The Pan-African Parliament officially opened the 5th Ordinary Session of its legislature in Midrand, South Africa on 21 July 2025, in accordance with the African Union (AU) theme for 2025: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations”.
The opening ceremony, attended by parliamentarians, AU officials, diplomats, and civil society representatives, set a new tone in advancing Africa's agenda of justice, unity, and integration and in projecting the voice of the continent for reparative justice globally.
Addressing the opening, the Pan-African President, H.E. President, Chief Fortune Charumbira emphasised the institution’s place at the forefront of activities to transform the AU from a “Union of States” to a “Union of Citizens”.
“The Pan-African Parliament was founded to voice the will of the people of Africa and to bring democratic legitimacy to the African Union,” H.E. Charumbira reiterated, stating that “parliaments across the globe are watchdogs to ensure government accountability, and the PAP performs this function in the AU system to ensure transparency, good governance, and citizens' participation.”
He reminded delegates that by Article 3 of its Protocol, the Pan-African Parliament is mandated to promote human rights, democracy, peace, security, and continental integration, promoting collective self-reliance and exercising checks and balances over AU Executive Organs. Charumbira further noted the Pan-African Parliament’s ongoing reforms to revive, reposition, and revitalise its work, including assuming a results-driven strategic plan aligned with Agenda 2063, building capacity for MPs and staff, and focusing on key AU priorities like the AfCFTA, digitalisation, peace, and gender inclusion.
Reflecting on the recent Pan-African Parliament and AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) Retreat, H.E. Charumbira highlighted the progress in institutional synergy and commitment to joint missions, early warning, and mediation to advance the Ezulwini Consensus for Africa’s representation in global governance. “Africa’s strength is in unity, cooperation, and collective action, and we must ensure agreements have tangible impacts on citizens,” he said. The President concluded with a call for collective action: “Let history not say we were silent. Let it say we stood together, acted boldly, and moved Africa forward.”
Guest of Honour, H.E. Professor Miguel Cesar Domingos Bembe, Ambassador of Angola in Ethiopia and Chairperson of the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), reiterated the significance of the PAP as one of the pillars of AU decentralisation and citizen participation, noting its role in vocalising the aspirations of the African people and the diaspora.
“The Pan-African Parliament is not only a platform for legislative learning and exchange but also an important platform to give voice to the silences in the streets and the cries for justice across our continent,” Bembe said.
He reflected on the AU theme for 2025, which he said was a call to action for memory, dignity, reparations, and reconciliation, and issued a challenge to the continent to think about reparations not solely in the form of monetary compensation but also symbolic, legal, institutional, cultural, and political measures to restore dignity and opportunities historically denied to African people.
Prof. Bembe called on the Pan-African Parliament to be an inclusive forum where voices of Africa and the diaspora are strengthened to drive conversation on reparations, to develop concrete proposals to AU leadership, to strengthen links with global racial justice movements, and to monitor continental commitments. He identified challenges facing the PAP, including dependency on donor financing, lack of legislative binding authority, and internal divisions, emphasising these call for new political commitment, harmonisation of regional and national agendas, and active participation of citizens.
“Reparation time is now. Historical justice can no longer wait. We need decisive, bold, and transformative action that responds to the legitimate aspirations of present and future generations,” stated Prof. Bembe, reaffirming Angola’s commitment, in its role as AU Chair for Southern Africa, to keep promoting Angola’s technical and operational capacity building for the Pan-African Parliament, along with advocating for the restoration of members’ allowances to further boost its efficiency and effectiveness.
Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Hon. Thandi Moraka, in her opening address, echoed the reparations motif, stating that reparations are not only an issue of monetary compensation but also of restoring dignity, healing, apologies, memorialisation, and systemic change. She stated that the forgiveness of debt, return of looted heritage, and investment in infrastructure and education are all demands of reparative justice.
Hon. Moraka applauded President Charumbira and the leadership of the Pan-African Parliament Bureau for fostering collaboration with the African diaspora and AU organs, citing the critical role being played by the Pan-African Parliament in seeking the interests of the African people across the globe.
“South Africa remains committed to hosting and maintaining the Parliament as a beacon of democratic participation and African solidarity, despite tight fiscal circumstances,” stated Hon. Moraka.
She informed delegates that the revision of the Host Country Agreement to improve the Pan-African Parliament operations was at an advanced stage, reaffirming South Africa’s determination to see the institution continue to expand and be effective. As G20 Chair and host in 2025, South Africa, she indicated, would place sustainable development, climate change, world trade, and debt crises at the center of its agenda, making Africa's interests prominent in global discourse while taking advantage of the AU's permanent membership in the G20 framework.
Hon. Moraka invited the Parliament to partner with South Africa in ensuring that the voice of Africa is not only heard but also translated into action within global governance. She emphasized the role of PAP in policy information to propel sustainable development, entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises, intra-African trade, and the economic transformation of Africa in collaboration with AU structures and stakeholders.
In conclusion, Hon. Moraka underscored that while Africa has enormous challenges, concerted efforts can shape a just, equitable, and prosperous continent.
“Our commitment to the Pan-African Parliament shows Africa’s unity and progress. We have it within us to create the future we deserve, and together we can shape a continent built on justice, dignity, and opportunity for all,” she said.
The opening of the 5th Ordinary Session of the 6th Pan-African Parliament is a firm reassertion of Africa's determination to advance justice through reparations, consolidate democratic governance, and accelerate continental integration under the spirit of Ubuntu, showing once more that African solutions to African challenges are possible through the will of consensus and firm, collective action.
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