Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has called on regional Public Accounts Committees (PACs) to take a leading role in ensuring that government financial decisions prioritize environmental sustainability. Speaking at the Southern African Development Community Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC) training seminar in Harare, Mudenda highlighted the urgency of this task, particularly in the face of the El Niño-induced droughts that have devastated several SADC countries.
“PACs have a solemn responsibility to ensure that governments’ financial policies and resource allocations reflect a commitment to environmental sustainability,” Mudenda said. He highlighted that this commitment is crucial within the framework of the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to keep global temperatures below 1.5°C.
Mudenda said PACs must go beyond simply reviewing balance sheets and expenditure reports. He urged committees to broaden their focus, scrutinizing the effectiveness of government policies and environmental laws designed to combat climate change.
“It is no longer sufficient to merely scrutinize the national balance sheets and expenditure reports. You must delve into the effectiveness of government policies and environmental laws geared to mitigate negative climate change impacts,” he said.
The Speaker highlighted the importance of integrating climate action into audit processes and oversight mechanisms. “Your committees should closely examine government expenditures on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts to ensure public funds are expended with due regard to the environmental ecosystem,” he added.
Warning that climate change is now a “catastrophic exigence presently threatening human existence globally,” Mudenda called on PACs to prioritize environmental sustainability in their oversight roles. This, he noted, would be key to supporting a more resilient and sustainable future.
His remarks come amid a deepening climate and food security crisis in Southern Africa, driven by El Niño-induced droughts.
The crisis has led to crop failures, rising food prices, cholera outbreaks, and other challenges across the region, with several countries, including Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, declaring national disasters.
