ISS: Pan-African Parliamentâs woes reflect a crisis in leadership
Written by ISSAfrica -
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The PAP can only be saved if MPs truly represent African citizens and the AU gives the body power.
Chaotic scenes at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Johannesburg last week have prompted a strong reaction from across the continent. African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for PAP activities to be suspended until the issues around electing a new PAP president and bureau were settled. The incidents have exposed an institution that, except for recurrent scandals of corruption, has hitherto existed in obscurity.
Many ask whether the PAP is worth maintaining. It costs the AU around US$15 million annually and considerable sums to member states whose delegates attend the sittings twice a year. The host country, South Africa, pays for the venue of the PAPâs bi-annual sitting at the Gallagher Estate convention centre.
Chaotic scenes at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Johannesburg last week have prompted a strong reaction from across the continent. African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for PAP activities to be suspended until the issues around electing a new PAP president and bureau were settled. The incidents have exposed an institution that, except for recurrent scandals of corruption, has hitherto existed in obscurity. Many ask whether the PAP is worth maintaining. It costs the AU around US$15-million annually and considerable sums to member states whose delegates attend the sittings twice a year. The host country, South Africa, pays for the venue of the PAP’s bi-annual sitting at the Gallagher Estate convention centre.
The Presidents of Zimbabwe and Botswana met in Harare on Wednesday as Southern African states rushed to craft a response to the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique.
The regional bloc is said to be preparing a military intervention in Mozambique s northern Cabo Delgado region, where militant violence has been raging since 2017.
Last week, armed fighters overrun the costal town of Palma - killing dozens of civilians and sending thousands fleeing for safety. President Masisi is the current chairperson of the troika, so he was briefing me about the security situation in the region with particular emphasis on what is happening in Cabo Delgado, said Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe.
SADC leaders discuss Mozambique security situation thezimbabwemail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thezimbabwemail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.