By Moses Magadza in Durban, South Africa

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Hon. Thoko Didiza, has urged Southern African parliaments to act collaboratively and urgently to confront the mounting climate crisis, warning that women and youth in the region are already paying the highest price for inaction.

Addressing the media at the opening of the 58th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) in Durban, Hon. Didiza said the region could no longer afford rhetorical commitments while communities across Southern Africa continue to lose their homes, livelihoods and dignity.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the people of New Hanover, whose houses and infrastructure were washed away by floods just five days ago,” she said.

She noted that earlier this year, over 21,000 people in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape were affected by floods, heatwaves and climate-related shocks.

“These examples point to the urgent need for collective actions to avert further effects of climate change,” she stressed.

She described climate change as “fundamentally a crisis of inequality,” and stressed that its impacts disproportionately fall on women and young people.

“Our women and our youth bear the heaviest brunt,” she said. Women, who are central to food security and rural household economies, face “compounded vulnerabilities” as prolonged droughts and flash floods destroy livelihoods and make water collection increasingly dangerous.

Climate change, she noted, “exacerbates existing gender inequalities, limiting access to education, increasing poverty, and threatening the safety of women and children.”

She added that young people were inheriting “a dangerously compromised world,” facing declining agricultural productivity and limited opportunities. Yet, she described them as powerful agents of change, armed with innovation and digital literacy.

The Speaker said the recently concluded COP30 in Brazil did not achieve consensus on a roadmap for a fossil fuel transition or on climate finance for developing countries. However, it produced outcomes that “revived the call to work together.”

Another important milestone, she noted, was the “creation of a just transition mechanism,” long championed by South Africa.

“A just transition means giving developing countries the support they need to grow their economies in a cleaner, resilient, efficient and sustainable manner,” she said.

Hon. Didiza stressed that parliaments are decisive actors in the climate response.

On mitigation, she called for laws that incentivise renewable energy, policies mandating sustainable land and water management, and national Climate Change Acts that set clear targets and accountability mechanisms.

On adaptation, she urged gender-responsive and youth-sensitive budgeting, stricter oversight of adaptation funds and national resilience plans and ensuring projects reach the most vulnerable communities.

“The true measure of our commitment lies in how we allocate our resources,” she said.

Hon. Didiza stressed that the climate crisis transcends national borders and demands regional solidarity.

“A drought in one member state impacts food security across the region,” she warned. She called on SADC PF to strengthen its framework for climate governance, harmonise legislation, coordinate approaches to transboundary water management, and accelerate ratification of regional climate protocols.

“Let us commit to moving from rhetoric to tangible results. Let us rise to meet the urgency of this moment,” she said.

She reaffirmed South Africa’s dedication to regional cooperation and a just transition that “leaves no woman, no young person, and no vulnerable person behind.”

Speaking at the same occasion, SADC PF Secretary General Her Excellency Boemo Sekgoma said the Forum is strengthening regional collaboration by working closely with national parliaments, governments and development partners to ensure coordinated responses to the worsening impacts of climate change, particularly on women and youth.

She explained that SADC PF, with the support of Sweden under the SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, focuses on aligning regional policy positions with national realities and advocating for shared resources, noting that no single country can tackle the crisis alone.

She cited Zimbabwe as an example where Parliament has begun developing a Climate Change Bill to ensure that legislation reflects global commitments, such as the Paris Agreement, while responding to the practical needs of communities whose lives and infrastructure are frequently disrupted by extreme weather.

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