PAP ON THEIR FACES
The shameful violence at the Pan African parliament was a symptom of the fact that we have lost our way
It’s a bit disheartening to be African this week. The Nigerian government, which has drastic political and economic problems, has opted to bury its head in the sand and ban Twitter. The Mozambicans are on the verge of a full-on war. And at least
160 people were killed by armed men in an attack on a village in Burkina Faso — though this barely gained a mention in world news.
To cap it all, politicians at the Pan African parliament (Pap) have recently showed us what they — and those who deploy them — are really about: raw power and lining their pockets, instead of fighting for the upliftment of the continent’s people.
Last week members of the Pap kicked and threw insults at each other while our very own Julius Malema threatened to kill a fellow African MP. It was crass, devastating and sad to behold. In the middle of a global pandemic that is taking a toll on millions of people, the continent’s representatives were kicking and shoving each other.
What was the issue that stirred such great passion? They were not fighting over equitable vaccine distribution. Or stopping wars on the continent. Or ending poverty. Or using the continent’s vast mineral wealth to benefit its people. No. They were squabbling over a basic democratic principle: the sharing of power.
Southern African states have pointed out that none of them has ever held the Pap’s presidency. The post has been monopolised by states in East and West Africa. Southern Africa wants a rotational presidency that gives every region a chance to lead. This basic principle, dear reader, is something that the representatives of East and West Africa were prepared to shame themselves over as they pushed and kicked and swore that they would not allow their Southern African comrades a taste of the leadership of the parliament. The world must be laughing at us.
A few things are worth saying about the Pap. The body was supposed to foster African unity and hold our leaders accountable. This is the body that’s supposed to make noise when Uganda’s leaders steal elections or when Rwanda carries out extrajudicial killings in Sandton. It’s supposed to prevent wars in Mozambique and foster democracy in Zimbabwe.
The reality is that it has been as quiet as a mouse on all these issues. Worse, it has hardly been present or vocal while Africa lagged behind in Covid vaccine access.
The Pap’s silence continues while it guzzles an astonishing R250m per session from the SA taxpayer alone. What the scuffles and insults last week did was remind us, once again, that many of those politicians squabbling at the Pap are merely there for the stipend, the lunches and to position themselves in proximity to power so they can continue to steal from taxpayers.
What happens now?
First, let’s not despair to the point of self-destruction. The continent faces many problems and if it does not confront them in unity then our victories will not achieve much. If SA gets a vaccination programme rolling and everyone in the country is inoculated, it will be a Pyrrhic victory if the rest of the continent does not get a similar rollout. We can’t barricade ourselves in and think our fellow Africans are separate from us.
That means that bodies such as the Pap and the AU need a fundamental return to the core question: what does Africa want? The answer to this will give purpose to these institutions. At the moment there is no such purpose or vision. Nothing motivates the Pap members except the desire to line their own pockets and those of the people who ensure that they get a seat on the body.
The shameful violence at the Pap was a symptom of the fact that we have lost our way and that we have forgotten what such institutions are for.
Africa often boasts about its “secret weapon”: its young people. Those young people showed up and shook the Nigerian government last year. They should do the same again across the whole continent because, quite frankly, things are not going to get better until there is real pressure on our political elites.
Many politicians squabbling at the Pap are merely there for the stipend, the lunches and the proximity to power