From 1st to 7th March 2026, the Southern Africa Development Community Organization of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC), in collaboration with the Parliament of South Africa, hosted the Technical Working Group and the SADCOPAC Sub‑Committees Operationalization and Consultative Workshop. The sessions were attended by two Members of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), Hon. Sandy Arissol and Hon. Gerry Sopha, who were accompanied by a parliamentary service staff Ms. Sheryl Rangasamy.
On Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd March, Hon. Arissol and Ms. Sheryl Rangasamy participated in the SADCOPAC Technical Working Group meetings, during which several matters were discussed. This included the review and confirmation of the minutes from the Technical Working Group meeting held on 24th October 2025 in Mesuru, Lesotho, which were subsequently approved. The sessions continued with further discussions and inputs from delegates of the 18th Annual Conference and the 22nd Annual General Meeting, both scheduled to take place in Eswatini later this year.
From 4th to 6th March, the delegates attended the SADCOPAC Sub‑Committee Operationalization and Consultative Workshop on developing the SADCOPAC 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. During these sessions, participants were divided into groups to discuss topics such as internal and external SWOT analyses, stakeholder mapping, and the formulation of SMART objectives under the five core strategic pillars, including Capacity Building, Collaboration and Advocacy, Governance, Institutional Strengthening, and more.
In addition, during the three‑day workshop, several impactful presentations were delivered by the Auditor‑General of South Africa (AGSA), the Comptroller and Auditor General of the United Republic of Tanzania, and AFROSAI‑E, the leading expert on the Model Public Audit Act. These presentations placed strong emphasis on revisiting the foundational roles of Public Accounts Committees, reflecting on the SADCOPAC journey, and outlining key principles for designing a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. Delegates also participated in detailed workshops focused on understanding their shared roles, acknowledging common challenges, and embracing the tools and actions needed to strengthen financial governance and public finance management.
Editor’s Notes: SADCOPAC is an autonomous and independent association of Public Accounts Committees from SADC states established to promote mutual support; foster the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experiences; act as a recognized voice of Public Accounts Committees within the SADC community; and promote accountability, good governance, and transparency in the SADC states. The Member States are as follows, Seychelles, Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
