On the 27th and 28th of January 2023, the orientation and first meeting of the Executive Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum was hosted by the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia. The Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Roger Mancienne gave his opening message as the newly elected President of the Forum and had an opportunity to interact with forum staff and other newly elected members. Accompanying Hon. Mancienne was Hon. Regina Esparon, a member of the SADC PF Executive Committee, as well as senior Secretariat staff, Ms. Jeline Quatre and Ms. Genevieve Daniel.
In his opening speech, Hon. Mancienne pledged to carry out his presidential duties to the best of his abilities for the entirety of his two-year term. In order to guarantee that the Core Values and Guiding Principles of the Forum are fully upheld, he expressed his commitment to collaborating closely with the SADC PF Secretariat.
Hon. Mancienne emphasized the significance of 2023 acting as a recovery year for SADC citizens, providing them with the opportunity to strengthen their economies and improve their ability to withstand challenges in the future. He urged Parliaments to continue playing a crucial role in ensuring that discussions about the economy and democracy remain pertinent in order to foster an environment that is conducive to the Executive performing its duties.
The Forum also engaged with insightful presentations on the Strategic Plan (2019–2023), the Forum's transformation into a SADC Regional Parliament, and the Forum's financial performance. Hon. Mancienne is confident that the dynamic membership of the Forum will be fully and actively engaged with the emerging challenges in 2023 and will push the region to the pinnacle of parliamentary excellence. He also gave his thanks and expressed his gratitude to the Hon. Speaker Katjavivi and the Parliament of the Republic of Namibia for their unwavering support in hosting the Forum Headquarters and for providing all the delegates to the Executive Committee meeting with warm hospitality.
