PARLIAMENTARIANS from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region should be innovative and resilient to overcome such challenges as they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda has said.
Speaking at the 21st Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana Parliamentary staff seminar held in Victoria Falls recently, Mudenda also paid tribute to the work of parliamentary staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From the outset, let me express my sincere appreciation for the sterling work undertaken by the various Parliaments during the COVID-19 lockdown period across our region and indeed worldwide,” he said.
“During this unprecedented challenging time, Parliaments proved their innovative resilient mettle in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
“As representative institutions and cognisant of the mandatory constitutional obligations, Parliaments across the globe devised mechanisms to continue discharging their sacrosanct roles, notwithstanding the pandemic adverse effects threatening the functionality of Parliaments.”
Mudenda challenged parliamentary staff to be prepared for the challenges arising from digitalisation.
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Calling on parliamentary staff to use their expertise to help Parliaments stand up for world peace and to build strong economies, he said: “During this unprecedented challenging time, Parliaments proved their innovative resilient mettle in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
“You, the staff of Parliaments, must be highly commended for providing the necessary expertise in crafting the befitting Standing Orders that allowed the continued effective and efficient functioning of our Parliaments.”
Mudenda said the world was currently under threat of insecurity arising from war conflicts.
“Parliamentary staff is, therefore, urged through their professional expertise, to assist Parliamentarians to stand up for world peace through intensified Parliamentary diplomacy,” he said.
“Without peace and security, no meaningful development can be achieved. Weak world economies cannot guarantee sustainable future digitalised parliaments.”