The African Charter for Popular Participation in Development was adopted in 1990 at the same time as a landmark Declaration of the Political and Economic Situation in Africa and the Fundamental Changes taking place in the World. In 1993 the OAU established a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights was adopted in 1981 and enhanced by the 1998 Protocol on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and People's Rights which provided an important instrument to ensure the observance of human rights. I do not believe that our Parliaments in Africa have been able to take sufficient advantage of the political resolutions and declarations of organisations such as the OAU to maximise the advantages for our people. Meetings of the representatives of the SADC Parliaments give us hope that we are beginning as a bloc, to discuss the role of Parliaments in the Region.
Parliaments are the highest forums of any country's public representation.
Firstly and fore mostly, Parliaments make the laws that govern the country. Whilst the Executive drafts the Bills, Parliament has the responsibility of giving the final approval. It is the job of Parliament to make sure that these laws are appropriate in realising the goals they set out to achieve and that they are correctly worded to do so. There is more to Parliament than passing laws. Whilst executives face elections, usually every five years, Parliaments are the formal structures through which the executives, in-between elections, account to the electorate that put them into power.