Hon House Chairperson and esteemed Members of this House, the 36th Ordinary Session of the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, in Lome, Togo, in the year 2000, approved and adopted the Constitutive Act of the African Union, AU, and the PAP Protocol. Together these instruments make the unequivocal statement that the peoples of Africa yearn for peace, democracy and respect for human rights. They make the unequivocal statement that the peoples of Africa are determined to extricate themselves from poverty and underdevelopment.
I quote from the ANC's 2007 Polokwane Conference resolutions, when it said:
... to strengthen the legislative body of Africa, the Pan-African Parliament, and promote the harmonisation of laws in Africa.
This is done ...
... towards an African Union government, based on the current analysis of the continental and international political environment and challenges, which require a united continent of Africa, capable of engaging other powerful nations and thus being in line with the ANC vision of building a better Africa.
The ANC took this resolution because it understands that to form the united government of Africa, there must first be a strengthening of the organs of the AU. The PAP, as one of the organs of the AU, is very important in this respect as it is the voice of ordinary African people.
The 52nd ANC Conference resolutions were echoed by the then chairperson of the AU, President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique, in his inaugural speech, on 18 March 2004, as follows:
Having seen Africa grow from a continent subjugated by colonialism, apartheid and exploitation to a continent of free and independent states, I do believe that Africa not only has a future but that the future of the world hangs on this continent not to resist to relive the old prophecy, which goes as follows:
Oh Mother Africa, you are in no way small among the Nations, because your womb produced heroes who dared dream the dream of generations of Africans. From your womb were born giants who will wipe your tears away; which many a time fell on seeing your children fall in the gloomy circle of misery and suffering.
The organ that we are establishing today brings together representatives from different families or political sensitivities and ideologies. They emanate from the rich diversity and democratic processes existing in our countries.
Therefore there is great hope... pinned on the establishment of the Pan- African Parliament and on your work in particular.
Distinguished Members of Parliament, these words by President Chissano, uttered about eight years ago, put more emphasis on the importance of the PAP in Africa and raised immense expectations of the PAP.
The PAP's successful exploitation of the little space it has to its own advantage is one of the most dramatic stories of our time. Unlike national parliaments, it does not have legislative, supervisory and budgetary powers. Hon members will agree with me that it is a serious handicap for a Parliament not to have legislative powers. However, this was done with the recognition of resources needed for the PAP to have these powers. It was understood that once all necessary resources had been acquired, then the PAP would evolve into a legislative body.
This is why article 2 of the PAP Protocol of 2001 provides that:
The ultimate aim of the Pan-African Parliament shall be to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage.
The eyes of the people of our continent are focused on the work of the PAP. These masses have been interested to know whether the PAP will meet their dreams and hopes, to give birth to the humane Africa that has eluded all of us for so long. It is all about the denial of the masses' human rights and their right to determine their destiny by military rulers; the theft of their resources by corrupt elites that abuse power to prey on the poor of our continent; their condemnation to perpetual and increasing poverty because of domestic and international policies, as well as practices that result in the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer.
These masses know the reality of civil war, genocide, the conflicts that brought untold suffering to the innocent, the economic decay, the social disintegration and the cultural alienation that have defined the lives of many Africans. The African masses know what others have done, imposing on them the curse of poverty, hunger, famine, disease and underdevelopment.
Since 2004, the PAP has done a lot to realise this vision and its stated objectives. Among others, the PAP has deployed election observer missions and fact-finding missions in countries such as Tunisia, Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other countries. However, the PAP has its own existing challenges, and they need to be successfully addressed.
These challenges include the lack of oversight function versus the advisory role; the lack of binding powers; poor relations between the PAP and other AU organs; PAP members' dual membership; the lack of resources to support committee activities; the lack of research capacity; the high level of absenteeism during sessions; and the promotion and popularisation of the PAP, to which the hon Kalyan alluded.
One critical function of an effective parliament is its capacity to exercise its oversight role, so that it can hold leaders to account and ensure transparency in governance. The PAP does not have oversight on budget control. Article 11 (2) of the PAP Protocol provides that the PAP must:
Discuss its budget and that of the Community, the AU, and make recommendations thereon.
Budget control remains the exclusive domain of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which constitutes the executive of the AU.
The fact that the AU Assembly is in total control of the AU budget, including the budget of the PAP, limits the PAP's freedom to prepare its independent work plans and further prevents it from undertaking critical assignments and oversight functions. This marginalises the PAP and prevents it from holding the executive accountable, because it is dependent on the AU executive for financial support or resources to conduct work. The lack of control over its own budget, as well as budgetary oversight of the AU, further demonstrates the limits to the effectiveness and efficiency of the