Africa’s ‘parliamentarians’ ask themselves, ‘what are we here for?’
With an annual budget of $22m, the Pan-African Parliament meets twice a year for sessions that require 60 interpreters
Though its motto is One Africa, One Voice, the reality of "Africa’s parliament" could not be more different. Since its creation in 2004, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has struggled to make its voice heard, prompting its deputies to ask themselves at a recent gathering: "What are we for?" "Every time we’re here, we obsess over the same things. If we are not making laws, then what’s the point of being here?" Corneille Padonou, of Benin, said to his fellow parliamentarians. "This forum is not a parliament, it is just a discussion platform that does not have any legislative powers. This institution is still wobbly," EFF MP Floyd Shivambu said. "As it is, it is a waste of resources." The PAP, which is headquartered in SA, has 229 parliamentarians from 51 countries appointed from among those nation’s parliaments. On paper, the assembly is the legislative branch of the African Union (AU). But in reality it merely has consultative powers. "Its role is essentially limited to making recomm...
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