By Byron Adonis Mutingwende
Originally posted on spikedmedia.
MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA | 28 July 2025 (IDN) — The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) precinct in Midrand, South Africa, came alive today as Speakers, Presiding Officers, and parliamentarians from across the continent gathered for a historic P20 Symposium for the African Continent, under the banner “Harnessing Parliamentary Diplomacy for the Realisation of Global Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
Held in the lead-up to the 11th P20 Speakers’ Summit scheduled for October 2025 and in the context of South Africa’s role as G20 host, the symposium marked a pivotal moment for African legislatures to collectively assert their vision, values, and voice on the global stage.
“We Must Be Taken Seriously”
In his stirring address, Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the Pan-African Parliament, emphasized that Africa must seize the historic opportunity presented by South Africa’s hosting of the G20.
“We should be taken seriously,” he declared. “This is Africa’s moment. The G20 holds 80% of the world’s GDP—it is serious business. We must stand with South Africa and make inputs that ensure the outcomes benefit the continent as a whole.”
Chief Charumbira stressed that all sectors—mining, agriculture, transport, oil, and others—were mobilising to prepare their contributions, and that parliamentarians must ensure the voice of the people is not drowned out in the process.
“Parliaments are uniquely positioned. We hear the aspirations of our people daily. It is our duty to reflect these cries in policy, in debate, and ultimately, in the decisions taken at global platforms like the G20.”
A Platform for Pan-African Unity
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, Hon. Cedric Floroick, the House Chairperson of Committees of the Parliament of South Africa, highlighted the symposium’s objective to consolidate Africa’s stance on key G20 issues such as trade, climate change, mining, debt, and technology.
“This symposium promotes a pan-African perspective and a consciousness rooted in solidarity and self-determination,” he said. “We aim to create clear, unified positions on matters that shape Africa’s present and future.”
He emphasized that today’s gathering was not just a conference but a “festival of ideas”—a space where gender justice, youth empowerment, and socio-economic transformation were brought to the fore.
“This is a festival of consciousness. It is part of Africa’s reawakening—a call to self, a rebirth, a deliberate praxis of learning to unlearn, and relearning the path of justice and dignity.”
Tackling the Big Issues
The symposium’s program covered critical and often contested issues, all framed around the need for transformative parliamentary engagement:
Agriculture and Trade Justice: How can African agricultural products access global markets fairly?
Climate Resilience: How can parliaments drive adaptation and push for accountability in implementing the Nairobi Declaration?
Mining and Resource Governance: Can Africa continue exporting raw minerals and expect development? How can parliaments enforce ethical mining practices?
Legislative Synergy: How can African legislatures present a common voice in global policy spaces like the G20?
In passionate discussions, delegates explored how parliaments can push back against the exploitation of Africa’s resources by ensuring that global trade and investment are governed by Africa’s own standards, not imposed norms from elsewhere.
The Politics of Repair and a Call for Reparative Justice
Echoing the 2025 African Union Theme: “Justice for Africa and People of African Descent through Reparations,” the symposium urged parliaments to lead the charge in calling for the politics of repair.
“The world must reckon with the psychological and material costs of historical dispossession,” said Hon. Florek. “We must dismantle inherited structures of domination. Our parliaments must script a new future.”
Gender and Youth at the Centre
The symposium drew on conclusions from the youth and women-focused sessions held in the build-up to the event. These highlighted the need to transform patriarchal norms, confront gender-based injustice, and ensure inclusive development.
“Our youth parliamentarians urge us to restore Africa to itself—as an equal, sovereign participant in the global community,” said the speaker. “This requires courage to challenge old systems and imagine new models.”
Towards a Joint African Position
As the discussions unfolded, delegates reiterated a key ambition: to develop a joint African communiqué to be presented at the October P20 Summit. This document will encapsulate Africa’s recommendations and priorities—from trade justice to climate adaptation, mining reform, and debt relief.
“We cannot allow the P20 and G20 to be just another event on African soil,” said Hon. Charumbira. “We must move from passive participants to active shapers of the global development agenda.”
A Turning Point for African Parliamentary Diplomacy
With Africa increasingly bearing the brunt of intersecting crises—climate, economic inequality, and geopolitical marginalisation—the symposium sent a clear message: the continent is ready to lead, to influence, and to demand change.
“We must be the true north for Africa’s transformation,” concluded Hon. Charumbira. “Let us not be spectators in our own story. Let us write it.”
As the symposium drew to a close, it was clear that a new era of pan-African parliamentary diplomacy is in motion—one defined by unity, justice, and the unrelenting pursuit of an Africa that speaks for itself, stands for itself, and shapes the future on its own terms. [IDN-InDepthNews]