South Africa and Mozambique have officially abstained from the adoption of the African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference currently underway in Ghana.

The head of the South African delegation, Zandile Majozi, announced the country's position during the conference on June 5, 2026.

A key concern raised by South Africa is the Charter’s definition of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.

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The delegation noted that this position is inconsistent with South Africa’s constitutional protections, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and guarantee equality before the law.

"I want to state in good faith that South Africa would like to reserve our rights in not adopting the Charter because it contradicts the Constitution of South Africa," she stated.

She further noted that the country's participation in international and regional agreements must align with both domestic constitutional standards and broader international human rights obligations.

Mozambique, on the other hand, abstained due to logistical and legislative scheduling constraints.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, the head of the Mozambican delegation, Carlos Tembe, explained that the country faced logistical challenges and legislative scheduling constraints that prevented it from fully engaging in the adoption process at this time.

The letter was read to delegates by the Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, during the conference proceedings.

"We regret to announce that due to purely logistical and scheduling constraints, the Parliament of Namibia does not have timely advance access to the content of the document," the letter stated.

Mozambique expressed continued support for regional cooperation but indicated that internal parliamentary processes made it difficult to commit to the Charter’s adoption during the current session.

The Charter seeks to define shared principles on family structure, sovereignty, and cultural values across African states, sparking debate among participating delegations due to differing national legal frameworks and policy priorities.

The conference is intended to encourage reflection on Africa's cultural heritage and promote policies that strengthen families and communities across the continent.

JKB/BAI

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