African Legislatures Reimagine Their Role: Voices from the 13th Conference of Speakers

The 13th Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments concluded at the Pan-African Parliament precincts in Midrand with a strong affirmation that Africa’s legislatures are indispensable drivers of integration, peace, and sustainable development. Over two days of debate, national and regional parliamentary leaders exchanged perspectives on how to transform parliaments into powerful instruments of democratic legitimacy, conflict prevention, trade facilitation, and climate justice.

Burundi: Visa-Free Africa and Digital Futures

H.E. Hon. Fabrice Nkurunziza, Premier Vice-President of the National Assembly of Burundi, hailed the progress toward free movement across borders. He described unlimited visa regimes and the removal of barriers to the movement of goods and services as essential to “peaceful cohabitation and the renaissance of Africa.”

Reaffirming Burundi’s alignment with Agenda 2063 and the EAC Vision 2050, he underscored parliaments’ legitimacy in resolving conflicts and adopting preventive approaches. Nkurunziza also applauded Africa’s growing embrace of digitalization and AI, noting Burundi’s own advances in the public and private sectors. He urged greater continental cooperation in digital infrastructure and training youth in AI-driven skills.

Algeria: From Words to Action

Representing Algeria’s Speaker, Hon. Mohammed Amroun offered a reminder that parliaments are the “beating heart of Africa.” Transformation, he argued, is not theory but a call to make legislatures living institutions safeguarding democracy and prosperity.

Amroun juxtaposed Africa’s dual reality—its climate and poverty challenges against its vast promise of youth, solidarity, and natural resources. He insisted that transformation must remain people-centered, rooted in laws that protect both environment and wealth.

Solidarity extended beyond Africa: he urged parliaments to raise their voices for Palestine, demanding a two-state solution and an end to suffering. On migration, he warned of the desperation driving young Africans into dangerous journeys, calling for investment in jobs, education, and skills to restore hope. “Africa’s potential will only be unlocked if leaders move beyond rhetoric and commit to practical transformation,” he declared.

Rwanda: Political Dialogue over Military Action

Speaking on behalf of Rwanda’s parliamentary leadership, Hon. John Bonds Bideri stressed the futility of militarized responses to conflict. Highlighting Rwanda’s active participation in peace initiatives under the EAC-SADC framework with support from Qatar and the United States, he lamented the civilian toll of drone misuse in regional conflicts.

He appealed to Speakers to support political dialogue, noting that sustainable peace can only be built through negotiation, not force.

Namibia: A Call for Parliamentary Diplomacy

Hon. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, Chairperson of Namibia’s National Council, portrayed parliaments as more than law-making bodies—they are “chambers of peace, agents of unity, and architects of a prosperous continent.” He made a strong case for institutionalizing parliamentary diplomacy as a core tool for mediation, negotiation, and conflict prevention.

Muha urged permanent parliamentary structures for peace building and the strengthening of PAP and regional assemblies for early warning. He aligned this vision with Agenda 2063, insisting parliaments must monitor peace agreements, amplify community voices, and become sanctuaries of cooperation.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Humanity Amidst Crisis

Representing the DRC Senate, H.E. Hon. José Kalala expressed gratitude to PAP and South Africa for hosting the event, calling it a historic opportunity to transform parliaments into engines of prosperity. He drew global attention to the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, citing three decades of violence and referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2723 (July 2025).

He emphasized the unique duty of Speakers as statesmen above partisan divides, urging them to champion parliamentary diplomacy as a distinctly African-led solution to protracted conflicts.

Climate Justice and Trade: DR Congo’s Parliamentary Voice

Hon. Garry Sakata, Chairperson of PAP’s Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, described Africa’s climate paradox: minimal emissions yet disproportionate suffering from climate impacts. He warned of disrupted trade, food insecurity, and the risks of external regulations like EU carbon measures.

Sakata urged parliaments to prioritize adaptation over mitigation, legislate for resilience, promote green and blue economies, and push for innovative climate financing. He called COP30 a decisive opportunity for Africa to demand climate justice and financing as a legal obligation of high-emission countries.

