Parliamentary clerks strengthen financial oversight skills at SoCATT seminar |21 March 2026

Delegates to the 9th Professional Development Seminar of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SoCATT) Africa Region pose for a souvenir photo

Parliamentary clerks and financial oversight experts from across Africa gathered in Botswana for the 9th Professional Development Seminar of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table (SoCATT) Africa Region, held from March 9 to 13, 2026. The five-day event focused on enhancing parliamentary scrutiny of public finances under the theme ‘Parliaments and Public Finance Management: Fostering Transparency and Accountability’.

Organised under the framework of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region and hosted by the National Assembly of Botswana, the seminar brought together parliamentary administrators, budget analysts, and public finance specialists to examine how legislatures can reinforce accountability and safeguard the prudent management of public resources.

Calls for stronger oversight

Opening the seminar, Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana, Hon. Dithapelo Lefoko Keorapetse, urged African parliaments to intensify oversight of public finances and ensure transparency in budget processes.

“Public funds are the people’s trust in our collective future. How we manage, monitor, and report on those funds determines whether that trust endures or erodes,” he said.

He highlighted the need for parliaments to assess fiscal sustainability, evaluate value for money in public spending, and consider the long-term impact of expenditure on citizens. The Speaker also underscored the importance of professional parliamentary administrations, describing clerks as the “quiet engines” of legislative processes.

Speaker Keorapetse encouraged the establishment of Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) to provide legislators with independent analysis of government budgets, noting that countries such as Kenya and South Africa have already adopted this model, and Botswana is exploring the possibility.

Stewardship of public funds

Welcoming delegates, Clerk of the National Assembly of Botswana, Dr Gabriel Malebang, stressed that sound public finance management is central to democratic accountability.

“Every public fund represents the trust and sacrifice of the people and demands stewardship grounded in transparency, discipline, and accountability,” he said.

Dr Malebang emphasised that while members of Parliament hold the constitutional mandate to scrutinise government spending, parliamentary administrations provide the technical backbone that enables legislatures to fulfill this role. He noted that clerks support oversight committees such as Public Accounts Committees by ensuring adherence to procedures, facilitating documentation, and following up on audit findings.

He cautioned that oversight is becoming increasingly complex as fiscal risks expand and citizens demand greater openness and accountability.

SADC PF commends clerks

Delivering a goodwill message, secretary general of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Boemo Sekgoma, praised clerks as custodians of parliamentary procedure and institutional memory.

“The procedural discipline exhibited by Clerks at the Table constitutes the very bedrock of the enduring strength of Parliaments of the region,” she said.

Ms Sekgoma highlighted their role in enabling oversight of public expenditure by facilitating committee work, managing parliamentary questions, and ensuring reports such as those of the Auditor General are properly scrutinised. She described clerks as “silent defenders of democratic governance” who help prevent corruption at its earliest stages.

She also pointed to the SADC PF’s initiatives to strengthen parliamentary administrations, including the establishment of the Committee of Clerks of Member Parliaments, which advises the Forum on procedural matters.

Sharing practical tools

Beyond the keynote addresses, the seminar featured technical presentations by public finance specialists and parliamentary practitioners, offering delegates practical insights and tools to strengthen oversight.

Seabo Keorapetse, deputy Permanent Secretary in Botswana’s Ministry of Finance, opened the technical sessions with a presentation on ‘Strengthening the Role of Parliaments in Public Finance Management: Opportunities and Challenges’. She highlighted the evolving responsibilities of legislatures in ensuring that public resources are managed efficiently and transparently.

Lucy Waithima, senior deputy director in the Parliamentary Budget Office of Kenya, shared Kenya’s experience with institutionalised budget analysis structures, demonstrating how specialised mechanisms can support legislative scrutiny and enhance accountability.

Legal frameworks were also examined. Fyness Mwafulirwa, senior budget analyst from Malawi, underscored how strong legislative provisions empower parliaments to exercise more effective fiscal oversight.

From Ghana, Kofi Mneka, principal assistant clerk, discussed the reengineering of Parliamentary Budget Offices, emphasising the growing importance of specialised research and analysis units within legislatures.

The seminar also explored partnerships with non-state actors. Simon Mtambo, director of the Parliamentary Budget Office in Zambia, presented strategies for building collaborations with civil society organisations and other stakeholders to reinforce parliamentary oversight.

Meanwhile, Dr Sylvia Mwamba, associate director and country lead of IDinsight Zambia, examined frameworks for monitoring and evaluation of public finance management reforms, stressing the importance of data-driven approaches in assessing fiscal governance.

From discussions to action

Closing the seminar, Sage Samuwika, acting deputy clerk (Administration) of the National Assembly of Zambia, urged participants to ensure that lessons learned translate into tangible reforms.

“Three key takeaways after this seminar will be to ensure that resolutions from this event are implemented, implemented and implemented in earnest,” he said.

Mr Samuwika noted that many African countries face challenges such as debt sustainability pressures, misapplication of public funds, and slow economic growth – issues that demand stronger parliamentary oversight. He emphasised that parliamentary staff are critical enablers of reforms aimed at strengthening financial accountability.

He also pointed to the SADC PF Model Law on Public Finance Management, adopted in 2022, as an important benchmark for national parliaments seeking to reinforce legislative frameworks for fiscal governance.

Strengthening institutions

Participants agreed that enhancing parliamentary oversight of public finances is essential for building public trust and promoting sustainable development across Africa. By equipping clerks and administrators with new knowledge, tools, and professional networks, the SoCATT seminar reinforced the institutional capacity of legislatures to monitor government spending effectively and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability.

By Moses Magadza, PhD, Media and communications manager, SADC PF

Photos: Bakang Bright Khumanego, Botswana Parliament