Mashatile warned that climate change has become "a significant threat multiplier" for women and young people whose daily lives, livelihoods, and futures are increasingly under strain.
South Africa's Deputy President, His Excellency Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, has officially opened the 58th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) with a call for bold, coordinated and gender-responsive action to confront the escalating climate crisis.
Delivering his keynote remarks virtually due to pressing government commitments on Sunday, Mashatile warned that climate change has become "a significant threat multiplier" for women and young people whose daily lives, livelihoods, and futures are increasingly under strain.
He said the Plenary's theme, "The Impact of Climate Change on Women and Youth in the SADC Region and the Role of Parliaments in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation," was timely and urgent.
"Parliaments play a crucial role in shaping policies and implementing measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change," he said and added, "As leaders in our communities, let us commit ourselves to meaningful and impactful action to address the impact of climate change on women and youth in the SADC region."
Mashatile hailed the SADC PF for its consistency in placing people-centred regional priorities at the heart of parliamentary dialogue. He commended the Forum's innovations in legislative development, oversight and regional cooperation and said that its continued evolution strengthens the democratic architecture of Southern Africa.
He said the Plenary Assembly remains "a crucial platform for collective reflection, collaborative problem-solving and strengthening parliamentary solidarity across our region."
He also congratulated the Forum for maintaining a forward-looking agenda, citing recent work on artificial intelligence, climate resilience, and parliamentary reform. This, he noted, ensured that the SADC PF remained a respected continental voice in global governance processes.
Turning to international affairs, Mashatile stressed that the Plenary was convening immediately after South Africa's historic hosting of the G20 Summit; the first on African soil.
He said the Summit achieved significant milestones by placing Africa and the Global South firmly on the global agenda. In particular, the G20 Declaration drew inspiration from the African philosophy of Ubuntu, emphasising solidarity, equality and sustainability as foundations for inclusive global growth.
The Deputy President highlighted commitments to promote debt transparency, strengthen debt-relief mechanisms, enhance Sub-Saharan Africa's voice in global financial institutions, accelerate energy access for African households, expand renewable energy capacity, bolster food security and advance youth employment.
Mashatile noted the Summit's recognition of the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting that the G20's launch of the AI for Africa Initiative aligned with the SADC PF's own deliberations at the 57th Plenary Assembly in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
He added that welcoming the African Union as a full G20 member and calling for reform of the UN Security Council marked a watershed moment for Africa's global representation.
He then turned to climate change, describing it as an existential challenge that is already reshaping the economic and social fabric of the SADC region. He said droughts, cyclones, floods, land degradation and erratic rainfall patterns have severely undermined sustainable development, with consequences that fall heaviest on women and the youth.
Women, he emphasised, bear the brunt because of their reliance on climate-sensitive sectors and their responsibilities in securing food, water and energy for households.
"Climate-induced scarcity compels women to undertake extended journeys, thereby increasing their workload, exposure to risks, and adverse health consequences," he warned.
He added that climate shocks interrupt education systems, particularly for girls, often resulting in increased school dropouts, child marriages and heightened exposure to abuse. Young people in rural areas, whose livelihood prospects are increasingly limited by environmental stress, are also pushed into internal and regional migration in search of survival.
Mashatile said parliaments across SADC must, therefore, rise to the occasion by modernising climate legislation, ensuring national laws align with regional strategies and global agreements, and placing gender equity at the centre of climate action.
He urged MPs to strengthen oversight of government climate programmes, demand accountability for implementation, and ensure that national budgets finance climate-resilient development pathways. He stressed the importance of robust monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that climate programmes are inclusive, equitable and effective.
He further called for deeper engagement between parliaments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities. Public participation, he said, must be expanded to guarantee that climate laws and policies reflect grassroots realities. Discussions, hearings and dialogues are essential in raising awareness and ensuring that policies remain people centred.
Mashatile also commended the SADC PF for creating a dynamic regional platform that enables parliaments to compare progress, understand shared vulnerabilities and hold each other accountable. He urged the Forum to continue enhancing regional and international engagement through more detailed reports on national legislative actions and the performance of climate commitments.
He cited South Africa's own progress and highlighted President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing of the Climate Change Act in 2024, which provides a national framework for mitigation, adaptation and a just transition. The law, he said, strengthens South Africa's ability to reduce emissions, build resilience and unlock emerging opportunities in the green economy without leaving vulnerable workers behind.
He also reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to clean governance, transparency and the fight against corruption as central pillars of an equitable climate response.
Mashatile told SADC parliamentarians that the future stability of the region depends on decisive climate leadership.
"Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our region thrives in the face of environmental challenges," he said and urged MPs to use the Plenary Assembly as a springboard for stronger laws, stronger oversight and stronger regional cooperation.
The 58th SADC PF Plenary Assembly continues in Durban throughout the week, with delegations from 14 of the 15 SADC Member Parliaments attending.
The delegates include 11 Speakers and Presiding Officers and 13 observer organisations. Women constitute 40.6% of the delegates, a stride toward the 50% parity target set by the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.