Inyas Blog

Sometimes live is crazy and from day to day more doors opening up. Thanks to an invitation of the Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentarian Forum Martin and me went last week up to Arusha in Tanzania to attend the meeting of sixty parliamentarians of thirteen countries from SADC region, including of course Zimbabwe or DRC. After finding out incidentaly in the night before that our plane already fly-out of Maputo at seven o´clock in the morning and not like informed at eleven o´clock we went straight into the adventure first to Nairobi (Kenya) and to Arusha, which is close by the famous Kilimandjaro – the highest mountain of Africa. But Arusha is not only a touristic town but also the headquarter of the Rwanda tribunal and our meeting took place in the same building – a weird feeling but good to know, that they are hard working.

After arriving in Arusha we were straightly integrated in the congress and I had to give a presentation in the Trade Committee but as well afterwards in the plenary and I was amazed about the support from the parliamentarians for our transboundary water-cooperation. Of course the region had and has conflicts but the leaders saw themselves as Africans and I was impressed by the calmness but straightness when it came to tricky questions like the war going on in the north of DR Congo or the political situation in Zimbabwe. I believe that a lot of EP parliamentarians could learn a lot from this kind of diplomacy – even if SADC PF is of course another level but ambitious and this gives hope for the future of Southern Africa. We managed also to have a little view on Kilimandjaro but it was unfortunalty always surrounded by clouds and I promised to come back and walk on top. After return to Josie (Johannesburg) we followed-up our interview session and I lost the charger of my notebook, which caused serious problems back in Gaborone but in Africa you find always a solution – it only takes time.

Tags: Arusha, GTZ, Kenya, Kilimandjaro, SADC PF, Tanzania