George Sanzila 

LIVINGSTONE – Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, has hailed his Namibian counterpart Peter Katjavivi, describing him as a towering figure in efforts to transform the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) into a regional parliament. 

Mudenda said this during a valedictory ceremony organised by the SADC-PF in Katjavivi’s honour on the margins of the 56th Plenary Assembly hosted by the Parliament of Zambia in Livingstone, Zambia last week.  

Mudenda, who is part of the executive committee of the forum, commended Katjavivi for his commitment to transformation and regional integration. “I would like to acknowledge the honourable Katjavivi as the host of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, and a dedicated member of the Strategic Lobbying Team for the transformation of the SADC-PF into a Regional Parliament in the past 10 years. His visionary leadership and commitment towards SADC regional integration have established a strong foundation for regional interface and democratic governance within the SADC region. His contributions to this noble cause are both hallowing and inspirational,” stated Mudenda.

Echoing similar sentiments, president of the SADC-PF, Roger Mancienne, described Katjavivi as a dedicated proponent of regional integration and the transformation of the SADC-PF into a regional parliament.

In his valedictory remarks, Katjavivi, who recounted his life journey dating back to the time of Namibia’s struggle for independence, thanked the SADC-PF, urging members of parliament to continue contributing to the forum to impact the lives of ordinary citizens. He  noted that unity and cooperation in the region were imperative after the attainment of independence, hence the creation of institutions such as the SADC-PF. 

“My dear friend Advocate Mudenda referred to the role played by our founding Speaker Theo Ben Gurirab when he took over. I have inherited that responsibility to be actively involved in the work of the SADC-PF. We are proud that today we are talking about transformation as well as the trust fund, which we just launched as a vehicle to drive an extra budget and fundraising. The honour that you have bestowed on me through this get-together is overwhelming”, said an emotional Katjavivi to loud applause.

The current Plenary Assembly will be Katjavivi’s last in his capacity as Speaker.

A revered politician, educationist, and diplomat, he has been the Speaker of the National Assembly since March 2015 after several roles as founding vice chancellor of the University of Namibia, ambassador, and director general of the National Planning Commission, among others. 

*George Sanzila works for the National Assembly in the Division: Research, Information, Publications and Editorial Services.