The chairperson of the National Council of Provinces becomes the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Mr Mninwa Mahlangu, has become the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) for the coming year. 

Mr Mahlangu’s tenure as the President of the association is with effect from 14 September 2012 at the end of the 58^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka until the conclusion of the 59^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. 

The president is nominated by the branch which is to host the next conference and the vice president by the branch which is to host the one following that. 

South Africa will be hosting the 59^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference from 28 August to 6 September 2013 in Johannesburg. 

Mr Mahlangu assumed the role of the CPA Vice President at the 57^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2011 in London, United Kingdom and has represented the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa at the CPA for a number of years.  

In 2007 he was elected for three years to the position of Chairperson of the CPA Africa Region. During his tenure in this position, he drove the development of the CPA’s strategic plan for 2008 to 2011. 

The CPA is an association of Commonwealth Parliamentarians from Parliaments and Legislatures of most of the Commonwealth states.  

South Africa joined the Commonwealth in December 1931 but left in May 1961, when it became a republic under the apartheid rule of the National Party. 

In 1995, following our first democratic election, South Africa re-joined the Commonwealth and the CPA. 

The CPA’s mission is to promote Parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance. It seeks to further cooperation among member Parliaments and Legislatures.