HARARE – Zanu PF politician and legislator Fortune Charumbira has been re-elected Pan African Parliament (PAP) president at the recently concluded Extraordinary session of the Sixth Parliament.

Charumbira, who is Zimbabwe’s deputy president of the Chiefs Council, garnered 127 out of votes after running as the sole candidate from the Southern African region.

He was uncontested after winning the sole right to represent the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in an election against a Zambian candidate Miles Sampa.

Charumbira was the preferred candidate, while Sampa also wanted the top seat.

Last week, a Botswana legislator Christian Greeff approached the South African High Court seeking to interdict the extraordinary session of PAP.

The court however dismissed the application.

Monday’s voting was conducted during a Pan-African Parliament extraordinary session to fill vacant positions in the Bureau held at the PAP headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf from Mauritania was also re-elected First Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament.

Djidda Mamar Mahamat from Chad was elected as the 4th Vice President of the PAP.

The positions of President, first Vice President, and fourth Vice President of the Bureau were vacant following elections and unconstitutional changes of government in some African Union member states.

Charumbira was PAP president after he won the 2023 polls, but his membership was terminated by law after he temporarily ceased being a legislator when the Zimbabwean parliament was dissolved to pave way for the August general elections.

The politician, who has a seat in Zimbabwe’s Senate courtesy of a quota reserved for traditional leaders, first became PAP president in 2022.

He was last year accused of indecent assault charges after he allegedly made some unwelcome sexual advances towards his 27-year-old niece.

The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union.