South Africa: Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula leads a high-level delegation of Parliament to a Conference of African Speakers in Abuja.

The Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is leading a high-powered delegation to a conference of Speakers of African Parliaments, to craft legislatures shared approach in the Continent’s Post Covid-19 economic recovery plans. 

The theme for the three-day Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CoSAP), is “Enhancing Africa’s Post-Covid Economic Recovery Through Parliamentary Leadership”. It starts on Monday 9 May 2022 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, where various Speakers would chair sessions, present discussion papers, serve as panelists alongside global and Continental experts, and facilitate the engagements. 

Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula will Chair a session that will focus on “Financing Africa’s Pandemic Response: Legislative Imperatives and Interventions”, which will feature, among others, the World Health Organisation and Speakers of Algeria, Ghana and Rwanda as panelists. She will also serve as a panelist during a session dealing with “National Budgeting and Effective Legislative Oversight in the Covid-19 Era”, alongside the hosting Speaker of Nigeria and the Speaker of Senegal.

The Conference brings together leaders of the Continent’s legislative sector as well as of the global and continent organizations championing, among others, economic development, health, education, research, women and gender mainstreaming. Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union and President of the Nigerian National Assembly Mr Mohamed Houmed, Nigerian President Mr Muhammadu Buhari, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Mr Martin Chungong, the President of the African Development Bank Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, World Bank Country Director in Nigeria Dr Shubham Chaudhuri, and International Monetary Fund Country Director Dr Ari Aisen, are some of the eminent persons lined up to make inputs at the conference. Other global multi-lateral organizations to participate in the programme include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department For International Development (DFID-UK).

The South African Parliamentary delegation, headed by the Speaker,  include the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Ms Sylvia Lucas; and the Chief Whip of the majority party, Ms Pemmy Majodina. 

The resolutions and a programme of action adopted by the CoSAP conference will be taken to Member State’s Parliaments for customization and execution to help accelerate Africa’s post-covid recovery plans. The CoSAP has a progress tracking system that includes annual gatherings where individual reports are submitted to show progress made in executing its decisions.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA 

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