Zimbabwe’s Charumbira re-elected as Pan-African Parliament president

Zimbabwean politician Fortune Charumbira has been re-elected as the president of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).

The Pan-African Parliament held elections in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Monday.

The Namibian delegation to the PAP was divided over their preferred candidate for the position of PAP president.

Charumbira was the preferred candidate, while Miles Sampa also vied for the top seat.

The Namibian delegation is led by the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Loide Kasingo.

While the delegation appears to favour Charumbira’s re-election, Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernardus Swartbooi has publicly voiced his support for Sampa.

Other members of the delegation include Swapo parliamentarians Hamunyela Hambuka and Gerhard Shiimi, as well as Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani.

Venaani was Charumbira’s campaign manager last year.

The PAP website states that the vacancies arose due to “elections and unconstitutional changes of government in some of the African Union member states”.

The outcome of the elections would also fill the positions of first and fourth vice president of the PAP bureau.

LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa on Sunday said Swartbooi was disappointed.

He said Swartbooi expressed his disappointment in Charumbira’s leadership style as he [Charumbira] failed to maintain the standard of the PAP, and that he blocked the topic of Namibia’s genocide from being discussed.

Charumbira has been accused of sexual assault and embezzling US$4,5 million of the PAP, including US$45 000 for a trip to Egypt in 2023.