BY MBONO MDLULI
EZULWINI– Appointed Member of Parliament, His Royal Highness Prince Lindani, who was leading the Eswatini delegation during the meeting of the Southern African Caucus of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), has called for major institutional reforms to strengthen oversight, accountability, and youth participation within the Parliamentary Assembly.
The remarks were made on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Palazzo International Convention Centre during discussions on the implementation of the Samoa Agreement.
Call for permanent oversight structures
Prince Lindani urged member states to transform the Parliamentary Assembly from what he described as a periodic gathering into a permanent oversight institution capable of delivering meaningful accountability.
He proposed the establishment of permanent committees with dedicated budgets, aligned to the six pillars of the Samoa Agreement. Each committee, he said, should be assigned a rapporteur and a budget line within the OACPS Secretariat to enable independent research and oversight missions.
Strengthening accountability mechanisms
The Eswatini delegation leader further proposed the introduction of structured question time sessions with the Council of Ministers, including quarterly written and oral questions, with formal responses tabled for debate within the Assembly.
He also called for stronger integration between regional and national parliamentary systems, proposing that all OACPS MPs be required to table Assembly resolutions in their respective national parliaments within 90 days.
Without such reforms, he cautioned, the Assembly risks remaining a “talk shop” rather than a results-driven institution.
Youth at the centre of reform agenda
Highlighting demographic realities in Eswatini, where approximately 70 per cent of the population is under the age of 35, Prince Lindani emphasised the need for structured youth participation within the OACPS.
He proposed the creation of an OACPS Youth Parliament to convene ahead of Assembly sessions, allowing young representatives from member states to present proposals and engage in governance processes.
The youth body, he added, should report biannually to the main Assembly to ensure continuity and accountability.
Enhanced oversight and transparency
Prince Lindani also advocated for mandatory fact-finding missions by standing committees at least twice a year to monitor development projects on the ground.
In addition, he called for the establishment of a public digital dashboard to track the use of development funds across member states, arguing that transparency systems should be as efficient as commercial tracking platforms.
He stressed that public funds must be managed with strict accountability, in line with constitutional principles governing public expenditure.
Conclusion
Concluding his address, Prince Lindani reiterated that meaningful reform of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly is essential to ensure the effective implementation of the Samoa Agreement.
He urged member states to embrace stronger oversight mechanisms, deeper youth engagement, and enhanced transparency to ensure that the institution delivers real benefits to citizens across the region.
(Courtesy Pic)
