Lusaka, Zambia – Thursday 04 April 2024. The African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC) has achieved an important milestone. Indeed, the Network took another significant step towards fostering transparency and accountability with the establishment and launch of the Southern Africa Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (SAPNAC). SAPNAC, for that sake, brings together APNAC’s National Chapters in Southern Africa to strengthen regional cooperation, consolidate the synergies between legislators/parliamentarians, streamline and better coordinate their activities to promote good governance and achieve better results in the fight against corruption within the SADC region.
Corruption remains a serious and dangerous threat to Africa’s development as it continues to evolve, and becoming increasingly sophisticated, hence the need to come together to vigorously address it as highlighted in the opening ceremony speeches given by the First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Zambia, Hon Malungo A. Chisangano and the President of APNAC Africa, the Right Hon. Louis G. Vlavonou who happen to be the Speaker of the Parliament of Benin. For the records, SAPNAC is the materialization of one of the key resolutions from the APNAC 2022 Biennial General Meeting held in Cotonou to improve the efficiency and the reach of the Network in the fight against corruption on the continent by creating synergies.
The initiative is spearheaded by four National Chapters of the SADC region/bloc, namely: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – who are ready to champion transparency and accountability to rid the region of corruption. The leaders of the national chapters of the above-mentioned countries have been instrumental in making SAPNAC a reality with the vibrant support of the APNAC Board and the regional Secretariat.
The newly created sub-regional chaper, SAPNAC is governed by an Advisory Board comprised of six (6) members. Five (5) provided by the four founding countries and one (1) from another SADC country. Their diverse experience and skills will play an important role in ensuring that SAPNAC achieves the objectives it has set itself and becomes a reference/role model that can be replicated across the continent’s other geographical blocs.
The day-to-day activities and operations of the SAPNAC will be managed by an Executive Committee spearheaded by the Honorable Temba Mliswa from Zimbabwe.
The main objectives of SAPNAC are as follows:
- Sharing best practices
- Promoting anti-corruption legislative reforms
- Establishing mechanisms to facilitate joint investigations into corruption cases in the region, and
- Strengthening parliamentary oversight within SADC
These will be achieved by:
- The creation and revitalization of APNAC National Chapters in Southern African countries that do not yet have one;
- The revitalization of inactive APNAC National Chapters in countries identified by the Regional Secretariat and SAPNAC in the region;
- The organization of regular annual meetings among SADC Member States to strategize;
- Promoting coordination between Member States in the fight against corruption;
- Liaising and partnering with regional bodies, mainly the SADC PF, SADC, and other institutions involved in the fight against corruption.
During its launch, the Southern Africa Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (SAPNAC) adopted an ambitious strategic plan focusing on the following points, among others:
- Institutionalizing SAPNAC with regional recognition within the various parliaments
- Capacity building for its members and other MPs on corruption-related matters
- Sharing information and best practices
- Educating the public, and especially the youth on the dangers of corruption
- Implementing the accountability strategy by ensuring that corruption cases are properly investigated and prosecuted.
The launch of the Southern Africa Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (SAPNAC) in Lusaka, Zambia, was preceded by a conference on “The Role of Parliamentarians in the Fight against Corruption in SADC” with knowledgeable presentations and siscussions on the subject matter.
The event was elevated/marked by the courtesy call paid by the President of APNAC, together with the other participants, to the Head of State of Zambia, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, a fervent advocate of the fight against corruption, on Friday, April 5, 2023 who congratulated the initiative.
APNAC Africa Secretariat
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