Botswana not yet signed Protocol on the SADC Parliament
Only two more signatures needed to amend the SADC Treaty
Botswana and ve other southernAfrican countries – Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, and Zambia - have to date not signed the Protocol for the transformation of SADC Parliamentary Forum into a fully- edged SADC Parliament.
So far only nine countries – Angola, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and subsequently South Africa and Mozambique, have signed the Protocol. However, top o - cials of the Windhoek- based SADC PF are hopeful that the tenth signature will soon be secured from Zambia, whose National Assembly has, in accordance with national constitutional and legal requirements, since given its approval.
“The process has reached an advanced stage, we are hopeful that the 10th signature will be secured soon,” Grace Musonda, Director, Corporate Governance at the SADC PF told a virtual sensitisation meeting for parliamentary practitioners, civil society and friends of the Forum this week Tuesday. The transformation of the SADC PF to a regional Parliament follows an Agreement that was reached at the 42nd Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Kinshasa, DRC in August 2022, which approved the Agreement Amending the Treaty prepared by the Joint Task Team on Transformation. e Joint Task Team on Transformation is composed of sta from the SADC Secretariat and the SADC PF Secretariat.
Twelve member states ( 3/ 4) need to sign the Protocol on the SADC Parliament for the amendment to the SADC Treaty to take legal e ect, thereupon the Protocol on the SADC Parliament can be nalised. But what could be holding back the other ve, bar Zambia, from signing?
SADC PF officials cite financial implications, issues of sovereignty, albeit in muted voices, and the long time it generally takes for consultative processes to conclude – and the
SADC PF transformation is one such a consultative project. e excuse of - nancial implications appears misplaced given the ndings of an expert consultant that the transformation is not expected to result in new operational costs except in the normal course of business – such as in ation, changes in exchange uctuations and others. e consultant has recommended – a er benchmarking with peer institutions and other organisations - that the SADC Parliament should adopt the same nancing model that the SADC PF has always used, which is the direct nancing by member states. Currently, all the SADC member states except for e Comoros, which has not acceded to the SADC PF Protocol, and Seychelles which pays ( ZAR 127, 050) - make equal mandatory contributions of ZAR 1, 501, 500 per annum per Parliament. e total annual budget for the SADC PF from these annual contributions comes to ZAR 21.15 million ( USD 1.5 million). Member Parliaments also make in- kind contributions such as hosting Plenary Assembly of the SADC PF, providing venue, support sta , and logistics for meetings and funding MPs’ participation in various meetings of the
Forum. is arrangement is expected to continue even under the envisaged SADC Parliament. e SADC PF also boasts co- operating Partners or Donors whose support currently includes SEK 52 million ( US$ 5 million, average US$ 1.7m per annum/ ZAR 31 million) provided by Sweden for the Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights ( SRHR) Project. Other Partners/ Donors include GIZ, ADA, SADC, and the UN Family. is network is expected not only to be retained, but also to increase once the Forum has evolved into a regional Parliament. So, what really could be the reason for the foot- dragging by the ve members to accede to the Protocol on the SADC Parliament?
Could it be the lack of political will to commit to full integration, the extant of which encompasses a regional SADC Parliament invested with legislative powers, not the current set- up of a consultative and deliberative body with no law making or other binding authority?
SADC PF Secretary General Boemo Sekgoma believes there is actually “positive political commitment” from member states, citing the 10 signatures already garnered as well as the Council of Ministers meeting that unanimously agreed to proceed with the Parliament. What cannot be disputed, she says, is that countries have agreed to a regional integration agenda. SADC PF has a Memorandum of Understanding with SADC, which also indicates political will. “We share knowledge, and we attend each other’s meetings and therefore the process is such that like any other Treaty- making process it will require a lot of consultation and consensus”. However, she says that like any other Treaty- making process, transformation of the SADC PF into a regional Parliament requires “consensus, consultation and it’s neither an easy road!” ere’s also been changes in the SADC region lately with some countries going to elections this year thereby impacting the process in terms of how to proceed. “So, it’s a matter of time, it’s a process that engages other countries, it’s a process that requires proper re ection and negotiation.
“And as you’re well aware, Parliament doesn’t hold the purse and the other thing is that the identity of the SADC PF involves both the ruling and opposition parties. In some instances, lobbying, negotiating and in ltrating the national process will also take some time” Once the requisite number of signatures has been attained, Musonda explained that there will be a period of time when the Protocol will be with member states to undertake national consultations and to ensure adherence to whatever the dictates of domestic legislation may exist and other procedures. “At a national level each country has di erent procedures, they may not be uniform across, so member states will be given time for those procedures to be complied with”, she said. e SADC Parliament shall be constituted with a view to deepen consultation and dialogue on the SADC Common Agenda by Parliamentarians from the region. e SADC Parliament shall be a consultative and deliberative body with no law making or other binding authority. e composition, powers, functions procedures and other related matters governing the SADC Parliament shall be prescribed in a protocol.
Turning to the sta of national Parliaments SADC PF Secretary General had this counsel:
“As representatives of the Forum, you must ensure that the transformation agenda is not misunderstood, especially by bureaucrats. Speaking from experience, handling the bureaucracy o en represents half the job accomplished since technocrats will advise their line Ministers who are the decision- makers. “e obvious facts to state are that the transformation is ongoing and that we already have 10 countries on board. We need only 2 signatures for the Amendment to the SADC treaty to garner legal effect, thereupon the Protocol may be nalised. “We are therefore not far from our goal, and dissidents on the transformation proposal are in the minority. Still, we need consensus, and this is why we need to tighten up all loose ends and ensure that the sta of the “Forum, Parliaments and our partners are regularly sensitised on updates as a governance measure. Let us pride ourselves of being the sta of an organisation which is on the verge of being the rst Regional Parliament of Southern Africa”.
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Actuarial valuations
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Predicting the future experience of these factors is uncertain, and therefore actuaries need to make assumptions before projections can be performed.
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The need for reserves
To account for variations from the assumed experience actuaries recommend reserves, such as solvency reserves and mismatch reserves. These reserves act as an additional layer of protection. Additionally, with each actuarial valuation assumptions and fund performance are reviewed. These investigations uncover any instances where assumptions might not be in line with the possible future experience moving forward.
Projection of future benefits
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The role actuaries have in shaping the trajectory of retirement fund operations is exactly that; one of shaping and monitoring the health of the pension fund. The ultimate decisions of the retirement fund operations remain the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. Actuaries, however, contribute invaluable expertise to guide informed decision- making.
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