|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Pran African Parliament is a cornerstone for peace and development since it plays an important role in preventing conflicts by crafting laws that govern international relations, including issues of illegal sanctioning, Professor Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, has said.
He revealed that during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan-African Parliament when the two leaders touched on several issues.
In his speech, Professor Murwira said the country’s posture towards Africa and the Pan-African Parliament is governed by the Zimbabwean Constitution, particularly Section 12, subsection 2 of the constitution which makes it mandatory to be Pan-African.
“And by that, our disposition towards the Pan-African Parliament is that of absolute and maximum support to the best that we can as a country. Therefore, the visit and the updates that were being given by Senator Chief President Chirumbira are very important for us to shape how we can contribute meaningfully to the progress of the Pan-African Parliament as a Pan-African institution. As I said, it is very important to know that Pan-Africanism is part of the founding values of our constitution and foreign policy, as in section 12, subsection 2 of the constitution of this country.
“Again, the peaceful coexistence of Zimbabwe within the international world and the peaceful resolution of conflicts across the world must be also constitutionally mandated as part of our posture to the world as Zimbabwe. So that’s why we were discussing conflicts, how to prevent those conflicts, how to respect the laws that govern international relations, including these issues that we’ve been talking about, issues of illegal sanctioning. As you know, again, in section 12, subsection 1 of the constitution, Zimbabwe upholds the tenets of international law,” Prof Murwaira said.
On his part, Chief Charumbira said the meeting was very productive. As a Zimbabwean citizen, he said it is always wise to go back to his roots and get wisdom from the roots before going continental as the President of the Pan-African Parliament.
“And this is what we are doing, getting the philosophy, the doctrines of the foreign policy of my own country, which then I apply when I’m acting across the continent. But I also took the opportunity to share several issues about the continent and the Pan-African Parliament. And first of all, I’ll start with the issue of our budgetary constraints at the Pan-African Parliament.
“We do not have money to operate effectively. Professor Murwira as our foreign affairs minister, sits on the Executive Council of the African Union, which is going to meet next month in February. And through him, he will also communicate with other countries, and other foreign ministers, so that we can get good traction on the issues of the Pan-African Parliament.
“We also shared on other continental issues, which some of them we can’t disclose, of course, directly. But indeed, we have had a lot of developments, be they conflicts on the continent. And as foreign minister, their view as a country, and from the PAP side, how we see things across the continent in terms of conflicts,” Chief Charumbira said.
He said the two leaders also considered other issues of the continent, which are important, which are developmental, and how to move the continent to the next stage in terms of ensuring that citizens, not only in Zimbabwe but across the continent, get the quality of life which they desire in terms of education, health, infrastructure.
One issue discussed is the resolution by the Pan-African Parliament to send a delegation of Pan-African Parliament MPs representing the continent, which will be a small delegation, but representing all the five regions of this continent, to visit those countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and impress upon them that these sanctions are retrogressive.
“These sanctions do not benefit anyone, including those who are imposing them. And the effects on this country are indeed, as you know, it’s illegal and unfair, and we condemn them. So the Pan-African Parliament condemns the sanctions and we are sending a delegation across those countries that continue to impose sanctions,” Chief Charumbira added.
