A delegation from Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International Headquarters met with the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in South Africa last week as part of a CPA Benchmarks self-assessment. The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practice and were updated in 2018 to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions. In recent years, 37 Commonwealth Parliaments have undertaken self-assessments against the updated CPA Benchmarks. The Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature is now the 38th Commonwealth Legislature to do so. 

As part of their visit, the CPA delegation met with the Presiding Officers of the Assembly, including the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, Hon. Helen Sauls-August, MPL; Deputy Speaker, Hon. Vuyo Jali, MPL; Chair of Committees, Hon. Tony Duba, MPL; Deputy Chair of Committees, Hon. Nozibele Nyalambisa, MPL; Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the Legislature, Hon. Loyiso Magqashela, MPL; and Secretary to the Legislature, Nomawethu Ngcakani. The delegation also met with wider Members and staff from the Provincial Legislature, a range of external stakeholders, local government agencies and civil society groups. 

Speaking about the self-assessment, the Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Assembly, Hon. Helen Sauls-August, MPL said:  

“I welcome this opportunity to work with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to drive forward good governance and democratic best practice in Eastern Cape, and to ensure that our Legislature can function to its maximum potential.” 

The CPA Benchmarks self-assessment was undertaken by CPA Deputy Head of Programmes, James Pinnell, Assistant Clerk-at-the-Table at the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Nontokozo Shabangu and Senior Manager for Research and Knowledge Management at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Zipho Phakathi.  

Following the visit to the Provincial capital of Bhisho, a report from the CPA Benchmarks self-assessment will be formulated with recommendations for reform to strengthen parliamentary institutions in Eastern Cape. The Outcome Report will play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Provincial Assembly and contribute to its implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

To find out more about this project please email hq.sec@cpahq.org. The CPA's Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures are also available to download from the CPA website. 

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is an international community of 180 Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance. Founded in 1911, the CPA brings together Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practice.