The next session of the Pan African Parliament sitting in Midrand from May 7th may have more life than usual as Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema will be among South African MPs joining the House.
Malema will be joined by other new members who include the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise, and senior ANC MP Thoko Didiza.
PAP says at least eighty Parliamentarians will be sworn-in as new Members during the opening ceremony of the sixth Ordinary Session of the fourth Parliament next Monday.
This follows general elections in a number of African States and rotation within delegations. It comes ahead of the election of new leadership for the house.
According to the PAP clerk, Vipya Harawa the assembly will also be electing a new leadership drawn from the continent’s five regions.
Sittings of the Pan African Parliament often go unnoticed, but during the last session, EFF’s Floyd Shivambu made his presence felt.
The next sitting of the House begins on Monday. And South Africa will be represented by four MPs as Santosh Vinita Kalyan returns, and NCOP Chair Thandi Modise, Thokozile Didiza, Mandlesizwe Mandela and Julius Malema will be sworn-in alongside eighty new parliamentarians from the continent
All eyes will be on the election of the new leadership for the parliament, likely to replace current President Roger Nkodo Dang of Cameroon, and his four Vice-Presidents.
Member of ANC, Dr Hunadi Matene says, “Rotation is good for unity.”
EFF’s Floyd Shivambu says, “As the Southern region we have put a motion to make it a rule for regions to rotate.”
Any of the of the four South African MPs could be elected to the contested positions.
The Parliament has 255 members representing the 55 AU Member States that have ratified the Protocol that established it.