Rwanda on Trade: Removing Barriers

Also from Rwanda, Hon. John Bonds Bideri, Chair of PAP’s Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters, highlighted Agenda 2063 alignment and pressed for support of a forthcoming Model Law on Labour Migration. He cited underdeveloped transport networks, restrictive movement regimes, and persistent non-tariff barriers as obstacles to intra-African trade.

Bideri noted that One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) had already boosted visible trade and called for their expansion to achieve seamless market integration.

His intervention sparked rebuttals from a DRC delegate, who challenged Rwanda’s governance claims and emphasized inclusivity in Congolese history and politics. PAP President Chief Fortune Charumbira intervened diplomatically, urging unity: “Fighting between your nations only benefits external actors who take away your natural resources… Prosperity comes from cooperation, not conflict.”

Zimbabwe: Parliaments as Agents of Diplomacy and Integration

The Speaker of Zimbabwe’s Parliament, Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Mudenda, emphasized that legislatures must not only legislate but also serve as active agents of diplomacy and integration.

He reiterated Zimbabwe’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (2026–2027), which has already received AU endorsement, and called for parliaments to be directly involved in shaping Africa’s global positioning.

“Parliaments are indispensable actors in the translation of continental commitments into national realities,” he affirmed. “They provide the democratic legitimacy and accountability necessary for the successful implementation of AU decisions and ensure that citizen participation and inclusivity remain at the heart of Africa’s integration.”

Botswana: Democracy and Resource Ownership

H.E. Dithapelo Keorapetse, Speaker of Botswana’s National Assembly, cited Afrobarometer findings confirming Africans’ demand for democracy, urging parliaments to make it meaningful. Drawing on Botswana’s diamond wealth, he noted the irony that few Black Batswana own mines. “It took me becoming Speaker to hold a diamond in my hand,” he said, calling for Africans to move from employees to true owners.

He pressed for transparency in mining, adherence to EITI standards, and parliamentary access to mining contracts to ensure resources benefit citizens.

Kenya: APRM as Preventive Medicine

Sen. Hon. Danson Mungatana, representing Kenya’s Speaker, praised the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) but argued it must be more visible, calling it “preventive medicine” for governance failures. Drawing lessons from Kenya’s 2007/08 crisis, he stressed the need for APRM reviews to engage parliaments directly, use media, and enlist eminent African leaders to command attention.

“We need APRM to come out of the shadows and inject the inoculation before crisis takes hold,” he urged.

Mozambique: Peace as a Foundation for Development

H.E. Margaret Chalupa, Speaker of Mozambique’s Parliament, reaffirmed that “without peace, there is no development; and without inclusion, no lasting peace.” Drawing from Mozambique’s 1992 Peace Agreement, she detailed how parliamentary laws on decentralization, reintegration of ex-combatants, and pluralism secured stability.

She emphasized parliamentary diplomacy as a pillar of Africa’s peace architecture and called MPs to act as “builders of bridges, architects of peace, and defenders of development.”

Cabo Verde: Making Agenda 2063 Visible

Hon. Lúcia dos Passos, Third Vice President of PAP, warned that Agenda 2063 remains invisible at the national level: “Ask a student about Agenda 2030 and they know it; ask about Agenda 2063 and no one knows.”

She urged Speakers to domesticate Agenda 2063 into budgets, plans, and curricula, and to strengthen APRM visibility. Linking soil governance to resource conflicts, she called for finalizing PAP’s Model Law on Soil Regulation and ensuring communities gain real shares in mining projects.

Conclusion: Parliaments as Engines of Africa’s Future

The Conference ended with an unmistakable consensus: African parliaments must move from the periphery to the center of continental transformation. Whether through ratifying treaties, advancing climate justice, mediating conflicts, or scrutinizing resource governance, legislatures emerged as the institutions best placed to embody citizens’ voices and secure the Africa We Want.

The message from Midrand was unambiguous: the future of Africa’s integration and prosperity will be written not only by its governments, but by its parliaments.