Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. ‘Matlhohonolofatso Tšepang Tšita-Mosena has on Friday moved the motion in the National Assembly urging the house and the government to rally
behind the transformation of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) into a regional parliament without financial implications.
The Movement for Economic Change (MEC) Deputy Leader urged the lawmakers to support the resolution of the 43rd and 44th Plenary Assembly Sessions of the SADC PF which will see the mounting of the SADC Parliament, and appealed
the government to push for its establishment at the SADC Council Meeting and SADC summit. SADC PF is a regional inter-parliamentary structure which is made up of the Members of Parliament
(MPs) from the region, which was established through the Article 9 (2) of the SADC Treaty. It was established in September 8, 1997 and it is charged with the mandate to among others: promote
human rights, gender equality, democracy and good governance and the facilitation of economic cooperation. Hon. Tšita-Mosena who is currently a member of SADC PF since 2017 with 6 other
Lesotho MPs, and also former Vice President of SADC PF Trade, Investment, Finance and Infrastructure standing committee said the move will help the Southern
Africa region to have ‘effective’ leadership, and to easily take up issues of common interest, as one of the main objectives of the Pan African Parliament (PAP)
which was formed to establish regional bodies. Motivating the motion, Mosena mentioned that the objective is to enable the member states to be conversant with the integration of the region.
In its current form, the structure (SADC PF) she said is not a formal body within the SADC structure, although already operating in the form of a parliament.
She further told the august house that the SADC PF has recently dispatched a delegation which had the audience of the Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro to acquaint him with
the plans to formally turn it into a parliament structure, and to urge him to accept for Lesotho to agree with the transformation ahead of the upcoming summit later
in August. Seconding the motion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Hon. ‘Matšepo Ramakoae echoed similar sentiments that it has taken a long time for the parliament of
Lesotho to consider the turn of the forum into a parliament. Also former Chairperson of SADC PF Women’s caucus and member of the SADC PF, Hon. Ramakoae said the
mounting of the SADC parliament will ease the inter-trade between the member states. Matsieng No. 45 MP told the house that the establishment of the SADC
parliament will benefit Lesotho and the region. She also borrowed a leaf from the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) like other regional parliaments, which they wish the SADC PF to follow in its footsteps.
The EALA was formed in November 2001 and its member states are: Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Hon. Tlohelang Aumane supported the motion albeit expressing concern over the autonomy and the efficiencies
risk being compromised. Reacting to his worries, the mover of the motion said the sovereignty of Lesotho will not be compromised at all as each member state
still reserves the right to customise or make legislation in line with their constitutions. Many regions have parliament structures adding that this concern was one of the things that delayed the consideration of the establishment processes. The motion was granted to unanimously and passed.
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