MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA — Hon. Advocate J.F.N. Mudenda, Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, closed the 2025 Annual Conference of Speakers of African National and Regional Parliaments with a profound call for the continent to seize Artificial Intelligence as a transformative instrument for economic development, governance and sustainable growth. Convened under the theme “Transforming Parliaments for Citizen-Driven Continental Integration, Sustainable Development, Prosperity and Peace, and Enhancing Africa’s Dynamic Role on the Global Stage,” the Conference convened 52 high-level representatives, including 18 Speakers, in candid deliberations on Africa’s future trajectory in a rapidly evolving global environment.
In his address, Speaker Mudenda emphatically stressed that Artificial Intelligence is not a peripheral tool but a central catalyst capable of redefining Africa’s socio-economic and governance landscape. He argued that African Parliaments must cultivate an enabling environment, expand digital infrastructure, invest in human capital and foster innovation, establishing these pillars as critical to sustainable development. He highlighted the indispensable role of research and development, urging robust partnerships between governments, universities and private sector actors to ensure AI platforms are locally owned, contextually relevant, and financially sustainable.
Speaker Mudenda underscored the urgent need for African control over data, warning that the continued dominance of Western nations over digital resources risks excluding the continent from key decision-making in AI and the digital economy. He advocated for regional AI hubs, strategic financing through institutions such as the African Development Bank, and the integration of vernacular languages into AI platforms to ensure inclusivity and cultural relevance.
Emphasizing Africa’s natural resource endowment, Speaker Mudenda highlighted the strategic role of minerals such as lithium, cobalt and manganese in powering industrialization, AI development, digital economies and energy transitions. He stressed that Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials to creating value-added industries, a principle essential for sustainable economic sovereignty and continental industrial growth.
Drawing from Zimbabwe’s experience, Speaker Mudenda shared the Parliament’s successful collaborations with tertiary institutions such as Bindura University of Science Education in developing AI platforms in local languages, illustrating a replicable model for the continent. He called for a dedicated African AI summit under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament, a proposal welcomed by the Plenary, signaling a historic step toward a coordinated, continent-wide AI strategy.
Following the PAP Conference, Speaker Mudenda advanced to Cape Town for the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, marking Africa’s first hosting of the event. At the Summit, he placed Zimbabwe and the continent at the center of global legislative discourse, advocating for debt relief, equitable climate finance and transparent mineral governance. His presence highlighted Africa’s strategic stake in shaping global policies, ensuring that the voice of the Global South is heard and acted upon in the world’s most critical forums.
Through his interventions, Hon. Advocate J.F.N. Mudenda demonstrated that Parliamentary leadership is not merely ceremonial but a decisive force in Africa’s transformation. By championing citizen-driven governance, digital sovereignty, industrialization and resource diplomacy, Speaker Mudenda has positioned Africa to not only navigate the complexities of the 21st-century digital and geopolitical landscape but to lead with vision, purpose and a resolute commitment to the shared prosperity of its people.
