By Tendai Guvamombe(Johannesburg SA)
The Pan-African Parliament Convenes, Calls for Unity and Action on Continental Challenges
Midrand, South Africa – The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) opened its Fifth Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament today, with H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the PAP, delivering a powerful address that emphasized unity, accountability, and the urgent need to translate rhetoric into tangible action for the African continent.
The session, held under the African Union Theme of the Year for 2025, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” commenced with a minute of silence in honor of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who recently passed away.
Chief Charumbira acknowledged the delay in convening the session, attributing it to resource inadequacy. However, he expressed gratitude to AU Policy Organs for a special budget allocation of US$650,000, which enabled the session to proceed.
He clarified that the delay did not violate the PAP Protocol, which mandates at least two ordinary sessions per year, not necessarily in May or June.The President then provided a brief history of the PAP, highlighting its crucial role in ensuring popular participation and democratic legitimacy within the African Union.
He stressed that the PAP serves as the “people’s elected representatives,” strengthening accountability and acting as a watchdog institution over AU Executive Organs.
A significant portion of his remarks focused on the Parliament’s renewed commitment to performance, guided by the motto: “Reviving, Renewing, Repositioning and Reinvigorating the Pan African Parliament.” This shift aims to counter past negative perceptions and restore the PAP’s standing as an effective institution.A key highlight was the successful Joint Retreat between the PAP and the Peace and Security Council (PSC), the first in 11 years.
This retreat, themed “Strengthening Institutional Synergy and Collaboration for Sustainable Peace and Security in Africa,” resulted in agreements to enhance coordination, involve the PAP more directly in conflict prevention, improve information sharing, and promote joint missions.
Crucially, both organs committed to jointly advancing the Ezulwini Consensus, demanding permanent African representation on the UN Security Council with veto power.
Chief Charumbira also urged accelerated ratification of African Union legal instruments, lamenting the slow progress on critical agreements such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons. “Ratification is not a symbolic act. It is a political and moral commitment to the people,” he asserted.
Addressing global financial inequities, the President echoed calls from the recent AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting to overhaul the Western-led financial system and challenge U.S. tariffs on African exports.
He underscored the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a tool for collective self-sufficiency.Concluding his address, Chief Charumbira issued a fervent call for unity and action, invoking the spirit of Ubuntu.
“Let history not say we were silent. Let it say we stood together, we acted boldly, and we moved Africa forward,” he declared, urging members to prioritize collective action over national interests and to truly embody the voice of the African people.
