Officially opening the 19th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CSPOC) of the Commonwealth Africa Region, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in the Parliament of South Africa, assured conference delegates that South Africa is home to all Africans despite any anti-immigration sentiment.
Addressing heads of parliaments and representatives from over 50 national and subnational legislatures across the continent, the NCOP Chairperson referred to the challenges of immigration and the problem of co-existence as global and continental phenomena, and the manifestations of unresolved questions and challenges of history that must addressed through multinational platforms such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and other related institutions.
“We need to strengthen parliamentary institutions as responsive and transformative spaces, for the promotion of democracy, peace and a sustainable future of the continent. The unity of Africa remains very sacrosanct, and South Africa remains the home for all Africans, and open to the community of nations across the globe. We call on our nations to explore the possibilities of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, understanding our shared belief that Africa cannot be split into tiny political and economic units and hope to command its share of the globe and redress its historic challenges,” said Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane.
Emphasising the importance of the CPA Africa Region, she said it was a necessary platform for heads of parliaments to convene and share knowledges in developing the scientific capacity and tools to further the well-being and development of African societies.
“In our considered view, there is no one to catch up with, only for Africa to become the best version of itself. Our economic challenges that are manifested in the ongoing challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, are not just material but rooted in problem of cohesion and unity of purpose, as a political and cultural force,” said the NCOP Chairperson.
Speaking on behalf of the national Parliament and the nine provincial legislatures, she called for the African countries to assert their interests through cooperation and collective agency, as the current geopolitical climate is marred by multiple interconnected and interlocking crisis.
Arrange a tour