Story by Margaret Matibiri
VICTORIA FALLS – ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) has been spotlighted as a vital tool for enhancing citizen engagement, strengthening democratic institutions, and deepening regional integration within the SADC bloc. This was said by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who officially opened the 57th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum this Monday.
The week-long forum, held at Elephant Hills Resort under the theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Effective and Efficient Parliamentary Processes in the SADC Region: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities,” comes at a time when many parliaments are exploring digital innovations to increase responsiveness and transparency.
“For SADC parliaments, the potential benefits of AI and innovative technologies are multi-pronged. These offer solutions for resource optimisation, which will in turn enable our parliamentarians to achieve greater results,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President noted that integrating AI into governance could significantly narrow the gap between representatives and the communities they serve.
“Technology can bridge the gap between parliamentarians and citizens in our geographically dispersed constituencies. This will enable more direct and frequent interaction, thereby improving representation and involvement of grassroots communities in parliamentary processes,” he said.
Emphasising that the SADC region must chart its own course in adopting AI, President Mnangagwa warned against simply replicating foreign models.
“In deliberating these emerging issues, therefore, I call upon you the elected representatives of the peoples of the region, to ensure that systems based on artificial intelligence and other technologies do not merely cut-and-paste global models. They must reflect the unique priorities and perspectives of the SADC region and Africa in general, from an Afrocentric perspective.”
He further urged parliaments to harness AI to create evidence-based, people-centred policies, while also highlighting the importance of digital skills development and investment in home-grown innovation.
“SADC Heads of State and Government, within the framework of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, should prioritise the development of appropriate skills related to ICT,” said President Mnangagwa. “Common approaches to technological adoption should be promoted to enhance inter-operable systems that facilitate greater cooperation amongst our parliaments.”
As part of Zimbabwe’s contribution to the regional digital agenda, the President outlined ongoing national efforts to build digital capacity and foster innovation.
“To date, Zimbabwe has established innovation hubs and industrial parks across all our universities. These centres of excellence are advancing our technological agenda and remain at the core of our innovation efforts,” he said. “Partnerships with universities, research institutions and industry to promote digital literacy, stimulate local content creation and advance research in new technologies, including AI, were proving valuable.”
While acknowledging the potential of AI, President Mnangagwa stressed the need to safeguard democratic values and national sovereignty.
“At a national scale, the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies must enhance rather than compromise the integrity and independence of the region’s democratic institutions. To this end, measures must be put in place to deal with issues of cyber security, data protection, digital sovereignty and the potential for technological dependence, among others.”
He said Zimbabwe had taken steps to address these challenges.
“Zimbabwe has enacted the Cyber and Data Protection Act to regulate data security and ensure fairness in data related to and services driven by AI.”
President Mnangagwa reaffirmed the commitment of SADC leaders to empowering the SADC Parliamentary Forum as a driver of democratic consolidation and regional integration.
“Be assured that there is political will from the level of my fellow Heads of State and Government, in SADC, to support endeavours of this SADC Parliamentary Forum. This includes the institutionalisation of parliamentary involvement in regional integration, democratic consolidation and sustainable development across our region.”
Reflecting on his longstanding connection with the SADC PF, the President described it as an institution close to his heart.
“I recall that during my tenure as Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2005, I had the honour of actively participating in the development of the Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region,” President Mnangagwa said.
“I was also privileged to serve as Head of Mission for the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election Observation Mission to Malawi for the 2004 General Elections. Later, I had the distinct honour of officially launching the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriages and Protecting Children Already in Marriage. This was during the 40th Plenary Assembly, graciously hosted by the Parliament of Zimbabwe in 2016.”
As the plenary continues, the spotlight remains on how regional parliaments can harness innovation for inclusive governance that leaves no citizen behind.
“The ultimate beneficiaries of all our efforts must be the people who should experience a higher quality of life that leaves no one behind,” said President Mnangagwa.
