PAP–Civil Society Dialogue Calls for Reparative Justice, Democratic Renewal, and Citizen Empowerment

The Pan‑African Parliament (PAP) has reaffirmed its commitment to justice, reparations, and inclusive governance through the Third Civil Society–Parliament Dialogue held in Midrand under the theme “Legal Reparations: Justice for Africa and People of African Descent.”
The gathering brought together parliamentarians, African Union representatives, civil society organizations, academics, and youth leaders to strengthen partnerships and chart a shared pathway toward justice, equity, and reparative development across Africa and its diaspora.

Reclaiming Africa’s Dignity through Reparations

Opening the dialogue, H. E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of PAP, underscored PAP’s central role in advancing Africa’s collective voice on sovereignty, justice, and human rights. He reminded participants that reparations extend beyond financial compensation to encompass “the restoration of dignity, identity, and economic empowerment.”

President Charumbira emphasised that PAP and civil society are “two sides of the same coin”: both dedicated to amplifying citizens’ voices and holding institutions accountable. He called for stronger collaboration between legislators and civic actors to ensure participatory democracy, human rights protection, and sustainable development throughout the continent.

He also drew attention to the crises in the Sahel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, decrying the humanitarian toll of conflict and calling on African institutions to champion democratic governance and accountability. “Without democracy, there can be no sustainable security. Without accountability, there can be no legitimacy,” he asserted.

Chief Charumbira also stressed that electoral legitimacy must translate into accountable and participatory leadership to achieve genuine good governance.

Dlamini-Zuma: Reparations as a Legal and Moral Imperative

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini‑Zuma, former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, described PAP as “the symbol of Africa’s aspiration” and the voice of its people. She traced the continent’s pursuit of reparative justice from the 1900 Pan-African Congress to the 1993 Abuja Conference on Reparations, framing reparations as a legal, moral, and historical imperative.

“Reparations are not a plea for sympathy or charity,” she said. “They are an acknowledgment of the crimes of slavery, colonialism, and apartheid and a commitment to repair the damage that still endures.”

Dr Dlamini-Zuma urged that reparations must be transformative and inclusive, especially for women, youth, and marginalized communities. She lamented Africa’s continued dependence despite vast natural wealth, warning that “whoever feeds you, controls you,” quoting the late Thomas Sankara.

She stressed that peace and security are the bedrock of justice, lamenting the conflicts in Sudan and the DRC where women and the elderly bear the greatest burden. “PAP must not only be the legislative voice,” she said, “but also the moral voice that speaks to the continent.”

Civil Society’s Call for Accountability and Inclusion

Bonolo Makgale, Program Manager at the Centre for Human Rights and Convener of the PAP CSO Forum, highlighted the essential role of civil society in keeping PAP people-centred. She called for robust feedback mechanisms and transparent systems to enhance parliamentary responsiveness.

Human rights lawyer Ruth Kwangwa and governance expert Sarah Wesonga echoed calls for accountability, access to information, and structured citizen participation as the bedrock of inclusive governance. Civil society participants urged greater emphasis on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, industrialization, and women’s inclusion in decision-making.

Strengthening the Interface between PAP and Domestic Legislatures

Adding a critical dimension to the dialogue, Caroline Gaita, Executive Director of the Mzalendo Trust (Kenya) and Chairperson of the Africa Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations Network (APMON), addressed the theme of “Strengthening the interface between PAP and domestic legislatures, enhancing citizens’ access to outcomes from PAP.” She underscored the need to ensure that the work of PAP does not remain purely continental in character but is actively translated into national legislative action and citizen engagement.

Gaita also summarized the core recommendations reached during the Fifth APMON Conference held in Pretoria in September:

·       Establish formal mechanisms for tracking how PAP resolutions are implemented at national level, including citizen-accessible dashboards and legislative monitoring platforms.

·       Enhance capacity-building for parliamentary monitoring organisations (PMOs) across Africa to support both PAP and national legislatures in oversight and transparency functions.

·       Promote structured partnerships between CSOs, PMOs and domestic legislatures to ensure public awareness of PAP’s work and its relevance to everyday governance.

·       Ensure youth and women’s voices are meaningfully included in monitoring and follow-up processes, so that outcomes from PAP’s work are accessible, visible and accountable at grassroots level.

Her remarks reinforced the importance of the implementation gap between continental policy-making and national legislative realities, and the role of civil society in bridging that gap.

Panel on Democracy and Security in the Sahel and DRC

A high-level panel on Democratic Governance and Security Challenges in the Sahel and the DRC, moderated by Achieng Akena and Lukhanyo Deer of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, featured Binta Sidibe‑Gascon, Janah Ncube, Dr Hesphina Rukato, and Ambassador Welile Nhlapo.

Ms Ncube warned that militarized responses often worsen human suffering and urged civil society to strengthen early-warning systems. Madame Sidibe-Gascon emphasised rebuilding local governance and social cohesion, while Dr Rukato and Mr Deer advocated for structured engagement between civil society and PAP through monitoring frameworks and transparency indices such as the Open Parliament Index. Ambassador Nhlapo called for closer linkage between PAP resolutions and national legislative processes, ensuring that citizen voices shape continental decisions.

Panel discussions further explored instability, unconstitutional changes of government, and the humanitarian toll of conflicts, calling for African-led peace-building efforts, inclusive governance, and the empowerment of youth and women as agents of peace.

A Permanent PAP–Civil Society Desk

In his closing remarks, President Charumbira reaffirmed PAP’s resolve to advance reparations, democratic governance, and peace. He announced the establishment of a Permanent PAP–Civil Society Desk to institutionalize collaboration and coordinate regional parliamentary engagement.

“This dialogue must not end here,” he said. “Reparations, democratic governance, and security are interconnected: they are about restoring Africa’s dignity, protecting human life, and ensuring justice and self-determination for all Africans.”