PAP President swears in new Clerk of Parliament

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira on Thursday, swore in Mrs. Lindiwe Khumalo into her new position as Clerk of Parliament.

Thereafter, the two leaders held an introductory meeting to discuss key priority areas. The President engaged the Clerk about her role in assisting the Bureau in the discharge of their duties as provided in Article 12(5) of the Protocol that established the Parliament. Of note is the implementation of the Bureau’s commitment to “revive, renew, reposition and reinvigorate” the Pan-African Parliament.

H.E. Chief Charumbira who arrived the seat of the Parliament in Midrand, South Africa, will after the swearing in of the new Clerk, hold meetings with the PAP Bureau and Management on the financial, organizational and administrative needs, and calendar of activities for the rest of the year. He is also expected to hold meeting with staff of the Secretariat to introduce the new Clerk of Parliament and discuss priority areas with the staff.

Mrs. Khumalo becomes the first woman to take charge of the Secretariat of the Continental Parliament since the institution’s establishment in 2004. Her appointment was endorsed by the PAP Plenary in June this year, in accordance with Article 12(6) of the PAP Protocol and Rule 17 (f) of the Rules of Procedure, following a competitive process to fill the position that had remained vacant since the retirement of the former Clerk, Vipya Harawa at the end of March 2022.