SANF 25 no 14 by SARDC Writers
In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and daily life, the role of governance cannot remain stagnant.
Across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), parliaments stand at a crossroads – where embracing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions could redefine their efficiency, transparency and ability to serve the people.
As legislative bodies strive to modernise, harnessing the power of emerging technologies presents a unique opportunity to enhance policy making, service delivery and citizen engagement.
The question is no longer whether AI will shape governance, but rather how effectively leaders will integrate it to build a more responsive and inclusive future.
This is one of the issues that parliamentarians are grappling with during the 57th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum running from 2-7 June in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The Plenary Assembly is the highest policy making and deliberative body of the Forum and meets once or twice a year.
Officially opening the Plenary Assembly, SADC Chairperson and Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa noted that “technology can bridge the gap between parliamentarians and citizens” in geographically dispersed constituencies across the region.
“This will enable more direct and frequent interaction, thereby improving representation, accountability and improvement of grassroot communities’ participation in parliamentary processes,” Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa’s words captured the focus of the meeting which is guided by the theme: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Effective and Efficient Parliamentary Processes in the SADC Region: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities.
Artificial intelligence, which refers to technologies that enable computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, has become the go-to technology for legislative research and analysis, policy development and public engagement.
It is also being used to capture parliamentary debates, summarise deliberations and for language translations.
President Mnangagwa noted that most of the 16 SADC member states have more than one official language, necessitating translations for inclusive parliamentary communication.
“Language should never be a barrier to democratic participation,” the SADC Chairperson said.
For its own official communication, SADC recognizes four languages – English, French, Portuguese and Swahili.
The adoption of AI for parliamentary usage is in line with the aspirations of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020-2030, which promotes the use of new technologies.
In 2023, the SADC Council of Ministers approved the SADC Digital Transformation Strategy, which seeks to transform the region into an inclusive digital economy through adoption of digital technologies that include AI.
The regional organisation is developing the SADC Regional Artificial Intelligence Model Policy and Regulatory Framework, which will guide the deployment of AI in the region.
There is, however, need to ensure that AI that is adopted for use, reflects the priorities and perspectives of the SADC region and Africa in general, President Mnangagwa urged.
SADC Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi agreed, cautioning on the pitfalls of unguided AI use, calling for its ethical usage.
“AI presents various challenges and risks that are ranging from potential bias, particularly as those models lack the African social and cultural contexts,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs, Dr. Judith Kateera.
Discussions around new technologies are important to guide the future of regional parliaments, said SADC PF Secretary General, Boemo Sekgoma.
“We are in an era of artificial intelligence where systems and processes ought to be automated for efficiency and effectiveness,” she said.
The SADC PF was established in 1997 as a regional inter-parliamentary body and is made up of 15 national parliaments, representing over 3,500 parliamentarians in southern Africa.
After over two decades of lobbying, the Forum is in the final stages of being transformed into a regional parliament. This is in line with developments that have taken place in other regional blocs on the African continent.
Four African regional communities have established similar institutions, and these are the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, the East African Legislative Assembly, the Network of Parliamentarians of the Economic Community of Central African States and the Inter-Parliamentary Union of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development Member States for the Horn of Africa. sardc.net