19 Aug 2018

 Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane has urged the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to find ways of reinforcing powers of parliaments in member states to hold the executive to account.

Officially opening the CPA Africa Region 49^th Conference in Gaborone on August 18, Mr Tsogwane said an effective parliament was an important element of a vibrant democracy and good governance.

He therefore said African parliaments should be in a position to pass good laws and policies, fight corruption and ensure equitable distribution of national wealth.

"In Africa, the main causes of conflict and violence include high unemployment, lack of equal opportunities, urbanisation, poverty, inequality and lack of good governance and corruption in some parts of the continent," he said.

Mr Tsogwane said parliaments must be strengthened and capacitated because a strong parliament was the embodiment of empowerment, good governance and strategic planning.

He further adviced parliaments to continue ensuring that the voice of the people was supreme.

“It is the principle of the CPA that stronger parliaments mean stronger democracies, and greater capacity to deliver benefits that people expect, such as employment opportunities, empowerment of women, food security, health care, education, rural development, a brighter future for children and protection of the environment," he explained.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe, who is also CPA Africa Region president, said over 400 delegates from 17 countries have attended the conference at Gaborone International Convention Centre.

The conference commenced last week and will end on August 22. It is the first time that the conference is being held in Botswana.

The conference is being held under the theme: The role of African Parliaments in fostering national and regional security.

“The theme challenges us - particularly African Parliaments- on what role we can play to foster security at both national and regional level,” Ms Kokorwe said.

She said security was under threat from various factors such as high rates of unemployment and climate change which had negative impact on food security.

CPA Africa Region chairperson, Ms Lindiwe Maseko said the association was committed to promotion of respect for human rights and freedoms and the ideals of democracy and good governance.

She said they aimed to build understanding and unity among countries of the region and the continent. ENDS