PAP President explains delay in appointing new Clerk

President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H. E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira has disclosed that the delay in recruitment of Clerk of Parliament was due to an impasse with the African Union Commission (AUC).

H. E. Hon. Chief Charumbira made the disclosure on Monday while delivering his opening speech at the March Committee Sitting at the seat of the Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.

It would be recalled that PAP had sometime last in 2022, advertised for about twenty-five (25) vacant positions including that of Clerk and Deputy Clerk using the African Union recruitment portal.

“We reached an impasse with the AUC on the recruitment process after we justifiably requested access to the CVs of all the 356 applicants for the position Clerk. Regrettably, that process dragged on for an inordinately long time as the AUC dug in and refused to give us access to the CVs though the African Union (AU) Rules themselves state that recruitment is the responsibility of Organs of the AU” Charumbira explained.

“In the interest of progress, we eventually relented and we have since been given 6 CVs of shortlisted candidates for the position of Clerk. We are still waiting for the shortlist for the position of Deputy Clerk. All things being equal, we should conduct the interviews before the end of this session” concluded H. E. Chief Charumbira.     

One wonders why the AUC insisted on being involved in the PAP recruitment process without any legal basis. This is because, Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the AU which is the supreme law of the Union, made it clear that the composition, functions, powers and organization of the Parliament, are defined in the PAP Protocol.

The PAP Protocol in Article 12 made it clear that the elected President and four Vice Presidents (Bureau) of the Parliament shall be responsible for the management and administration of the affairs and facilities of the Pan-African Parliament and went further to state that the Pan-African Parliament shall appoint a Clerk, two Deputy Clerks and such other staff and functionaries as it may deem necessary for the proper discharge of its functions.

Former Clerk of the Parliament, Vipya Harawa retired at the end of March 2022, having reached the mandatory retirement age and an Acting Clerk was appointed on 01 April 2023 for a non-renewable tenure of one year under the AU Staff Rules and Regulations.

The implication is that unless the recruitment of Clerk of Parliament is completed by the end of March 2023, the position will, as mandated by the AU Staff Rules and Regulations, be declared vacant.