change on Women and Youth in the SADC Region and the Role of Parliaments in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation,” brought together parliamentarians from 14 of the Forum’s fifteen Member Parliaments, alongside representatives of partner organisations, academia, civil society, and South African legislators.

The Deputy President of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Paul Mashatile, officially opened the Plenary on Sunday and urged collective parliamentary responses to the climate crisis.

Mashatile, who was the Acting President of South Africa at the time, highlighted the outcomes of the G20 Summit hosted by South Africa and highlighted advances on climate resilience, energy access, food security, and youth empowerment.

He stressed the need for gender-responsive legislation, stronger oversight, and adequate resource allocation. He pointed to South Africa’s 2024 Climate Change Act as an example of the type of legislative commitment required across the region.

Presiding over the Plenary for the first time as President of the Forum, Hon. Randrianasoloniaiko Siteny Thierry, Speaker of the Parliament of Madagascar, reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to democratic governance, regional integration, and citizen participation.

He commended South Africa’s leadership in championing the establishment of a SADC Parliament. He appealed for support to ratify the Protocol to transform the Forum into a fully-fledged Parliament by August 2026.

Host Speaker Hon. Thokozile Didiza drew attention to recent climate-related disasters that have struck several SADC countries. She stressed the need for harmonised, climate-resilient legislation and highlighted the significance of outcomes from COP30, including the “Global Mutirao Decision” and the just transition mechanism. She urged SADC parliaments to provide the leadership required to mitigate and adapt to the worsening climate crisis.

SADC PF Secretary General, Her Excellency Boemo Sekgoma, saluted South Africa’s stewardship in global and regional affairs under President Cyril Ramaphosa, and evoked eThekwini’s legacy as a site of historical resilience and pan-African solidarity.

She described climate change as a daily lived reality for millions in the region and called for bold regional responses grounded in the spirit of cooperation embodied by the Frontline States. The SG also welcomed the strong representation of women MPs at the Plenary, who constituted 40.6% of delegates.

Hon. Princess N. Mojapelo of the Southern Africa Youth Parliament praised the SADC PF’s growing youth-inclusive practices. She urged parliaments to invest in youth leadership and enact legislation that addresses unemployment, exclusion, conflict, gender-based violence, and climate vulnerability. She described young people as “leaders in motion.”

The Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, led by Interim Chairperson Hon. Senator Dr Lindiwe Nxumalo of Eswatini, warned of rising digital violence, entrenched gender inequality, and women’s heightened climate vulnerability, and called for domestication of SADC PF Model Laws on Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage.

She challenged delegates to adopt climate-smart, gender-responsive legislation and expand access to SRHR services.

Throughout the week, the Plenary expressed concern over the escalating frequency of droughts, floods, cyclones, and rising sea levels that threaten food security, water access, health systems, and livelihoods in the region.

It acknowledged that climate change disproportionately affects women and youth and resolved to prioritise parliamentary oversight, promote regional policy harmonisation, and align national efforts with SADC Vision 2050, Agenda 2063, the 2025 G20 outcomes, and COP30 directives.

Member Parliaments reaffirmed the interconnections between climate change and SRHR. They noted that climate-induced disruptions heighten risks of maternal mortality, GBV, child marriage, and HIV and AIDS.

The Plenary stressed the role of parliaments in enacting climate-responsive laws, overseeing implementation, approving climate-sensitive budgets, and promoting gender-disaggregated research and policy analysis.

The Plenary also reviewed progress by national parliaments in meeting previous commitments and welcomed strong country reports that underscored peer learning and mutual accountability.

It adopted all reports from Standing Committees, the Joint Sitting of Committees, and the RWPC. Among the measures endorsed were calls for stronger oversight of energy policies, ratification of regional trade and energy protocols, modernisation of grids, and increased investments in renewable energy.

Delegates also called for predictable resourcing of Election Observation Missions and revisions to the SADC Model Law on Elections to address cybersecurity and digital disinformation.

The Plenary further endorsed the ongoing development of the SADC Model Law on Safe Abortion and urged parliaments to undertake inclusive national consultations.

It called for accelerated adoption of gender-responsive budgeting, strengthened oversight of anti-corruption efforts, elevation of the SADC SRHR Strategy into a legally binding Protocol, and revitalised cross-border efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade.

Member Parliaments were also urged to fast-track ratification of the Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons.

The Plenary also welcomed key outcomes of the 151st IPU Assembly held in Geneva in October 2025, including the Geneva Declaration on humanitarian norms and the call for a woman UN Secretary-General. It commended both Member Parliaments for their active participation and the SADC PF for its coordination within the African geopolitical group.

The Parliament of South Africa hosted the 58th Plenary. The National Assembly of Seychelles has announced that it will host the 59th Plenary Assembly in the second quarter of 2026.

• Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.