Popular Democratic Movement leader and Pan-African Parliament (PAP) member McHenry Venaani this week revealed the southern region caucus has seconded chiefs’ council president Fortune Charumbira for the legislative body’s top job.
The SADC caucus has been campaigning for the Zimbabwean MP for the presidency ahead of the PAP elective congress.
The PAP will elect a new leadership today in Sandton, South Africa.
Venaani has since been appointed by Charumbira as his campaign manager after his former manager and Malawian MP Yeremiah Chihana also threw his name in the hat a few weeks ago, a development which is seen as likely to divide the region.
Many fear PAP could descend into chaos again when it sits to elect the new leadership this week as experienced in 2021.
Last year, proceedings at the sitting of the PAP in Midrand were suspended after chaotic scenes, sparked by the election of a new PAP president, rocked the session.
At issue is the so-called principle of rotation, which, if implemented, could see the election of the first PAP president from SADC.
The principle provides for the PAP presidency to rotate among the five regions of the African Union.
It is followed by the AU in all its organs as a means to unite the continent. Of the continent’s five regions, southern Africa and north African regions are the only two that have not held the presidency since its inception in 2004.
Venaani said they have converged after a 12-month suspension of PAP.
“We have been insisting that AU organs have always been operating on the rotational principle. Therefore, the rotational principle should be implemented at AU. The southern and northern African regions never had a chance, and they must present their candidates for the position of presidency,” Venaani said yesterday. According to him, he was appointed due to the strategic approach he has displayed during PAP sessions.
Venaani boasted he played a critical role in heightening the crisis and collapsing the last elections.
“With my knowledge of many heads of state and governments, as a leader of the opposition, I know a lot of presidents, and they know who I am. This makes my job easier,” said Venaani.
“We have been campaigning a lot for a couple of months across the region. We have been doing Zoom meetings and a number of activities to consolidate our position. Yesterday (Sunday), I was midwifing critical meetings between the northern regions to give support to bring major countries such as Egypt and Nigeria together to come and agree on common position,” he stated.
Venaani promoted Charumbira as an experienced leader of PAP since its inception in 2004.
He chaired an audit committee, which helped bring the books of PAP under check, Venaani said.
“We are bringing in an experienced leader to consolidate Africa and make this parliament respectable, and serve in the interest of the people of Africa. We are moving forward to resolve the crisis,” said Venaani.
Sunday Times reported that according to the sources, not all the AU regions have accepted the rotational principle – and so far, it was just a “gentleman’s agreement”.
The principle is likely to come up for discussion in September when the body meets to discuss policies and after the relevant structures have been established.
Sunday Times further reported that PAP sources have also spoken of rumours of a possible disruption by the SADC caucus if the rotation policy is not implemented.
“We hear of a possible breakdown of the session because the south will insist on rotation, but it is not on the agenda – and it can’t be on the agenda because there are no structures and relevant officials to make it possible to have a policy. For now, rotation is a pie in the sky,” Sunday Times quoted an insider.
There will be no deliberations on policy.
The only item on the agenda is elections.
Policy discussions will come only after a president and all officials have been elected and when the session officially sits, which is expected to be later this year.
Venaani, deputy speaker of the National Assembly Loide Kasingo and Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi are Namibian representatives at PAP.
– anakale@nepc.com.na