Others attending IPU in Geneva

MBABANE – While some parliamentarians are attending the Pan African Parliament session in Midrand, others are in Geneva, Switzerland for the convocation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The IPU session also began yesterday and will end on Wednesday next week. This was confirmed by the Clerk to Parliament Bennedict Xaba in a press statement issued yesterday. The clerk explained that the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini is part of the IPU and that the local delegation consists of members of both chambers, two from each.

The members include Deputy Senate President who is head of the delegation, Senator Princess Ncengencenge Dlamini and Members of Parliament (MPs) Chief Mshengu Dlamini and Alec Lushaba. The clerk explained that the theme for the conference centres around parliamentary diplomacy and building bridges for peace and understanding.

“This theme presents a golden opportunity for our Parliament to advance one of its strategic goals, that of showcasing its democracy. This forum will present a platform to explain our monarchical democracy based on the Tinkhundla System. It will also present an opportunity to share the aspirations of His Majesty King Mswati III, to see to it that the concerns of emaSwati, which were raised at the Sibaya People’s Parliament, are catered for in a collaborative consented effort with government,” the clerk said.

He mentioned that the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini through its longstanding parliamentary practice, has well maintained its programme to make it visible and accessible to the electorate. This, he said, is also in line with the entity’s vision and mission to reach the people at grassroots level. “This could be attained through our vision which is based on a model to be a people-centred Parliament that delivers quality of life for all emaSwati. The Eswatini parliamentary diplomacy is an important complement to the diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the government. Our parliamentary diplomacy fosters specifically the promotion of democracy, good governance and of our parliamentary system on the international scene,” he said.

Focus

Xaba mentioned that it was good that the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini was an active member of a number of international institutions including the IPU. This, he said, was good in that the local parliamentarians can no longer solely focus on domestic issues, but should be aware of international trends to understand their constitutional mandate. “The participation by our Parliament at the IPU will help dispel various notions accusing our country as being undemocratic and violators of freedoms and rights guaranteed under international instruments, such as the Declaration of Human Rights, and the Human Rights Charter,” highlighted the clerk.

As if to prove that it is a busy time for the parliamentarians, Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini is currently in Greece, where she is attending the 12th edition of the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Summit, which has been themed ‘Democracy in the 21st century’. The summit has been described as a timely session that seeks to address the multifaceted challenges and opportunities in democracy.

The summit also serves as a reminder of the indispensable role of women’s equal participation and leadership in preserving effective and resilient democracies. The senate president was among the speakers of a main-stage panel conversation themed ‘Democracy reloaded: Fulfilling citizen expectations and rebuilding trust’.

On the other hand, the members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are in Johannesburg for a joint workshop. The workshop is hosted by the SADC Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC) and the SADC Parliamentary Forum. The delegation comprises of Deputy Speaker Madala Mhlanga (PAC Chairperson), MP Manzi Zwane (Deputy Chairperson) and PAC Clerk Arthur Mordaunt.