By Aldridge Dzvene
MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA – The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has once again been thrust into the continental spotlight as African legislators use its Fifth Ordinary Session to intensify calls for meaningful reform in how the African Union (AU) and its organs are funded. The session, held in Midrand, South Africa, is quickly becoming a platform not just for ceremonial proceedings, but for urgent discussions on the continent’s financial independence, institutional relevance, and integration ambitions under Agenda 2063.
On Tuesday, PAP resumed debate on the African Union’s funding model and its impact on the operations of the Parliament. Presided over by PAP President Chief Fortune Charumbira, the debate was as pointed as it was passionate, with lawmakers urging a paradigm shift in how Africa finances its aspirations.
“The AU has established very good institutions, and lack of funding is actually the shortcoming,” noted Hon. Margaret Kamar of Kenya. “For us to be able to talk loudly about increasing the funding, we must first discuss the AU’s current performance. It is important that AU organs, PAP included, work together to build synergies and adopt the most efficient ways of spending money.”
Kamar’s comments speak to a growing concern among African legislators: the dissonance between grand institutional visions and the financial realities that often leave those visions underfunded or altogether stalled.
Ambassador George Orina, Chairperson of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee subcommittee on budgetary, financial and administrative matters, made a sobering case for urgent reform. “Financing the Union is more than just about meeting Johannesburg Targets on Self Financing. It is an existential challenge. It threatens the very fabric of Africa’s development agenda and undermines our peace and security efforts,” he said.
This existential concern is echoed in the African Union’s 2025 theme: Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations. It sets a bold tone for the current session, one that acknowledges the past but is equally focused on building structures for future justice, prosperity and inclusion.
PAP President Chief Charumbira’s leadership has been central to repositioning PAP as a functional legislative body. Rather than presiding over symbolic debates, Charumbira is pushing for tangible outcomes. His pending address is expected to articulate a reformist vision anchored in institutional oversight, financial accountability, and greater alignment with Agenda 2063.
The session is also being marked by the swearing-in of new parliamentarians, an act that symbolizes renewal. With growing pressure for greater gender parity, youth participation, and regional inclusivity, the composition of PAP is beginning to reflect the demographic reality of Africa. It is not just about seating representatives; it is about seating relevance.
One of the most significant developments to emerge so far is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between PAP and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). While such agreements can often feel procedural, this particular MoU has real implications. It opens the door for joint missions, collaborative governance reviews, and cross-institutional support. It signals that institutions must work together if the continent’s shared goals are to be met.
But even with these steps, one truth remains clear: symbolic progress will no longer suffice. The African electorate is becoming more informed, more connected, and increasingly impatient with rhetoric that is not matched by results. African parliaments, both regional and national, are being called upon to be more than just forums for speeches. They must be agents of transformation.
This PAP session, running until August 1, holds the potential to be transformative if it can pivot from promise to performance. That means equipping committees with investigative power, demanding implementation of adopted resolutions, and establishing clearer lines of engagement with citizens.
As African economies strive to recover from global shocks, battle illicit financial flows, and assert their voice in global governance, the question of funding is not just a logistical one. It is political, philosophical, and deeply existential. It defines who drives Africa’s agenda and who reaps its outcomes.
For PAP, this session is a test. A test of whether it can harness its continental mandate to shape the policies and institutions that Africa so desperately needs. Whether it will remain a forum for elite discussions or become a bridge between the people and the policies meant to serve them.
In these next weeks, all eyes will be on Midrand. What happens in the chamber could either reaffirm the Pan-African Parliament’s role in shaping Africa’s future or relegate it to the sidelines of continental discourse. The path forward will be defined not just by the speeches delivered, but by the steps taken.
