Charumbira Sounds Alarm on PAP’s Budget Crisis, Calls for Restoration of Members’ Allowances and Institutional Renewal

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, has decried the dire financial situation facing the continental legislature, warning that persistent underfunding and staff shortages threaten to paralyze the institution’s ability to discharge its treaty-based mandate.

Speaking at the opening of the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament, Chief Charumbira revealed that PAP received a supplementary allocation of only US $358,000 to host its two-week plenary, far short of the US $1.3 million normally required to convene such a session.

“Faced with this situation, the option was either to postpone the Session or make the most of what we have,” he said. “Your Bureau opted for the latter, and working with the Secretariat, we found a way to make it work, including mobilizing partners to support our programmes.”

The President lamented that such budgetary strain has become chronic, undermining the Parliament’s independence and credibility as an organ of the African Union (AU). He noted that several programmes on the Session’s agenda had to be externally funded by development partners to bridge the gap, calling the situation unsustainable for a statutory AU organ.

Restoration of Members’ Allowances

Chief Charumbira reaffirmed the Bureau’s ongoing efforts to restore the allowances of Members of Parliament in accordance with Article 10 of the PAP Protocol, stressing that their entitlements were inseparable from the institution’s functional autonomy.

“Members have expressed frustration with both the inadequacy of the PAP budget and the non-payment of allowances in violation of the PAP Protocol,” he said, adding that a plenary would be convened to deliberate specifically on the issue.

Staff Retirements and Human Resource Shortages

He further disclosed that the Parliament faces a looming human resource crisis, with the impending retirement of two of its longest-serving staff: Mr. Kenneth Akibate, Acting Deputy Clerk for Finance and Administration, and Ms. Marie Christiane Bebey, a senior Committee Clerk.

With recruitment frozen due to AU budgetary restrictions, staff vacancies have risen to over 37 percent, leaving critical posts such as Head of Finance, Senior Internal Auditor, and Head of Human Resources unfilled.

“Losing two people of such competence and experience will be a huge blow,” he warned. “As a Bureau, we will continue lobbying AU Organs to allow recruitment, but we also need the support of Members.”

Condolences and Climate Solidarity

Earlier in his remarks, the PAP President led the House in observing a minute of silence in honour of Kenya’s late Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and Ghana’s former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing them as “giants who bequeathed Africa a legacy of service and sacrifice.”

He also expressed condolences to victims of landslides in Kenya and Uganda, and Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, linking these tragedies to the growing impact of climate change. Chief Charumbira urged Africa to speak with one voice at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, pressing for concrete delivery on climate finance, just energy transition, adaptation, and loss-and-damage compensation.

“Africa needs predictable, accessible, and equitable climate finance. The era of pledges without delivery must end,” he stressed.

Commending South Africa’s G20 Leadership

Chief Charumbira commended South Africa for its leadership in ensuring Africa’s voice is heard in global governance forums, particularly during its G20 presidency which culminated in the African Union’s admission as a permanent G20 member.

“South Africa stood not just for national but continental interests, embodying the principle of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.

Reaffirming PAP’s Mandate and Relevance

Revisiting the founding rationale of the PAP, the President underscored that the Union could not claim to be a “Union of citizens” without a continental legislature representing the people’s will.

“The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament gave the Union the democratic legitimacy it needed,” he noted, adding that the Parliament serves as a watchdog institution ensuring accountability and checks and balances across AU Executive Organs.

A Focus on Democracy, Youth and Gender

The Session’s programme, he said, reflects PAP’s renewed focus on issues affecting the continent, from democratic backsliding and military coups, to youth inclusion and gender equality. He announced upcoming deliberations on “The Impact of Military Coups and the Militarisation of Politics on Constitutionalism and Democracy in Africa” in partnership with the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights, as well as two landmark events:

• The 5th APRM Youth Symposium, aimed at mainstreaming young voices in policymaking; and
• The Beijing +30 Conference, reflecting on progress and gaps in achieving gender equality since 1995.

Parliamentary Diplomacy and Legislative Leadership

Chief Charumbira highlighted PAP’s expanding role in parliamentary diplomacy, citing renewed collaboration with the European Parliament ahead of the forthcoming AU–EU Heads of State Summit in Luanda.

The session will also review several Model Laws including on Labour Migration, Gender Equality, Sustainable Soil Management, and Implementation of Decisions of African Human Rights Bodies as part of PAP’s statutory role in harmonizing national legislation across Member States.

He also announced plans to develop Model Laws on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence, in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), to ensure Africa’s digital transformation is guided by inclusive and ethical governance.

Commitment to the African Citizen

Closing his remarks, Chief Charumbira called on Members to approach their legislative and oversight duties with humility and purpose:

“Whatever we do here at PAP, we do it not for our own self-aggrandizement but for the benefit of the people whose sacred mandate we represent. Let us commit to deliver the Africa that our people and posterity will be proud of: a peaceful, prosperous Africa that is a dynamic player in the global world.”