Zimbabwe: Parliament of Zimbabwe Speaker Mudenda Elected President of Pan-African Bureau

PARLIAMENT Speaker, Jacob Mudenda has been elected President of the Bureau of the Conference at the ongoing Pan-African Parliament (PAP) 2026 Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments. The two-day conference, which took place this Friday and Saturday, was held in Midrand, South Africa, under the theme: "The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Strengthening Relations with National and Regional Parliaments and Contributing to the Achievements of the Objectives of Agenda 2063." Mudenda attended the conference alongside Senate President Mabel Chinomona. Also present were immediate past PAP President Senator Chief Charumbira, government Chief Whip and Chairperson of the PAP Southern African Regional Caucus Pupurai Togarepi, and Zimbabwe's representative to PAP, Happymore Chidziva. In his first act as Bureau President, Mudenda chaired proceedings for the duration of the conference. The official opening was marked by calls for African Parliaments to move "from deliberation to decisive action." PAP President Fateh Boutbig urged legislatures to "Legislate it, Finance it and Defend it" to ensure Agenda 2063 commitments deliver measurable results. South African National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza stressed the need for collective solutions to migration and other continental challenges. Zimbabwe's delegation contributed actively to plenary discussions. Mudenda shared Zimbabwe's progress across six Agenda 2063 aspirations, citing the Pfumvudza/Intwasa agriculture programme, BEAM support for 1.5 million learners, performance-based governance contracts, the Museum of African Liberation, and the establishment of women and youth banks and 2,500 Village Business Units (VBU) anchored on solar-powered boreholes. The conference concluded Saturday with the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration.