MIDRAND, South Africa – Hon. Happymore Chidziva of Zimbabwe delivered a powerful intervention at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), offering key insights in response to presentations on the AU Theme of the Year and the State of Human Rights in Africa.
Chidziva’s address centered on the critical need for reparations to address historical injustices and their lasting impact on the continent.
Acknowledging the 2025 AU Theme, Chidziva emphasized that reparations are not merely about financial compensation but are a vital process for healing, restoring dignity, and fostering racial reconciliation for Africans and the diaspora.
He detailed the profound and multi-faceted impacts of colonialism, highlighting resource plunder, economic underdevelopment, the suppression of cultural identity, and the lasting psychological trauma caused by historical oppression.
The Zimbabwean MP outlined a strategic roadmap for reparations advocacy, calling for the establishment of a global reparations fund and the strengthening of international partnerships.
He also proposed the integration of reparations and racial healing into educational systems, suggesting the inclusion of these topics in national curricula, research programs, and public awareness campaigns.
Chidziva also stressed the importance of cultural reclamation, urging a collective effort to recover African cultural property and combat misrepresentation in global media.
He cited several of Zimbabwe’s national initiatives as evidence of the country’s commitment to the AU theme, including an academic study on the impact of colonialism, the abolition of the death penalty, and the introduction of a heritage-based education system designed to strengthen national identity.
Chidziva’s impassioned speech underscored the urgency of the reparations movement and the vital role of cultural and educational initiatives in building.
