By Moses Magadza in Johannesburg, South Africa

The Joint Session of Standing Committees of the SADC Parliamentary Forum opened in Johannesburg on Tuesday with strong calls for inclusive governance, democratic accountability and deeper parliamentary cooperation as the region grapples with growing global and regional democratic pressures.

Held under the theme “Enhancing Parliamentary Advocacy for the Effective Domestication and Implementation of SADC Protocols for Democratic and Inclusive Governance,” the meeting brings together Members of Parliament from across the SADC region ahead of the 59th Plenary Assembly to be hosted by Seychelles.

Opening the session, SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma said the Joint Session reflected the Forum’s commitment to inter-parliamentary cooperation and cross-committee engagement on issues that intersect across governance, democracy and human rights.

Ms Sekgoma warned that parliamentary democracy was increasingly under threat globally, with women, youth, persons with disabilities and civil society organisations often excluded from meaningful participation in governance processes.

She expressed concern that women’s representation continued to be undermined by patriarchal political systems and partisan interests despite regional commitments under the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

“SADC National Parliaments struggle to attain the 50% gender parity envisaged by the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development,” she noted.

The Secretary General stressed that inclusivity was central to effective parliamentary governance.

“Without inclusiveness, a parliament can fail its people,” she declared.

She added, “Without inclusiveness, those who deserve to be adequately represented will end up being left out on the sidelines of policy initiatives, with parliament responding to popularity rather than the call of its people.”

She said deliberations during the Joint Session would focus on women’s participation in politics, inclusion of youth and persons with disabilities, civil society engagement, anti-sexual harassment measures and protection of prisoners through legislative reforms.

Ms Sekgoma noted that Parliament had a duty to protect vulnerable groups and ensure equality before the law.

“Parliament legislates to protect those who are devoid of power, even as it protects all citizens under the principle of equality of the law,” she said.

A major highlight of the Joint Session is the consideration of two key normative instruments – the proposed SADC PF Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy and the SADC Model Law on Prison Oversight.

On the anti-sexual harassment policy, Ms Sekgoma said the initiative sought to ensure that representatives operating within the Forum are adequately protected and respected.

“Deviant behaviour should, as far as possible, be dealt with not only by the law of the land where the occurrence takes place, but also by the Forum through disciplinary measures,” she said.

Turning to the proposed Model Law on Prison Oversight, she said the instrument was intended to place Parliament at the centre of accountability mechanisms amid growing concern over prison conditions in parts of the region.

“In 2026, individuals perished under prison control in the SADC region, due to brutality or other reasons, leaving families in utter turmoil and despair,” she said.

She warned that prison conditions had effectively become “a double sentence” for many inmates due to illness, abuse and exclusion after release.

“Citizens should not be punished once by the Court, a second time by the harsh conditions of jail, and a third time by barriers to obtaining employment. Prison time should not become a fatality akin to a death sentence,” she said.

Ms Sekgoma also reaffirmed the Forum’s growing partnership with International IDEA, particularly in the domestication of the SADC Model Law on Elections and the SADC Model Law on Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary General of International IDEA, delivered the keynote address. He said the world was facing a defining moment for democracy marked by democratic retrenchment, declining trust in institutions, rising inequality and geopolitical instability.

“We live in a defining moment for democracy globally,” he said.

Drawing on International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy indices, Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora said more countries were experiencing democratic decline than democratic progress for the ninth consecutive year.

“The erosion is especially visible in such critical areas as civic freedoms, judicial independence, media freedom, and effective oversight of the executive,” he warned.

While acknowledging Africa’s democratic resilience, he said the continent also faced serious governance pressures.

“Democratic institutions in Africa, as in other parts of the world, are being tested by social and economic pressures, contested elections, governance deficits, insecurity, exclusion, and the widening gap between citizen expectations and state performance,” he said.

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora described parliaments as “democratic guardrails” essential for preserving constitutionalism, accountability and public trust.

“When parliaments are strong, inclusive, transparent and responsive, they are a vector for public engagement and trust in democracy,” he said.

“When they are weak, marginalised or disconnected from citizens, a crucial opportunity for public trust-building and democratic innovation is lost,” he stated.

He commended SADC PF for its regional democratic leadership, particularly through instruments such as the SADC Model Law on Elections, the Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures in Southern Africa and the ongoing work towards a SADC Parliament.

“These instruments are not merely technical outputs; they are regional public goods,” he said.

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora also hailed progress toward transforming the Forum into a regional parliament as one of the most significant democratic institutional developments in Southern Africa.

“The progress towards a SADC Parliament affirms that regional integration must be anchored not just in economic cooperation and intergovernmental decision-making, but also in democratic legitimacy, accountability, representation and citizen engagement,” he said.

He further stressed that the future of democracy in Africa depended on whether young people felt represented and included.

“On the world’s youngest continent, demography is no mere statistic, but a democratic imperative,” he said.

He added, “Youth inclusion cannot be limited to symbolic participation or occasional consultation. It must be a core component of legislating, budgeting, committee work, political party reforms, civic education, parliamentary outreach and leadership pathways.”

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora urged the Joint Session to send a strong message to the forthcoming Plenary Assembly in Seychelles that democratic commitments must move beyond rhetoric into implementation.

“If this message leaves Johannesburg with discipline, deadlines and shared accountability, then I am confident that the 59th Plenary Assembly will do more than debate democracy: it will strengthen democracy,” he said.

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