PAP President Charumbira addresses SADC-PF in Malawi

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H. E. Chief Senator Fortune Zephania Charumbira on Monday made his first official speaking engagement at the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s 51st Plenary Assembly Session in Malawi taking place from 07 to 16 July, 2022. 

Addressing the SADC parliamentarians,  Charumbira commended the Forum for its commitment to strengthening regional parliamentary cooperation and relationships and noted that the collaborative and mutual engagements of PAP and SADC PF embody the best hope for regional integration which is integral to the actualization of the fundamental objectives articulated by this Assembly, of bringing energy security, sufficiency and sustainability into “parliamentary spotlight” and proffering pragmatic solutions towards energy self-sufficiency in the SADC region and the continent at large.

He pledged the support of PAP and promised that the Parliament’s Permanent Committee on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology will vigorously accelerate PAP’s commitment to develop the regulatory framework to expand infrastructure, address the challenges of Africa’s over dependence on fossil fuels through a transition to renewable energy, and build the capacity of the citizenry for enhanced affordable access to energy in line with the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063.

Charumbira commended the organizers of the SADC Parliamentary Forum 51^st Plenary Assembly Session for their insightful and highly innovative theme “Towards Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Self Sufficiency in the SADC Region”.

“This comes at a pivotal and defining moment in our continent in light of several international economic volatilities that has weakened our continent’s economic fundamentals and exposed the challenges of our over dependence on fossil fuels”.

He noted that “African Union Agenda 2063 commits to develop the regulatory framework, expand infrastructure, build the capacity of the citizenry for enhanced affordable access to the necessities of life: water, sanitation, electricity, transport and Internet services”.