WINDHOEK, Namibia - Sadc Parliamentary Forum (Sadc PF) president Justin Tokely has praised Namibia’s longstanding commitment to regional parliamentary cooperation and called for renewed support as the forum transforms into a fully-fledged regional parliament.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila this week, the Sadc PF president expressed appreciation for Namibia’s “unwavering commitment to democratic values” and its historic role in nurturing the Sadc PF since its establishment 27 years ago.
“Our visit is not merely symbolic,” he said, “but a testimony to the deeply rooted partnership between the Parliament of Namibia and the Sadc Parliamentary Forum.”
He recalled that Namibia, under the leadership of the now late Mose Tjitendero, was instrumental in the Sadc PF’s founding and has since provided the secretariat with a stable institutional home in Windhoek.
Tokely paid tribute to Namibia’s successive parliamentary leaders, including the late Theo-Ben Gurirab and Peter Katjavivi, for their contributions to strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and advancing the transformation of the forum into a regional parliament.
He congratulated Kuugongelwa-Amadhila for her groundbreaking leadership as the first female speaker of Namibia’s National Assembly.
“You bring to this role not only profound experience in governance but also an unwavering dedication to gender equality and regional diplomacy,” he said.
He applauded the progressive composition of Namibia’s new Parliament following the November 2024 elections, noting that women now occupy 40.6% of parliamentary seats, placing Namibia at the forefront of gender representation in the Sadc region.
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He also welcomed the increased participation of young people in Namibia’s legislature, describing it as a “sign of meaningful intergenerational dialogue and national development.”
“These are not just statistics. They reflect the moral and democratic character of a nation; a Parliament that embodies the future of a Sadc regional parliament anchored on inclusion, gender equality, and youth empowerment.”
As the Sadc PF intensifies its advocacy for the signing and ratification of the protocol establishing the Sadc regional parliament, Tokely appealed to Namibia to continue leveraging its influence within the Sadc Council of Ministers.
“Your institutional memory as the founding host of the forum and your leadership will be vital in mobilising the political will needed to move the transformation agenda forward,” he said.
He further called on Namibia to maintain its support by continuing to host the forum’s secretariat, offering political stability, operational assistance, and the space needed for the Forum to grow as a hub of parliamentary diplomacy.
Tokely expressed profound gratitude to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and the Parliament of Namibia for their support to the Sadc PF.
“You have not only housed our secretariat but nurtured our vision. This visit reaffirms our shared purpose and renews our collective commitment to regional integration through parliamentary dialogue and diplomacy,” he told the former prime minister, who has also served as Finance minister as well as director-general of the National Planning Commission.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said she was deeply honoured and grateful for the courtesy call which included representatives of countries that stood by Namibia as she waged a protracted liberation struggle.
“It is my pleasure and privilege to receive this courtesy call because of your (countries’) association socially and financially with Namibia’s liberation movement and sometimes sustaining (military) attacks. It is always humbling when you come to our country. Feel at home,” she said.
Among the executive committee members that visited the speaker was Isaac Jean-Claude Tshilumbayi Musawu, the first deputy speaker of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He briefed the Namibian speaker about the ongoing instability in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and how Sadc had stood by his country.
In response, speaker Kuugongelwa-Amadhila called for peace.
“We are moved by what is happening in the DRC. We are all praying that that country of Patrice Lumumba will have permanent peace,” she said.
The courtesy call took place on the sidelines of the executive committee meeting of the Sadc PF, ahead of the Forum’s 57th Plenary Assembly scheduled for Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe later this month.
