DEPUTY SPEAKER CHISANGANO URGES AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO CARE FOR THEIR PEOPLE

First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Honourable Malungo Chisangano, MP has urged African Parliamentarians to care for their people by ensuring that they are provided with the basic necessities such as food, clean water and education, thereby, ensuring that their populations enjoy and exercise their human rights.

She was speaking during the Second Regional Seminar for African Parliaments on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals which was jointly hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Djibouti National Assembly from 5th to 7th December, 2022 in Djibouti.

In her address on the topic “Advancing Sustainable Development through Human Rights”, Hon. Chisangano expounded three of some of the ways in which Zambia is doing so and these included; the address by the Republican President to Parliament on the progress made in the application of national values and principles; the approval of the National Development Plans by the National Assembly and the Committee system.

Speaking during the same seminar, Mr. Koonwa Simunji, Member of Parliament for Nalikwanda Constituency while contributing on the topic “What Progress has been Achieved in Africa? How are Parliaments Contributing to the Implementation of the SDGs?” gave Zambia’s perspective by stating that the Zambian Parliament has been active in promoting SDGs as evidenced by the enactment of legislation and adoption of budgets that support implementation of the SDGs. 

He said that Parliament has ensured accountability in the implementation of the SDGs by providing oversight on Government ministries and departments. 

Mr. Simunji added that Members of Parliament had strategically positioned themselves to act as an interface between the people and State institutions and as such, parliamentarians have been carrying out their responsibility of promoting and adopting policies and formulating pieces of legislation that are people-centred.
The Second Regional Seminar for African Parliaments on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals was aimed at among other things, providing reliable and up-to-date information to serve as a basis for the work of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. The Zambian Parliament was represented by the First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Malungo Chisangano, MP,   Mr. Koonwa Simunji, Member of Parliament for Nalikwanda and some Parliamentary Staff who served as Secretariat.