Jacob Zuma Promotes Pan Africanism

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Quoting Dan Kashagama "Today the Second Legislature of the Pan African Parliament opened its first ordinary session. Jacob Zuma, president of the AU republic of South Africa attended the opening and gave a brilliant speech calling for the PAP to be given full legislative powers and its members elected by universal suffrage. So, I am happy right now"...

The PAP opened its First Ordinary Session of the Second Legislature 27/10/2009

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JOHANNESBURG – The Pan African Parliament (PAP) today opened its First Ordinary Session of the Second Legislature in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a call from host President Jacob Zuma for African leaders to speed up regional integration efforts. He assured the House of South Africa’s commitment “to the aim of the pan African Parliament to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage" “We must pay greater attention to the economic integration of our continent … our economic development is hampered by the barriers we ourselves have constructed along the lines of the colonial maps,” Mr Zuma told the Members of PAP who come from across Africa. “As a consequence, we find ourselves divided into more than 50 different markets, with a multiplicity of trade and investment regulations, manufacturing standards, currencies, and jurisdictions.” Mr Zuma said regional integration would lead to improved infrastructure as well as enhanced scientific development and technological innovation across the continent. “Our electricity, transport and telecommunications infrastructure is fragmented, and often not compatible. We do not collaborate in scientific development and technological innovation. Most of our countries have a greater volume of trade with countries across the ocean than with those with whom we share the same soil,” he observed. President Zuma also called on reluctant African countries to quickly ratify the AU Protocol establishing the PAP, saying this body would help foster conflict-resolution on the continent. Africa is home to millions of the world’s poorest people, and analysts say wars and conflicts have largely contributed to the continent’s high poverty levels, he said. “The pan African parliament can no longer delay a detailed discussion leading up to specific resolutions and recommendations to the au, if these issues are not discussed there would be very little point for the existence of these parliament”he added “Our people remain exposed to disease and malnutrition, with high rates of child mortality and declining life expectancy, despite significant medical advances and improved health care provision. Parts of our continent, he said, are still plagued by war and conflict, political instability and the removal of governments by unconstitutional means,” President Zuma added. The First Ordinary Session of the Second Legislature of the PAP is discussing among other issues, the revision of the Protocol establishing the PAP and the transformation of the PAP into a legislative organ, climate change, South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 soccer World Cup and the PAP Budget for 2010. PAP President Hon. Dr. Moussa Idriss Ndele, of Chad, said the continental legislature would work towards ensuring a free and democratic Africa. “Let’s build a united PAP so that we can become a parliament with full legislative powers to exercise oversight and ensure that (all) governments pursue African Union programmes,” Hon. Ndele said. The PAP is an organ of the African Union (AU) seeking to provide a common platform for African people and their grass-roots organizations to participate in decision-making.

Tags: jacob zuma, pan-African, african union, South Africa