Windhoek, Namibia - An online training on trade-related issues has highlighted the challenges and opportunities within African trade, underlining the dominance of global markets over intra-African trade.

The Executive Director of Tralac, Trudi Hartzenberg, and Professor Gerhard Erasmus, a Tralac Associate, facilitated during the training, which drew the participation of SADC Members of parliament and staff of national parliaments.

By Moses Magadza

Windhoek, Namibia - The Speaker of the Parliament of Botswana, Hon. Dithapelo Keorapetse, has urged African nations to move towards economic self-sufficiency by leveraging the continent’s vast natural and human resources.

Hon Keorapetse, Southern Africa’s youngest ever Speaker at the age of 42, made the call at the official opening of an online training workshop on trade-related issues, jointly organised by the Trade and Law Centre (Tralac) and the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), with support from SIDA.

By Moses Magadza

Windhoek, Namibia - The Vice President of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Hon. Sylvia Elizabeth Lucas, has reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to strengthening parliamentary oversight of the security sector as a critical element of fostering peace, security, and development in the region.

The South African lawmaker made these remarks during a four-day National Security Strategy Implementation and Rule of Law roundtable hosted by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS) from February 4 to 7, 2025, in Lusaka, Zambia.

The roundtable brought together approximately 40 participants, including senior officials from Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, and Malawi, as well as representatives from international partners such as AFRICOM, the African Union, and the SADC Parliamentary Forum.

Discussions focused on sharing best practices and innovative approaches to enhance national security strategies through effective civilian oversight and adherence to the rule of law.

In her address, Hon. Lucas underscored the importance of partnerships and capacity building in bridging the gap between legislative bodies and the security sector.

She said deliberations during the roundtable had been been insightful in unpacking the relationship between Parliament and the security sector," she noted.

“This dovetails with our commitments to democracy, human rights, and governance that promote the parliamentary role of prudent oversight which ensures accountability and transparency,” she said.

The Vice President also highlighted the SADC PF’s strategic partnership with the ACSS. She stated that the collaboration provided an opportunity to strengthen parliamentarians’ understanding of their constitutional mandate in the security sector.

“We are fully committed to capacitating our members to understand and appreciate their role in the oversight of the security sector, but also their constitutional mandate to ensure that the sector is appropriately resourced and supported for optimum performance of its functions,” Hon. Lucas said.

The roundtable featured tailored exchanges designed to address challenges in aligning national security strategies with sectoral objectives, with a focus on fostering healthy civil-military relations.

Discussions also explored how oversight mechanisms could enhance resource management processes to meet national security goals effectively.

Hon. Lucas reiterated the link between peace, security, and economic development, noting that the SADC PF views the security sector as a foundational pillar for regional stability.

“Peace and security are prerequisites to development. We at the Forum are very keen and eagerly look forward to continued collaboration with ACSS on issues relating to peace and security,” she stated.

Hon. Lucas called for more opportunities for dialogue between parliamentarians and security agencies. She said improved collaboration and mutual understanding can advance national security goals.

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

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The Trade and Law Centre (tralac), in collaboration with the SADC Parliamentary Forum, is set to host an online training workshop on trade-related issues from February 18 to 19, 2025.

Ms Masenate Molapo, the manager for the Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, Finance, and Investment (TIFI) programme of the SADC PF, said the training seeks  to equip Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary staff with a foundational understanding of trade and trade agreements to better contribute to regional economic integration and policy development.