Chief Charumbira lands top post

Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

Chiefs Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira has been designated acting president of the Pan African Parliament with effect from March 1.

Until his appointment, Chief Charumbira was the fourth vice president of the continental body from 2018.

Chief Charumbira takes over from Bouras Djamel of Algeria after his term as a Member of Parliament came to an end.

The assumption of the top post by Chief Charumbira was confirmed by PAP in a statement.

“The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) wishes to advise that Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira has been designated acting president with effect from 1 March 2021,” said PAP.

“The designation is pursuant of Article 12(4) of the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the PAP; and Article 18(2) and Article 19(1) of the PAP Rules and Procedure. Hon Charumbira is the fourth vice president of the continental Parliament representing the Southern African Region.

“He will assume the responsibilities of the office of the president until the next plenary session of the PAP, when a full Bureau is expected to be reconstituted. Hon Charumbira takes over from Hon Bouras Djamel, whose term as member of the National Peoples’ Assembly of Algeria has come to an end following an announcement last month by His Excellency Abdelmajid Tebboune, President of Algeria to dissolve the Lower House of Parliament and call for an early legislative election.”

In an interview, Chief Charumbira said he will continue to pursue the political, economic and social objectives of the continental body.

Some of the issues that PAP has been pre-occupied with include turning the body into a legislative assembly for member countries modelled along the European Union.

Other objectives is to strengthen democracy among member countries through deploying electoral observer mission in member countries that would be holding elections and table report before plenary.

It is the objective of PAP to assist in enhanced trade with little or no barriers for the good of the continent.

“I feel humbled by the confidence reposed on me,” said Chief Charumbira. “I will obviously continue to pursue from where my predecessor left in pursuance of the objectives of the continental body. There are political, economic and social objectives, just to mention but a few.

“There is a lot of work ahead in furtherance of livelihood of citizenry of our member states as we seek to deepen ties.”

Prior to his assumption of the new post, Chief Charumbira was also chairperson of the continental body’s Committee on Governance, Financial and Performance Audit (CAPA) when he elected unopposed in 2018 at the PAP seat in Midrand, South Africa.

He landed the CAPA chair after his sole challenger, Hon Bissiri Sirima of Burkina Faso, withdrew from the race.