BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Members of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), including five from Eswatini, yesterday participated in the elections that saw Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira of Zimbabwe being re-elected to be President of the continental legislative body.
The elections took place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, South Africa, where the African Parliament is situated. Charumbira was here in Eswatini three weeks ago to canvass for votes from the Eswatini Legislators who are members of the PAP.
According to those close to the matter, Charumbira is said to have reasoned with the Lawmakers that he was still interested in the top position of this institution, as he felt he had not finished his term as President. Charumbira competed for this position with Sampa Miles from Zambia, while they were still competing from the Southern African Caucus. Miles is said to have also come to Eswatini to canvass.
According to Spiked, an online media outlet, Charumbira garnered 127 votes, after running as a sole candidate from the Southern Africa. Charumbira returns to the position he previously held between June 2022 and August 2023, before the post became vacant, when he left to participate in the general elections back home in Zimbabwe to renew his term of office as Senator.
Other positions that had been vacant, apart from that of being President, were those of First Vice President and Fourth Vice President. These positions were filled by Professor Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf from Mauritania and Djidda Mamar Mahamat from Chad, respectively. The two Legislators got 149 and 153 votes, respectively. These positions were vacant, following elections and unconstitutional changes of Government in some African Union (AU) Member States.
The fully reconstituted Bureau of the PAP is as follows:
President: His Excellency Hon. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira (Zimbabwe) – Southern Africa.
First Vice President: Hon. Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf (Mauritania) – Northern Africa.
Second Vice President: Hon Dr. Ashebir Woldegiorgis Gayo (Ethiopia) – Eastern Africa.
Third Vice President: Hon. Lucia Dos Passos (Cape Verde) – Western Africa.
Fourth Vice President: Hon Djidda Mamar Mahamat (Chad) – Central Africa.
