First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Catherine Namugala says it is important for the National Assembly of Zambia (NAZ) to begin debating issues that emanate from the Pan African Parliament (PAP) to which NAZ is a member parliament. She said this during a courtesy call on her by the visiting President of the Pan African Parliament Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday 13th September, 2017.

She added that when “Matters Arising” from PAP are debated on the floor of the House, it would be an opportunity for the Zambian public to appreciate the work of PAP and the relevance of Zambia’s membership to the body.

Hon. Namugala also urged the PAP President to robustly probe heads of member states to ratify the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union Relating to the Pan-African Parliament which was adopted by the Twenty –Third Ordinary Session of the Assembly held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on 27th June, 2014. She said it was very vital for him to keep probing because to date, only five countries had ratified the Malabo Protocol.

The PAP President Hon. Nkodo Dang said he was up to the challenge of probing the heads of PAP member states to ensure the ratification of the Malabo Protocol by as many member states as possible.

Hon. Nkodo Dang also said he looked forward to the commencement of the debates on PAP issues by the National Assembly of Zambia.

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) was established as an organ the African Union (AU) in order to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent. The first Parliament was inaugurated on 18 March 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but it’s now headquartered in Midrand, South Africa.

The objectives of the Pan African Parliament include to:

• Facilitate the effective implementation of the policies and objectives of the OAU/AEC and ultimately the African Union.
• Promote the principle of human rights and democracy in Africa.
• Encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in Member States.
• Familiarise the peoples of Africa with the objectives and policies aimed at integrating the African Continent within the framework of the establishment of the African Union.
• Promote peace, security and stability.
• Contribute to a more prosperous future for the peoples of Africa by promoting collective self-reliance and economic recovery.
• Facilitate cooperation and development in Africa.
• Strengthen continental solidarity and build a sense of common destiny among the peoples of Africa.
• Facilitate cooperation among Regional Economic Communities and their Parliamentary fora.

Hon. Nkodo Dang was on a two-day official visit to Zambia to discuss matters pertaining to the Pan African Parliament. Amongst the people he met were the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Catherine Namugala, MP. The PAP President also met the Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs, respectively to lobby for the ratification of the Malabo Protocol.