Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
Zimbabwe continues to stake its claim as a key player in the world governance architecture after National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda was today elected as chair of the Bureau of all Speakers of Africa that will closely work with the Pan African Parliament (PAP).
Advocate Mudenda was elected unopposed during the ongoing continental Speakers’ Conference taking place at the seat of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) seat in Midrand, Johannesburg.
The speakers’ conference started today and ends tomorrow. Immediate past PAP president and one of Zimbabwe’s representatives to the continental legislature, Chief Fortune Charumbira, confirmed Advocate Mudenda’s victory.
He revealed that Advocate Mudenda will be chair of the bureau of all speakers of Africa for a year.
According to Chief Charumbira, Advocate Mudenda’s victory was a seal of approval on President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement drive as he shepherds Zimbabwe into becoming an upper-middle-income economy by the year 2030.
During the Speakers’ conference, each regional caucus nominated one person into the Speakers’ Bureau and Advocate Mudenda was nominated unopposed to represent Southern Africa.
Chief Charumbira said Advocate Mudenda will be deputised by the Speakers from Gambia (Western Region) and Burundi (Central Region), with the Saharawi Republic (Northern Region) and Tanzania (Eastern Region) being the rapporteurs.
“The Speakers Conference meeting here in Midrand (South Africa) has chosen our Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, as Chair of the Bureau of all Speakers of Africa to work with the Pan African Parliament (PAP) for the next 12 months until another conference convenes again,” said Chief Charumbira.
“This victory by Advocate Mudenda is a sign of confidence in Zimbabwe’s leadership and growing diplomatic stature on the international arena. It is also a sign of confidence in Advocate Mudenda’s leadership.”
This latest diplomatic win by Zimbabwe is also an endorsement of Chief Charumbira’s tutelage of PAP after he led the continental legislature with distinction from 2022 to February this year, when he passed on the baton under the principle of rotation.
