SA ready for Africa's parliament
Seshoane Masitha
9 September 2004
Preparations are at an advanced stage for the official opening and first sitting of the Pan African Parliament in South Africa next week, with the event set to be "a truly African affair", says Deputy Foreign Minister Sue van der Merwe.
Addressing members of the National Assembly's portfolio committee on foreign affairs in Cape Town this week, Van der Merwe said the Pan African Parliament was the first continental people's body to be established under the African Union (AU).
South Africa was awarded the right to host the body at the AU's summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July.
Van der Merwe said that the Department of Arts and Culture was finalising its programme for the 16 September opening ceremony, titled "One Africa, One Voice", with Miriam Makeba and artists from across the continent lined up "to contribute to the sense of a truly African parliament".
She would not say which VIPs had accepted invitations to attend, but
confirmed that President Thabo Mbeki would deliver a keynote address.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation will provide live feeds to broadcasters throughout the continent and the world, with translation facilities in English, Swahili, Arabic, French and Portuguese.
The country's security services will provide accreditation and security, while the South African Parliament and provincial legislatures have together seconded 80 staff members to assist the continental body in its first sitting.
South Africa has adopted a three-phase approach to hosting the body, Van der Merwe said, which would run concurrently towards the development of the permanent seat of the parliament.
The first phase is an interim measure to host the parliament at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg.
"The conference facility has altered their it auditorium to accommodate the September sitting of the PAP", Van der Merwe said. "In addition to that they have offered offices by
dividing one of the conference venues into office space for anticipated members."
Van der Merwe said that there would be ample space for members and their staff, most of whom were expected to arrive in the country this weekend.
Members of the Pan African Parliament will comprise five members of the parliaments of each of the 46 member states of the AU.
Gallagher Estates has also agreed to build what would be the seat of the house for the next five years.
"We have entered into an agreement with them, where they will build a steel structure adjacent to the current Gallagher Estate facility, and to complete an office block to accommodate the parliament for the next five years", Van der Merwe said.
The deputy minister explained that government had agreed to postpone the building of the permanent "purpose-built structure" because its composition in terms of protocol could change after five years.
"The PAP plans to sit at least two times a year and
probably for one month each time, it could be more", Van der Merwe said.
In terms of hosting agreements made with the AU, South Africa will host the body's venue and office, provide residential accommodation for the body's president, Gertrude Mongella, as well as transport for members and an information technology backbone for the institution.
Source: BuaNews
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