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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has relinquished her post as the chairperson of the Southern African Regional Caucus of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to concentrate on various initiatives that she is spearheading as the wife of the President.

Cde Mnangagwa had been the chairperson of the organisation since October 2015.

Bidding farewell to her counterparts during the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament of the PAP in South Africa yesterday, the First Lady said she was going to concentrate on turning around the fortunes of Zimbabweans and improve their livelihood.

“Dear colleagues, I stand before you with a heavy heart to pronounce my imminent departure from this esteemed legislative body of our motherland, Africa, the PAP.

“I am now laden with the various responsibilities that come with being the First Lady of the Republic. The Book of Ecclesiastes in Chapter 3 verse 1 says: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens’.

“The close of the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Pan- African Parliament marks the end of this pleasant sojourn,” she said.

She said she was leaving PAP with a wealth of knowledge and expressed gratitude to PAP president Mr Roger Nkodo Dang, colleagues in the Southern regional caucus, colleagues, female parliamentarians, colleagues in the Permanent Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters, colleagues in the Northern, Eastern, Central and Western caucuses as well as the Clerk of Parliament and the entire staff for the support she received during her time as chairperson.

“I have learnt how to take direction, criticism and compliments. It is not an easy task to chair the regional caucus and my colleague caucus chairpersons will testify to that but with the tremendous support from all of you, the task was quite manageable.

“I have also learnt to be open-minded, to value other people’s opinions and contributions as well as to consider other ideas along with mine, for purposes of collective success,” she said.

She said she now believed in the “One Africa, One Voice” and the values of ubuntu inculcated in her skills which she has already started implementing in her role as First Lady.

“I have come to realise that being a part of a team is a lot more than just sharing credit. It is about teamwork and a lot of compromise. When you are on a team you have to at times lead, follow, and more often than not, meet in the middle. These qualities have been inordinately exhibited by most of us in this august House,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa launched the Angels of Hope Foundation whose main focus is to uplift lives of disadvantaged children and other vulnerable members of society.

She pledged to continue supporting the goals of the PAP to ensure the realisation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

The blueprint focuses on a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; an integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance and an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law among other things.

“I wish for a peaceful and secure Africa; an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics and an Africa whose development is people- driven, relying on the potential offered by African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children and an Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global player and partner.

“The time is now for us to transform the PAP into the full-fledged Parliament as per our aspirations from inception in 2004,” she said.

President Mnangagwa signed the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union relating to the Pan-African Parliament (the Malabo Protocol) during the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this year.

Amai Mnangagwa urged members of the PAP to lobby their respective governments to sign and ratify the protocol to reach the 28 ratifications.

The Sixth Ordinary Session of the Fourth PAP is running until May 19.