Western Cape Provincial Parliament Supports Good Governance and Peace

Mr Shaun Byneveldt, Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (WCPP), leads a multiparty delegation of Western Cape parliamentarians to a conference hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

The delegation will attend the CPA's 37th Africa Regional Conference in Accra, Ghana, until 8 August 2006.

The conference is an international drive seeking to reduce hunger and poverty, curb violence and threats to security, crime, better health services to the poor and world peace.

The participation of the delegation fits in with the WCPP's strategic goals to strengthen relations with relevant organizations and to improve governance.

It is all done to serve the people of the Western Cape better, as people are at the center of its business, and to promote this provincial parliament.

The delegation to Ghana also includes Mr Max Ozinsky (chief whip), Ms Ntombozi Phenduka (ANC) and Mr Shahid Esau (DA).

This conference in Ghana is a preparatory meeting for the 52nd CPA Plenary Conference that takes place during September 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria, where more than 300 parliamentarians will seek ways to enhance standards of governance and the public's view of parliament.

Global political issues and developments in the parliamentary system are analysed in conference debates by leading parliamentarians representing 170 parliaments and legislatures throughout the Commonwealth of nations.

Speaker Byneveldt says: "The Commonwealth MPs are pooling their experiences to identify effective policies in key areas of governance as well as examining ways to improve their democratic systems.

"These MPs can play a key role in formulating world opinion to fight poverty, control the HIV/Aids pandemic, combat domestic violence, manage migration, furthering democracy and world economic development."

• Two officials are also attending Africa Region events of the CPA.

Mr Jabu Nkabinde, WCPP manager: proceedings, attends the meeting of the Commonwealth Society of Clerks-at-the-Table meeting which runs concurrently with the Ghana conference.

Mr Alistair Bowen, WCPP sergeant-at-arms, is in Phalaborwa (Limpopo), where representatives from all the African legislatures are gathered until Thursday for a professional development conference hosted by the Africa Region of the Commonwealth Sergeants-at-arms Association.

Enquiries:
Werner Schwella
Media Officer in the Office of the Speaker
Email: wschwella@wcpp.gov.za