Lindiwe Khumalo emerges Pan-African Parliament’s first female Clerk of Parliament

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-      As Akibate is appointed Acting Deputy Clerk

The Pan-African Parliament on Thursday approved the appointment of Mrs. Lindiwe Khumalo from the Republic of South Africa as the Clerk of the Parliament. The approval of the Parliament was pursuant to the provisions of Rule 17(f) of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure which requires the Bureau to propose to the Parliament, the appointment of Clerk and Deputy Clerks to Parliament.

The Parliament was also informed that Mr. Kenneth Akibate from Ghana who is currently the Sergeant-at-Arms, has been appointed the Acting Deputy Clerk (Finance, Administration and Human Resources) with effect from 01 June 2023. Akibate’s acting appointment became necessary following the Bureau’s decision to re-advertise the vacant position of Deputy Clerk after the ongoing recruitment exercise failed to produce the required four short-listed candidates.

Recommending Mrs. Khulamlo’s appointment to the Plenary, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, H.E Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira detailed the competitive process that led to the appointment of the new Clerk after the position had remained vacant for over a year. Hon. Chief Charumbira told Pan-African Parliamentarians that the Bureau is confident that the appointment of Mrs Khumalo, the first female Clerk since the establishment of the institution in 2004, will propel the Secretariat of the Continental Parliament to new heights.

Prior to joining the Pan-African Parliament as Clerk, Lindiwe Khumalo served as the Acting Executive Secretary to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Other notable executive positions held by Mrs. Khumalo include serving as Chief Operations Officer, and thereafter Chief Executive Officer of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Additionally, she held several advisory positions which include serving as Technical Advisor to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

On his part, Mr. Akibate has previously acted as Deputy Clerk in the past and has been a staff of the Parliament since 2006. He had prior to 2006, served in the Parliament of Ghana.