Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THE Pan African Parliament (PAP) has received a financial lifeline following the approval of a US$650 000 budget allocation by the African Union Executive Council.
According to a report by New Ziana, the funding lifeline was endorsed during the Council’s 47th Extraordinary Session held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, following recommendations by the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) and the decision comes just days before the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament is scheduled to convene in Midrand, South Africa, from July 21 to August 1, 2025.
According to the Executive Council, the special allocation is intended to support a broad range of urgent operational requirements including the upcoming Ordinary Session, participation in AU activities, Bureau meetings, rotational duties, and interpretation services.
The move follows sustained lobbying by the Bureau of the Pan African Parliament, led by its President, Chief Fortune Charumbira.
He has consistently warned that the Parliament’s ability to execute its mandate has been severely weakened by a post-pandemic funding model that no longer reflects the realities of its full return to physical operations.
“In the wake of COVID-19, the PAP was left with a lockdown-era budget that has proved woefully inadequate for its expanding responsibilities,” said Chief Charumbira.
“This special allocation, while still insufficient, is a crucial first step toward restoring some measure of functionality to our institution.”
The Parliament’s budget was drastically reduced in 2019 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with AU authorities implementing cutbacks premised on the transition to virtual operations. However, despite the resumption of full physical sessions from 29 June 2022, the annual financial envelope has not been adjusted accordingly.
This has led to widespread operational paralysis, particularly within the Parliament’s oversight committees—often regarded as the engine room of legislative work.
While the newly approved allocation falls short of addressing all of PAP’s financial needs, it marks a significant shift in AU sentiment toward the role and relevance of the continental legislature.
