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Mukudzei Chingwere-Herald Reporter

The SADC and the Africa as a whole are stronger together than they can ever be as individual countries, president of the Pan African Parliament PAP, Chief Fortune Charumbira has said.

He made the remarks in his solidarity statement at the 51st SADC Parliamentary Forum Plenary Assembly yesterday in Malawi.

Chief Charumbira said that all the structures of PAP are now in place and the continental Parliament is primed for take-off towards “strengthening continental solidarity, co-operation and development and promoting peace, security and stability on the African continent.” 

He said his PAP election victory:

“Has taught me that as a Region and as a continent we are stronger together than we can ever be as individual countries,” said Chief Charumbira.

“The historic entrenchment of the principle of rotational leadership at the PAP is a consequence of the collective strength of the Southern African Region and our brothers and sisters from other Regions who stood with us. Southern Africa alone could not have achieved this epoch-defining victory.

“Notably, it is not lost on us that it is the relationships that were woven through this critically important regional platform, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, that conjured up the meeting of Hon. Speakers to rally support for one candidate.”

Chief Charumbira said the transitioning into a SADC Parliament takes me to a third and equally important lesson.

He implored recognition and acknowledged that the Pan African Parliament and the SADC PF operate in the same space.

“As we gear up to work for the sustainable development and prosperity of our continent, I must commend the organisers of the 51st Plenary Assembly for the relevant and timely theme “Towards Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency in the SADC Region”

“The theme could not have come at a more opportune time in view of the current global developments, including climate change, which has brought pointed focus on renewable energy.”

Chief Charumbira said Africans are inherently one people, with intricately intertwined vernacular languages and sharing common words as well as phrases which point to our intimate relations.

He said none are French, either English or Portuguese by birth, saying the Berlin drawn division under which our continent is still living was as much cultural as it was economic and political.

“As a result of the linguistic encirclement of our continent, we have come to be defined and to define ourselves in terms of the languages of imperialist imposition and, sadly, we have allowed ourselves to be divided by the same,” said Chief Charumbira.

“Language has been at the heart of contending forces at the Pan African Parliament and I hope and pray that it will never be a source of disunity within the SADC PF.

“What unites us as African people is infinitely more than what should ever divide us. Preserve the unity that you have regardless of the language differences. At the end of it all, we are all Africans and we are one people.”