Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira has been re-elected as President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) at the recently concluded Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament.
In a statement issued on Monday, March 25, Charumbira garnered 127 votes after running as the sole candidate from the Southern African Region.
Charumbira returns to the position he previously held between June 2022 and August 2023 before the post became vacant when he left to participate in the General Elections in Zimbabwe to renew his term of office as Senator.
Under the current PAP Rules of Procedures, a parliamentarian’s term corresponds to his or her own national parliament term or to that of any other deliberative body that elected or designated the parliamentarian.
Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf from Mauritania was also re-elected as the First Vice President of the PAP during the by-elections.
She fills the position reserved for the Northern Africa Caucus after receiving 149 votes.
Furthermore, Djidda Mamar Mahamat from Chad has joined the Bureau as the Fourth Vice President, representing the Central African Region with an impressive 153 votes.
The fully reconstituted Bureau of the PAP now comprises the following members:
President: H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira (Zimbabwe) – Southern Africa
1st Vice President: Hon. Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf (Mauritania) – Northern Africa
2nd Vice President: Hon. Dr. Ashebir Woldegiorgis Gayo (Ethiopia) – Eastern Africa
3rd Vice President: Hon. Lucia Dos Passos (Cabo Verde) – Western Africa
4th Vice President: Hon. Djidda Mamar Mahamat (Chad) – Central Africa
The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union.
Responding to Charumbira’s re-election as PAP president, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono said it was unfortunate that African parliamentarians have seen it fit to be led by this scoundrel. He wrote on X:
A Zimbabwean traditional chief who belongs to ZANU PF and is associated with violence and violating court orders has been re-elected as President of the African Union’s Pan-African Parliament with the help of South Africa’s ANC ruling party.
This is a man with accusations of raping his niece, and corruption at the Pan African Parliament, but the African parliamentarians have seen it fit to be led by this scoundrel…
My generation will not see a better Africa in our lifetime, that is a fact that is now indisputable.
I don’t blame ordinary Africans who are leaving the continent for better pastures in order to help their kids and grandchildren to grow up with better opportunities and prospects in life.
Donald Trump called Africa a shit-hole, African leaders are doing their best to prove him right daily.
To those Africans who are trying their best to keep the continent afloat under very difficult conditions, well done for injecting some sanity on the continent.
