Southern Africa: Mnangagwa Urges AI-Driven Governance for SADC Integration

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Southern African Development Community (SADC) parliaments to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic tool to enhance democracy, deepen regional integration and improve governance efficiency.

In remarks delivered during the 57th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum late Monday, Mnangagwa said AI could bridge the gap between parliamentarians and their constituents, allowing for more direct and frequent interaction with grassroots communities.

"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," he said.

Beyond efficiency, Mnangagwa noted AI's transformative role in policymaking, urging leaders to develop evidence-based, people-centred policies that reflect SADC's - and Africa's - unique priorities, rather than simply replicating global models.

Acknowledging AI's potential risks, Mnangagwa stressed the importance of cybersecurity, data protection and digital sovereignty to prevent technological dependence.

He cited Zimbabwe's Cyber and Data Protection Act as an example of regulatory frameworks designed to ensure fairness in AI-driven services.

Mnangagwa reaffirmed Zimbabwe's efforts to build digital capacity, citing the establishment of innovation hubs and industrial parks across universities as well as partnerships with research institutions and industry leaders to promote digital literacy and AI research.

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