ZANU PF aligned Chief Fortune Charumbira has misplaced his place on the helm of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) the place he was elected President in 2022.
PAP’s secretariat introduced By-Elections to exchange him and his fourth Vice President Francois Ango Ndoutoume of Gabon, with out clarifying why the 2 had been ousted.
Charumbira, a former Chiefs Council President, had nonetheless been pressured to reply expenses of embezzlement and sexual assault in 2023.
After allegedly sexually assaulting considered one of his married nieces, Charumbira is alleged to have embezzled US$4.5 million in PAP funds together with US$45,000 on a visit to Egypt in only a yr at its helm.
Paperwork detailing how Charumbira was abusing his authority to siphon funds, fund journeys for his allies and colleagues and different clandestine actions have been leaked final yr resulting in public outcry.
He dismissed all allegations as makes an attempt to unseat him on the head of the continental physique.
The nomination for Charumbira and Ndoutoume’s replacements shall be on February 21.
“Following the choice of the Bureau of the Pan African Parliament at its Assembly held on the eleventh of January 2024 on the By-elections of Bureau Members for vacant positions, and in accordance with the PAP Guidelines of Process, the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Financial Neighborhood Regarding the Pan African Parliament, and the Directives of the Bureau on By-elections, I hereby formally declare the place of the President, the first Vice President, and 4th Vice President vacant,” reads PAP communication doing rounds on-line.
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“I hereby formally announce (that on) 21 February 2024, a digital on-line regional caucus assembly shall be held for nomination of candidates.”
Charumbira was voted into workplace on June 29, 2022, after a yr’s delay as a consequence of friction amongst Africa’s regional our bodies. Regardless of receiving a majority of the votes (161 out of 203) his time period was riddled by self-inflicted mishaps.
Earlier than this latest loss, Charumbira had survived an earlier palace coup in September final yr when considered one of his deputies Ashebiri Gayo of Ethiopia declared himself Performing PAP President.
Having let go of the Chiefs Council presidency, Charumbira reverts to being an abnormal conventional chief underneath the steering of Chief Mtshana Khumalo of Matabeleland North whom he handed the baton to.
Khumalo had been Charumbira’s deputy since 2018.
