PAP Southern Caucus reaffirms support for Charumbira

The Southern Regional Caucus in the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has reaffirmed its support for Chief Senator Fortune Charumbira as the region’s candidate in the forthcoming election for the parliament’s president scheduled to hold on 30 June 2022.

This was contained in a release by the Acting Chairperson of the Southern Regional Caucus in PAP and ANC Chief Whip, Hon. Pemmy Majodina. She debunked insinuations of division in the regional caucus.

Hon. Majodina explained that the leaders of the country delegations from the Southern region to PAP recently held a very successful strategic meeting in Zimbabwe where they reaffirmed that Chief Senator Charumbira remains the candidate of the Southern Caucus.

“We are united and focused in our resolve to build a new, united and responsive parliament that will protect the interest of African people” she maintained.

Hon. Majodina stated that the Southern Caucus has mapped out a program to reach out to the other four regions to preach unity and cohesion of the continent.

She clarified that the decision to reaffirm Chief Charumbira’s candidacy was based on a May 2021 unanimous resolution taken by the region before the suspension of the session, and maintained that the resolution still subsists.

Majodina further disclosed that while in Zimbabwe for the strategic meeting, the Caucus leaders met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Speaker of the Zimbabwe Parliament Rt. Hon. Adv. Jacob Mudenda to ensure that Chief Charumbira has the full backing of his country.

It would be recalled that Chief Charumbira has been a member of the PAP since its establishment on 18 March 2004 and is arguably the highest ranking member of the parliament. He has served in various committees including the Committee on Audit and Public Accounts and was elected Fourth Vice President in 2018. He became the Acting President of the parliament in March 2021 and was nominated as the candidate of the Southern Caucus in May 2021.