PAP President Chief Charumbira’s Angola Trip Solidifies Support for AfCFTA

Charumbira Champions African Unity: A Bold Call to Action for AfCFTA In a powerful and timely address, the President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Chief Fortune Zephania Charumbira, has issued a rousing call to action, urging national Parliaments and African Member States to fully embrace and support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Speaking from the magnificent Palace of the National Assembly in Luanda, Angola, during a historic bilateral visit, Chief Charumbira’s message was clear: Africa’s future prosperity and economic self-sufficiency are directly tied to the success of this monumental initiative.

A New Era for African Economies Chief Charumbira’s visit to Angola, a first of its kind for a PAP President, underscored the critical importance he places on strengthening ties with national parliaments. His meeting with Angola’s Speaker, Hon. Carolina Cerqeuira, was a platform to highlight the urgency of the AfCFTA in the face of evolving global dynamics.

He pointed to the recent withdrawal of donor funding and the imposition of tariffs and travel bans by the United States under President Donald Trump as a sign that Africa can no longer afford to rely on external support.”It is time for Africa to lend its full support to the AfCFTA,” Chief Charumbira stated, emphasizing the initiative’s potential to boost intra-Africa trade and grow African economies by a staggering 32%. This would not only guarantee economic self-sufficiency but also empower the continent to become a formidable player in global politics. Tapping into Africa’s Potential The PAP President also highlighted a stark paradox: Africa, with 60% of the world’s arable land, continues to import essential goods like grain from a war-torn country like Ukraine.

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This dependency, he argued, is a testament to the need for greater intra-African trade and a unified economic front. The bilateral visit also saw Chief Charumbira’s engagement with Angola’s President, H.E. Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, to discuss enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Pan African Parliament.

This proactive diplomacy shows a leader committed to strengthening Africa’s governance architecture from the ground up. In a significant show of pan-African solidarity, Chief Charumbira also conveyed a message from the Speaker of Zimbabwe’s National Assembly, Hon. Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda. The plea was for Angola to sign the agreement to transform the SADC Parliamentary Forum into a SADC Regional Parliament.

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