[The African Union tries to mimic the European Union! But what a joke the whole affair really is.

The Pan African Parliament actually sits in MidRand, a city that lies between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

These people can’t run their affairs in their own nations, so they then created this even larger organisation where they sit and talk and talk and talk… and do very little else.

But, the biggest joke of all is that with 54 countries in Africa, nobody can spare any money for the “African Parliament”.

Personally, I think it is a waste of time and money, and the participants should return to their tin-pot countries and take a pick and shovel and do an honest day’s worth of work. In Africa, everybody likes to TALK and SING and do bugger all else. We need less speeches, less art and more labour – then we might get somewhere.

Mind you… now that I think about it, so many African Americans cheekily kept telling me for years now that if we whites buggered off out of Africa, and left the blacks to all get together and work together, that indeed Africa would prosper! Judging by the Pan African Parliament and the African Union fiasco, those African Americans were talking a load of old cods… wouldn’t you say? Methinks, what Africa needs are some whites to do some organising again! Jan]

Midrand – Only two years after its inception the workings of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) might grind to a halt because of a lack of funding, PAP officials warned on Thursday.

Speaking as the fifth session of the PAP wound down, Wycliffe Oparanya, chairman of the parliament’s committee of money and financial affairs, said the African Union (AU) had said no more money was available for the body.

“I’m not sure if the sixth session scheduled for October will go ahead,” a dejected Oparanya said.

PAP has a 2006 budget of $24-million (R144-million) of which half is supposed to come from PAP member states and the other half from the African Union (AU).

‘No more money available’
The AU, however, had approved only $5,9-million – leaving a shortfall of $6,1-million.

Oparanya led a committee to the AU in Addis Ababa this week to hear if the shortfall would be made up, but was told there was no more money available.

“They are saying that they have no money because some AU member states have not paid,” Oparanya told reporters in Midrand where the PAP has been meeting for the past two weeks.

Fifteen AU countries were already under sanctions for not meeting their financial contributions to the body in the last four years.

Oparanya singled out Libya, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt.

“This year five countries are supposed to pay 75 percent of the AU’s budget – namely South Africa, Libya, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt … of those, only South Africa has paid its contribution,” he said.

He added that because funding had not been forthcoming from the four nations all AU activities had been severely hampered, including the PAP.

“If these countries do not pay how do they expect the AU to operate?”

He said in order to keep the PAP going they might ask for donations from countries outside Africa.

“Our development partners might be our last hope,” Oparanya said.

The PAP – tasked with developing into a legislative body – has been struggling with funding since its inception.

It was supposed to have a secretariat and a staff of 94 people – but the body could pay salaries for only 24 people.

The fifth PAP session was supposed meet for 20 days, but has met for only half of that number. Committees were supposed to meet in South Africa four times a year – but there was enough money for only one meeting a year.

“When it comes to building structures or institutions all our heads of state are very enthusiastic, but when it comes to the real act of doing it they are aloof,” Ibrahim Sesay, PAP MP from Sierra Leone, said.

“The problem is with the attitude with some heads of state,” he added.

Sesay said some member states have the capacity to pay their fees but did not do so because things were not going their way.

“Countries like Libya … they have the capacity to contribute but the problem is willingness. Nigeria also can contribute … they have the capacity,” he said.

Oparanya said the PAP would now take its case to AU heads of government meeting in Gambia in July. – Sapa

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>