The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Saturday, July 14, 1996 — Parliament is fundamental in bringing about changes in society and in strengthening democracy, the visiting South African Speaker of parliament, Dr Frene Ginwala, said here on Thursday.

Speaking at a dinner hosted for her and her delegation by the local Speaker of Parliament, Cde Cyril Ndebele, Dr Ginwala said democracy in Southern Africa could be strengthened through Parliaments.

She added that MPs in the region should popularise inter-parliamentary relationships which will in the end bring the peoples of the region closer together.

Parliament was also fundamental in uplifting the people’s standard of living.

Dr Ginwala was impressed to see that the Zimbabwean Parliament had many women in it, and applauded the women for “taking their rightful place”.

The speaker briefly chronicled her political history which dates back to the 1960s when she was sent to this country by the African National Congress to work out plans which would see the former and late ANC leader, Cde Oliver Tambo, leave apartheid ruled South Africa secretly.

She arrived in this country in March 1960 as a young woman and she and others managed to bring Cde Tambo to safety, after which she was declared a prohibited immigrant in this country.

Dr Ginwala went to Tanzania where she worked as a journalist for many years and worked closely with many nationalists such as Vice-President Dr Nkomo, who she said used to inform about developments at home, including the banning “of his party”. — Chronicle Corr.