Julius Malema says African leaders are divided but insists PAP ‘will become a legislative body’
EFF leader Julius Malema said on Thursday Africa and its leaders are divided, but he has no doubt the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) will become a unifying and powerful force.
The PAP dominated news headlines for the wrong reasons two weeks ago after a scuffle broke out between its members who argued over leadership voting and whether the presidency should be rotated by region.
Malema said it is a known fact that Africa and Africans are divided. He blamed this on colonisation.
He said the recent incidents at the PAP were a reflection of the true state of the continent, saying this will soon be a thing of the past as members of the PAP seek to undo the injustices of the past and strengthen the leadership of Africans.
“It has always been a known fact that Africa is divided because those who colonised us imposed those colonial borders to keep us divided so we don’t have a meaningful impact in the geopolitics.”
Malema said one president, currency and military for the African continent are among the objectives the PAP seeks to achieve.
“We want one Africa with one president, one executive, one military, one currency. One Africa with one Reserve Bank, which will not have any reserves in London or France,” he said.
The firebrand leader appealed for patience. “PAP will become a legislative body. We must be very patient with it. It will be one of the most powerful institutions in Africa. It will have teeth to bite. It needs capable leaders who will go all over the continent who ensure it becomes a legislative body,” he said .
Malema was at the centre of two chaotic incidents in the PAP.
On June 1, MP Jaynet Kabila refused to open the floor to debate after Malema rose on a point of order. Malema raised a point of order over a letter concerning the voting procedure.
He was met with resistance from Kabila, leading to an intense scuffle between MPs.
On May 27, the fourth ordinary session of the fifth parliament descended into chaos when Malema threatened to kill a member of Mali's delegation. It was not immediately clear why Malema threatened the MP, but he later told SABC News he was reacting to an alleged threat from the MP.
“Every time people disagree with Mali's position on rotation, he bangs tables and he doesn’t stop. When I asked him to keep quiet so we can listen, he started being aggressive and threatened to kill me.
“It was a reaction. When a person says to me, 'I will kill you', I can’t give him roses,” said Malema before he reiterated calls for a united Africa.