By Moses Magadza

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA – Parliamentarians from across Southern Africa are set to convene for a high-level virtual capacity development session on 24 March 2026 aimed at strengthening parliamentary oversight of public debt management amid mounting fiscal pressures across the continent.

The engagement, organised collaboratively by the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) and the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), forms part of Phase III of an ongoing initiative to equip legislators with the tools needed to navigate the complex dynamics of sovereign debt, climate financing and public financial management reforms.

The virtual session comes at a time when African countries are grappling with unprecedented debt burdens that are increasingly constraining national development priorities.

Recent data indicates that Africa’s external debt has risen sharply over the past decade, reaching approximately US$1.2 trillion and accounting for nearly 60 percent of the continent’s total public debt stock by 2023.

This surge in debt servicing obligations has significantly reduced fiscal space for essential services, with many governments now spending more on debt repayments than on critical sectors such as health and education.

Against this backdrop, the capacity-building engagement seeks to strengthen the role of parliaments as custodians of fiscal accountability and transparency.

Organisers note that while most national constitutions assign legislatures a mandate to approve and monitor public borrowing, gaps remain in technical expertise, access to information, and continuity of institutional knowledge, particularly in the wake of electoral cycles that bring high turnover among Members of Parliament.

Enhancing parliamentary competence in debt scrutiny is therefore seen as essential to ensuring responsible borrowing, safeguarding public resources, and protecting future generations from unsustainable fiscal commitments.

The session will bring together Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff from Budget and Public Accounts Committees in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Botswana.

Participants are expected to deliberate on the evolving landscape of sovereign debt management, including the alignment of national public financial management laws with the SADC PF Model Law on Public Financial Management, as well as the intersection between debt sustainability and climate action financing.

By fostering peer learning and regional dialogue, the initiative aims to promote harmonised legislative standards and reinforce oversight mechanisms across SADC member states.

Central to the discussions will be an examination of the growing tension between tax revenues and debt servicing obligations, and the implications of this imbalance for citizens.

Case studies drawn from countries that include Chad, Ghana, Malawi, and Ethiopia will be used to illustrate how escalating debt repayments can crowd out investment in social services and infrastructure.

Experts will also provide an overview of the legal and contractual frameworks governing sovereign borrowing to highlight the importance of transparency in loan agreements and the need for robust institutional safeguards.

Another key focus area will be the role of parliamentarians in advancing responsible borrowing and lending principles as articulated in continental instruments such as the Africa Borrowing Charter and the Harare Declaration.

Participants will explore how these frameworks can serve as practical blueprints for strengthening legislative oversight and ensuring that borrowing decisions are subject to rigorous scrutiny and public accountability.

The session will also interrogate emerging policy responses to the debt crisis, including proposals such as debt swaps and carbon pricing mechanisms.

Facilitators will encourage participants to critically assess the long-term development implications of these approaches and to consider alternative strategies that prioritise sustainable growth and equitable fiscal management.

SADC PF Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma will officially open the engagement while AFRODAD Interim Executive Director Dr Yungong Theophilus Jong, will set the scene and outline the objectives of the initiative.

Technical presentations by subject-matter experts will be complemented by question-and-answer sessions, breakout group discussions, and a plenary segment where participants will consolidate key insights into an actionable roadmap.

Expected outcomes from the session include enhanced technical capacity among parliamentarians to analyse public debt trends, improved understanding of legal and institutional frameworks governing borrowing, and strengthened collaboration between national parliaments and regional partners.

Organisers also anticipate that the engagement will contribute to more transparent and accountable fiscal governance by empowering legislators to exercise their oversight mandate more effectively.

By equipping lawmakers with the knowledge and tools to scrutinise borrowing decisions, the SADC Parliamentary Forum and AFRODAD aim to support a more resilient and inclusive fiscal future for the region.

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