The Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust (SAPST) is a legal trust duly registered by the Registrar of Deeds according to the laws of Zimbabwe. SAPST was established after the founding trustees recognized the need to provide technical and financial support to the parliaments of Southern Africa in their core functions of executive oversight, law-making and representation.

The trustees further recognized the need to facilitate the flow of timely, objective, accurate and relevant information amongst regional parliaments and between these parliaments, civic society and the general public. The beneficiaries of SAPST are the parliaments of Southern Africa, Civil Society Organizations and the general public in Southern Africa. In Zimbabwe, SAPST is the leading provider of outside technical assistance to the Parliament of Zimbabwe. The organization boasts a strong team of legal and economic experts, some of them with over 10 years’ experience in legislative strengthening work.

At present, SAPST runs four programmes. The Economic Affairs Department provides tailor-made capacity-building programmes as well as hands-on support to key portfolio committees. Economic Affairs Programme was extended to regional parliaments in an endeavour to strengthen them. The Parliamentary Committees Technical Support Programme essentially entails training and assisting parliamentary committees with technical resources. The fourth, APNAC Zimbabwe, is a network of Zimbabwean parliamentarians working together to combat corruption. 

One of SAPST’s flagships is its research programme. The main objective of this programme is to strengthen the flow of information between Parliaments, civil society and the general public. To achieve this objective, SAPST compiles a weekly Parliamentary Round-up Bulletin, which summarizes proceedings of committees and the plenary debates of both Houses of Parliament. The Bulletin is circulated to civic society organizations and is also posted on the SAPST website for easy access by the general public. A Quarterly SAPST Newsletter is also compiled and distributed to our stakeholders. The newsletter gives an in-depth coverage and analysis of parliamentary issues. As part of the information dissemination programme, journalists are alerted on topical issues before parliament so that issues of public interest receive wide coverage from the media. Thus, the public gets informed about what is happening in parliament. The expected outcome, therefore, of this programme is informed public and enhanced public participation in the legislative process for good governance and accountability. Information disseminations’ roles is to  strengthen the flow of information between Parliaments, civic society and the general public. To achieve this objective, SAPST compiles a weekly Parliamentary Round-up Bulletin, which summarizes proceedings of committees and the plenary debates of both Houses of Parliament. The Bulletin is circulated to civic society organizations and is also posted on the SAPST website for easy access by the general public. A Quarterly SAPST Newsletter is also compiled and distributed to our stakeholders. The newsletter gives an in-depth coverage and  analysis of parliamentary issues. As part of the information dissemination programme, journalists are alerted on topical issues before parliament so that issues of public interest receive wide coverage from the media. Thus, the public gets informed about what is happening in parliament. The expected outcome, therefore, of this programme is informed public and enhanced public participation in the legislative process for good governance and accountability.