SA delegation laments disunity at Pan-African Parliament

The Eastern and Western caucuses are undermining the unity of the continent by not implementing an AU resolution to rotate the presidency of the continental parliament, says South Africa’s delegation.

PRETORIA, June 1 (ANA) – The South African delegation to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) on Tuesday condemned what it termed a brazen attempt by the Eastern and Western caucuses to undermine the unity of the continent by not implementing an African Union (AU) resolution to rotate the presidency of the continental parliament.

The PAP is holding the Fourth Ordinary Session of its Fifth Parliament in Midrand under the African Union’s theme for 2021: “Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.’’

National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo, who is also leader of the South African delegation to the PAP, said the two caucuses’ attempt to continue with electing the new PAP president disregarded the advice from the AU that the “well-established principle of geographical rotation” within the union be observed.

“The two caucuses have been using their majority in the continental parliament to ensure only their candidates occupy the presidency, and when the time comes to account they use the same majority to shield them from accounting for how they spent the funds of the PAP,” said Masondo.

He said the 2001 protocol of the PAP provides for the principle of rotation as stipulated in Article 12(2), which obligates election of the Bureau of PAP to ensure equal representation of the five regions of the continent, while Article 12(4) requires to rank vice-presidents initially with the results of a vote and later by rotation.

“An AU Executive Council decision adopted in June 2017 called upon the PAP ’to apply the African Union values, rules and regulations in managing all activities of the organ, including rotation of the Bureau and presidency. The AU uses the principle of geographical rotation ‘to ensure the recruitment and appointment/election process … allow each region to assume the role on rotation basis …’,” said Masondo.

“The southern and northern regional caucuses are the only two of the five caucuses in the continent that have not held the presidency of the PAP since it was established in March 2004. The northern regional caucus has not nominated a candidate for the presidency, while the southern caucus has nominated current acting PAP president Honourable Chief Fortune Charumbira as its candidate.”

South Africa’s multiparty delegation to the PAP is led by Masondo. The additional members are Pemmy Majodina, chief whip of the African National Congress in the National Assembly, former chief whip of the ANC Dr Mathole Motshekga, Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, and Thembekile Majola from the Democratic Alliance.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher