Southern African Parliaments Must Lead Bold, People-Centred Climate Action: Thembi Simelane at SADC Forum

Simelane said extreme weather events across Southern Africa have become more frequent and devastating.

 

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called on Southern African lawmakers to urgently accelerate coordinated climate action, warning that the escalating climate crisis now threatens development gains, human rights, and long-term regional stability.

Speaking at the Symposium of the 58th SADC Parliamentary Forum Plenary Assembly held at the Coastlands Hotel and Convention Centre in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Simelane said the region can no longer view climate change as a distant environmental concern, but as an immediate and multidimensional crisis affecting governance, livelihoods, and human security.

More than 300 delegates from 15 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states attended the gathering, convened under the theme: “The Impact of Climate Change in the SADC Region and the Role of Parliaments in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation.”

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Climate Impacts Hitting SADC Harder and Faster

Simelane said extreme weather events across Southern Africa have become more frequent and devastating. The region is witnessing:

• Intensifying drought cycles

• Deadlier heatwaves

• Increased flooding

• Coastal erosion and land loss

• Destruction of critical infrastructure

She highlighted this week’s heavy flooding in KwaZulu-Natal — particularly in the Umshwathi Local Municipality — where residents lost homes and livelihoods, calling it a stark reminder that climate shocks no longer respect national borders.

“What we experience in Durban is part of the same climate system affecting Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia and beyond. No country can confront this crisis alone,” she said.

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Most Vulnerable Communities Suffer the Greatest Loss

Drawing from South Africa’s national climate vulnerability report, Simelane stressed that the highest burden falls on:

• Rural households facing chronic poverty

• Informal settlement residents living in high-risk zones

• Women, children and youth disproportionately exposed to socio-economic shocks

She also warned that climate risks intensify inequality, especially for women who often shoulder caregiving roles and resource-dependent livelihoods.

“Climate change is not gender neutral. Women are on the frontlines of climate impacts — yet too often excluded from climate decision-making. That must change.”

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Three Regional Climate Action Pillars

Simelane outlined a blueprint drawn from South Africa’s Climate Change Response Strategy that she urged SADC lawmakers to adopt and adapt collectively:

Pillar	Focus	Key Actions
1. Safe Settlement Planning	Preventing new risk	Avoid building in wetlands, flood zones, steep slopes and coastal danger zones
2. Supporting Existing At-Risk Communities	Upgrading vulnerable settlements	In-situ upgrading, services expansion, nature-based buffers, urban greening
3. Climate-Resilient Infrastructure	Designing for future climate conditions	Revised building codes, innovative building technologies (IBTs), resilient settlement designs

Simelane said governments must now shift from short-term disaster response to long-term resilience investment.

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A Just and Community-Led Transition

Beyond technical interventions, Simelane urged a shift toward participatory climate governance.

“Communities should not only receive climate warnings — they must help interpret them, plan around them, and lead resilience action.”

She said cross-border early-warning systems, coordinated land-use legislation, harmonized building standards, and regional climate finance mechanisms must become legislative priorities.

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A Turning Point for Southern Africa

Calling the present decade “decisive,” Simelane challenged lawmakers to choose resilience over repair and make climate governance central to development agendas.

“We must decide whether we become a region that reacts after disaster, or a region that prepares, protects, and prospers.”

She closed with an appeal for unity, innovation, and political courage:

“This is not just a crisis — it is an opportunity to rebuild stronger, greener, and fairer communities across Southern Africa.”