Maputo — The Community of Southern African Countries (SADC) on Thursday elected Mozambique to Chair the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (AP-OEACP) and Co-Chair the African, Caribbean, Pacific and European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly, for a two-year term starting in January 2023.
"It means a lot of determination from our part because we are in the process of signing the new Cotonu Agreement, which links the ACP states and the EU", said Ana Rita Sithole, deputy of the Assembly of the Republic (AR) and member of the Standing Committee, on the sidelines of the 61st Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OEACP) and the 42nd Session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly Africa, Caribbean and Pacific - European Union (ACP-EU).
At this stage, according to Sithole, it is Mozambique's responsibility to mobilize diplomatic and parliamentary mechanisms for the ratification of the agreement.
"Our mission is to do a lot of parliamentary diplomacy for this agreement to be ratified as soon as possible and come into force".
"We assume that there are many issues to be discussed with our EU partners", she stressed.
Sithole also revealed that South Africa has expressed its desire to withdraw from the ACP Assembly, because it prefers to negotiate with the EU on a bilateral basis.
"We have information that this country has expressed its desire to withdraw from this organization. South Africa is withdrawing because of various reasons, it prefers to negotiate development issues directly with the European Union, separately from other African countries", she said.
Questioned about the impact of South Africa's withdrawal Sithole said "I believe that at the level of Heads of State, these aspects are being discussed but as an organization we were surprised by its absence at this meeting. There are many problems, heterogeneous issues that they should be addressed together".
Also at today's meeting, different members of the ACP Assembly, from Social Affairs and Environmental Committees, addressed the need to create robust legislation to bring down the increasing number of road accidents.
"We have to adopt a more efficient legislation to reduce accidents on the roads. This is a public health issue and one of the priorities of the World Health Organization", said Unity Dowe, Botswana deputy and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
According to Mathew Nyuma, deputy from the Sierra Leone parliament there is a need to produce tangible proposals to present to European partners, "to ban imports of second-hand cars, which contribute to road accidents due to their mechanic degradation making them not road worthy"
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*941022E - MOZAMBIQUE TO STEP UP FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING *
Maputo, 27 Oct (AIM) - The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Thursday (27) passed a government bill revising the legal framework for foreign nationals and sets the requirements for entry, stay and exit the country, as well as rights, duties and guarantees.
The current legislation on the matter came into force over 28 years ago, and needs to be revised.
Introducing the bill Interior Minister, Arsénia Massingue, said that experience acquired over the years by the country authorities on migration management at national, regional and international level, "show the need to adjust the existing legal regime to current challenges the rules of entry, stay and exit of foreign nationals.
According to the minister, it is also necessary to hold transport operators and drivers accountable for carrying undocumented immigrants or those ineligible to enter Mozambique.
The revised law also penalizes companies and individuals who harbour or facilitate the entry and stay of foreign nationals who fail to meet requirements established by law. This seeks to strengthen the actions to prevent and combat illegal immigration and human trafficking.
Also in the context of preventing and combating illegal immigration, the bill aims at strengthening the rules of entry and exit of minors.
The revised law makes it possible to exempt citizens of certain countries from presenting an entry visa whenever the interest of the State so justifies.
"We are convinced that with the approval of this bill the conditions will be created to strengthen control of entry and stay of foreign citizens in our country. We are also convinced that by holding accountable transport operators it will be possible to reduce the cases of illegal immigration", said Massingue.
The chair of the Assembly's Commission on International Relations, Catarina Dimande, says that what the bill does not restricts the right to tree movement of persons.
"These are measures that aim at ensuring high level of surveillance and control of Mozambican borders and, consequently, contribute to the prevention and combat of illegal immigration, human trafficking, terrorism and transnational crimes.
According to Dimande, international law "recognises the right and freedom of movement of people from one country to another".
Dimande added, however, that the general principle of sovereignty establishes that the State has the prerogative to decide on criteria for admission and expulsion of "non-nationals, including those staying illegally, but must respect human rights obligations, as well as agreements or conventions ratified by Mozambique.
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In the Commission's view, Dimande said, the Bill is in line with international legislation on immigration, combating terrorism and respect for human rights to which Mozambique is a State Party.
"The measure [revision] represents a reform of the legislation on migration and an opportunity to bring together dispersed legislation in various legal instruments," said Dimande, who is also a member of the parliamentary bench of the ruling Frelimo party.
Some deputies, however, expressed their concern over the increasing and daring tactics used by migrants to evade border police and the checkpoints installed all over the country.
Arlindo Maquival, from the parliamentary bench of Renamo, the largest opposition party, said that Mozambique's problem has nothing to do with the lack of laws. "They exist, but they are not enforced properly because of corruption that does not allow honest people to do their job according the law."
Maquival warned that "as long as corruption prevails, any law will be a dead letter".
He said there are a number of foreign nationals holders of Mozambican identity cards and passports, but no one is being held accountable.
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