Zimbabwe: Pan-African Parliament Begins 7th Parliament Session As Lawmakers Tackle Water, Trade and Governance

23 July 2026
New Zimbabwe (London)

THE First Committee Sittings and Ordinary Session of the Seventh Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) are underway in Midrand, South Africa, ahead of the official opening ceremony scheduled for July 27.

Permanent Committees have already begun deliberations, with parliamentarians from across Africa meeting to consider key legislative and policy issues before the plenary session.

The session is being held under the African Union (AU) Theme of the Year, "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063," which is expected to guide debates, resolutions and policy recommendations throughout the sitting.

Zimbabwe is represented by a five-member delegation comprising Senator Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, Pupurai Togarepi, Tafanana Zhou, Elizabeth Masuku and Happymore Chidziva.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Africatravel guidesThe legislators are participating in committee meetings alongside counterparts from other AU member states as they consider reports, draft model laws and policy frameworks covering water and sanitation, health, trade, justice and human rights, rural economy, agriculture and gender.

Recommendations emerging from the committee meetings will be tabled before the full House during the Ordinary Session for debate and adoption.

PAP officials said the Midrand sitting provides an important platform for lawmakers to strengthen parliamentary oversight, harmonise legislation across the continent and accelerate the domestication of African Union treaties and protocols within member states.

The Seventh Parliament is also expected to prioritise efforts to strengthen the legislative role of the Pan-African Parliament while deepening cooperation with national legislatures and Regional Economic Communities in advancing the AU's Agenda 2063 development blueprint.

The official opening ceremony, scheduled for Monday, will be addressed by senior African Union officials and representatives of the South African government, setting the agenda for the two-week parliamentary session.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 New Zimbabwe. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.