African Parliament honours Robert Mugabe, a Month after His Death

Pan African Parliament (PAP) MPs have honoured President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, referring to him as a fervent Pan-Africanist who defended his country and Africa on the world stage.

The motion to honour the late former President of Zimbabwe was moved by Hon. Jaynet Kabila (DR Congo) and seconded by Hon. Haidara Aïchata (Mali, PAP 2nd Vice President) with support from Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (Uganda) during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 16 October 2019 in South Africa.

Speaker after speaker were all praises for Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for 38 years. He died in a Singapore hospital on 6 September 2019 aged 95.

Hon. Yeremia Chihana said Malawi is what it is today because of the selfless indulgence of Mugabe. “The fight against the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was properly facilitated and anchored by Robert Mugabe to support Late Dr. Kamuzu Banda in the fight for freedom.”

Referring to Mugabe as a true hero, Hon. James Kakooza (Uganda) said “Not only did Mugabe involve himself with Zimbabwe affairs, he also went an extra mile. After the Scramble of Africa, he came to the centre stage for various African countries helping them fight for their freedoms.” Kakooza called on today’s leaders to follow in Mugabe’s footsteps to ensure that Africa is united.

The 3rd Vice President of PAP, Chief Fortune Charumbira (Zimbabwe) revealed that Mugabe was a principled man who left his lucrative lecturing job in Ghana to come and liberate his motherland and paying for it with a 10-year jail term.

Charumbira used the occasion to ask for Members support for removal of sanctions slapped on Zimbabwe during the Mugabe presidency.

Hon. Sidia Sama Jatta (The Gambia) said that infreeing the black person from the oppression of the white person, the late Mugabe actually succeeded in freeing the whites.

“We all know, as Africans, that we have never had a Pan-Africanist of the calibre of Robert Mugabe; he is the best Pan-Africanist we have ever had in Africa. He led his people to independence and taught his people to be very courageous. He empowered his people; the youths, the women and the men equally,” Hon. Beatrice Kones (Kenya) said.

The MPs unanimously agreed to rename the Presidential Lounge in the chamber at the Pan African Parliament, Robert Mugabe Room, in honour of Zimbabwe’s first post-independence leader.