PAP October Session To Kick Off As Scheduled

H.E. Rt. Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang

The 3^rd Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) scheduled to hold, from 07 to 19 October 2019 at the seat of the Parliament in Midrand will go on as planned. This was contained in a statement signed by the President of the PAP, Rt. Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang following an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau on Tuesday, 24 September 2019.

There had been speculations on the possibility of change of dates due to concerns by some parliamentarians on the recent of the xenophobic violence that occurred earlier this month which led to loss of lives and property among other casualties. The Bureau acknowledged measures taken by the South African government to guarantee peace and security of visiting parliamentarians as a key reason to go ahead with the October statutory meeting.

“After thorough consultations with various stakeholders including South African authorities and the PAP Secretariat, the Bureau has concluded that enormous efforts have been made to ensure a safe environment for all participants during the upcoming session of Parliament.

“As we continue to monitor the situation, we are reassured by the security measures put in place and the leadership role played by H.E Cyril RAMAPHOSA and its government to root out these unfortunate incidents,” notes the Bureau of the PAP.

“The Bureau has also reiterated its condemnation for the attacks of Africans by fellow Africans and urges all actors to find a durable solution to make South Africa a safe haven for all Africans residing in this nation.”

“The 3^rd Ordinary Session of the fifth Parliament will be held under the African Union theme of 2019: “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa.’’

“The Bureau therefore urges and encourages all the PAP MP’s and other participants to proceed with preparations and attend the planned Ordinary Session”.