Speaker, Honourable Morakane Mosupyoe, led a multi-party delegation on a diplomatic visit to the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly in Russia from 25 to 30 January 2026.
Central to the visit was the desire to learn from counterparts in Russia on strengthening governance, learning from international legislative practice, and building partnerships that ultimately improve service delivery for Gauteng’s residents.
Across a programme of formal meetings, commemorations, and site visits, the delegation explored how Russian legislatures use law-making, fiscal oversight, heritage protection, and digital innovation to shape everyday life for citizens. These engagements highlighted how legislatures function not only as law-making bodies, but as active custodians of social development and public value.
Learning Through History and Culture
The St. Petersburg programme began with visits to heritage sites such as the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery and historic palaces. These experiences demonstrated how legislative frameworks, funding decisions, and oversight mechanisms protect cultural heritage and collective memory.
For GPL Members, this reinforced the idea that legislatures play a critical role in preserving identity, social cohesion, and inter-generational justice – principles that resonate strongly with Gauteng’s own post-apartheid context.
The visits highlighted the importance of cooperative governance between legislatures, executive authorities, and communities to ensure that cultural institutions and memorial projects remain accessible, well-governed, and representative of diverse histories. The lessons were directly relevant to GPL’s oversight of cultural institutions, urban development, and public spending.
A Milestone in St. Petersburg: The MoU
The highlight of the St. Petersburg leg was a formal sitting at the Mariinsky Palace, where Hon. Mosupyoe addressed Members of the Legislative Assembly and signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Assembly’s Chairman, Mr. Aleksandr Belskiy.
The agreement commits both legislatures to sustained cooperation in parliamentary exchanges, oversight practices, information sharing, and people-to-people initiatives in education, tourism, and culture.
Importantly, the MoU establishes an institutional framework that moves the relationship beyond ceremonial gestures to structured collaboration, while respecting the independence of each legislature.
For Gauteng, the partnership is designed to strengthen core legislative functions, including budget scrutiny, committee effectiveness, administrative modernisation, and public participation.
Hon. Mosupyoe emphasised that the agreement would foster a meaningful partnership focused on tangible benefits for citizens in both regions.
Turning Agreements into Action
What distinguishes the Russia visit is a detailed implementation plan adopted alongside the MoU. It outlines specific activities, timelines, and responsibilities, including annual exchanges, joint seminars, business forums, and academic cooperation. Dedicated project task teams from both legislatures will monitor progress and report regularly, ensuring accountability and transparency.
For GPL, this emphasis on execution reflects its governance mandate that international agreements must translate into measurable public value. Knowledge gained on heritage oversight, digital systems, and committee operations will be shared internally so that lessons inform daily legislative work and service delivery.
Insights from Moscow: Digital and Metropolitan Governance
In Moscow, engagements with the Moscow City Duma focused on metropolitan governance, digital innovation, and fiscal oversight. Presentations showcased advanced digital platforms supporting law-making and public engagement, such as remote sittings, online petitions, and real-time feedback systems. These tools offered valuable insights into enhancing transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness.
Discussions on budgeting and long-term social investment highlighted how legislatures can use fiscal oversight to prioritise infrastructure, healthcare, mobility, and education. These themes closely align with GPL’s oversight role over provincial departments and municipalities, reinforcing the value of international benchmarking.
Why It Matters for Gauteng’s People
The visit served a strategic goal of strengthening GPL’s ability to serve the public. By formalising partnerships and learning from international practice, the GPL enhances its capacity to modernise its parliamentary systems and support cooperative governance across sectors.
Anchored in people-centred governance and practical reform, the initiative reaffirms GPL’s commitment to being, above all, a Legislature that delivers for Gauteng’s citizens.
