Witbooi warns African parliaments to resist corruption

Vice president Lucia Witbooi has warned that African legislatures must be strengthened to “resist corruption and outside interference” amid growing concern about unconstitutional acts across the continent.

She said this last Thursday at the opening of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region executive committee meeting in Swakopmund.

“We need to fix the democratic deficits by making sure that our institutions are not only open and honest, but also strong enough to resist corruption and outside interference,” Witbooi said as she officially opened the 90th CPA meeting.

Witbooi said the continent faces “complex political, economic, technological and demographic transitions”.

She said parliaments must move beyond lawmaking to exercise rigorous oversight, ensure fiscal accountability, articulate the aspirations of the people and safeguard the constitutional order.

"The credibility of our democracies depends on the effectiveness and integrity of our parliamentary institutions.”

The vice president said the meeting’s outcomes would shape regional priorities, including “fiscal oversight, institutional reform, gender inclusion, youth representation and digital transformation”, and would influence “the quality of governance throughout Africa”.

Challenges persist

Witbooi said Namibia viewed hosting the meeting as a signal of its commitment to constitutionalism, multiparty democracy and the separation of powers.

“We remain cognisant of the challenges that persist, including the rise of unconstitutional changes of government in some regions of the continent and the lingering socioeconomic impacts of global crisis," she added.

She argued that these conditions required stronger parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation among member parliaments, calling for inclusive legislatures as a basis for public trust.

“A modern and credible parliament must be inclusive,” Witbooi said. “Inclusion strengthens legitimacy and trust strengthens democracy.”