For the audio clip of the leader of delegation, Mr Amos Masondo, on this media release please click on the following link: https://iono.fm/e/1419254
Parliament, Monday, March 25, 2024 - Parliament's delegates to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), led by National Council of Provinces Chairperson (NCOP), Mr Amos Masondo, congratulate Zimbabwean Senator and President of the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs, Chief Fortune Charumbira, on his re-election as the PAP President today.
Today's by-election was conducted in accordance with Rule 16 (3) of the PAP Rules of Procedure to fill three vacant positions for PAP President, First Vice President, and Fourth Vice President. These positions became vacant following elections in some of the African Union Member States.
"We would like to congratulate Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira on his re-election as the President of the Pan-African Parliament today," said Mr Masondo. "We believe that Chief Charumbira has unfinished business in the PAP. We are elated that he has been re-elected and will now be able to continue with the mandate that we had given to him in 2022," he said, adding that Chief Charumbira's mandate is to continue pushing the PAP to strive for the continent's integration and pursuing African unity.
According to PAP Rules of Procedure, a delegate to the continental body loses their membership when their Parliament dissolves in preparation for the election of a new Parliament. When the member is resent to the PAP following the election, they must be sworn-in again as members of the PAP. Senator Charumbira was re-elected to complete his three-year term that started in June 2022.
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"It is regrettable that the work that he had started - that of reviving the PAP's drive for pan-African unity and continental integration - was derailed when he ceased to be a member of the PAP following the dissolution of the Zimbabwean Parliament in preparation for the election last year," said the Chairperson.
Mr Masondo said the Pan-African Parliament has a critical role to play in fulfilling the African Union's Agenda 2063. Referring to the Africa Continental Free Trade Areas (AfCFTA) - one of the flagship projects for Agenda 2063 - he said PAP delegates must collectively and vigorously create solid measures to ensure that AfCFTA goals are implemented.
According to the principle of geographical rotation, only regions that occupied the vacant positions in July 2022 were eligible to present candidates to fill the vacancies. In line with this principle, the Southern Region Caucus was the only region eligible to present a candidate to fill the role of president, with the Northern and Central regions eligible to present nominations for the positions of First and Fourth Vice-Presidents, respectively.
Members of Parliament's delegation to the PAP are the Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Assembly (NA), Ms Pemmy Majodina, Dr Mathole Motshekga, Member of the NA, and Mr Julius Malema, Member of the NA.
