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

What the report says

Zimbabwe Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda has been elected president of the Bureau of the Conference at the Pan-African Parliament’s 2026 annual gathering of speakers of national and regional parliaments, according to New Zimbabwe via AllAfrica. The two-day event took place in Midrand, South Africa, on Friday and Saturday and was held under a theme focused on parliamentary diplomacy and support for Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term development framework.

Mudenda attended alongside Senate President Mabel Chinomona and other Zimbabwean representatives, including former PAP president Chief Fortune Charumbira, government chief whip Pupurai Togarepi and Zimbabwe’s PAP delegate Happymore Chidziva. The report says Mudenda chaired proceedings in his first action after taking up the role.

The opening session called on African legislatures to move beyond discussion toward action, with PAP President Fateh Boutbig urging lawmakers to legislate, fund and defend commitments tied to Agenda 2063. South African National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza highlighted the need for coordinated responses to migration and other cross-border issues. Zimbabwe’s delegation also used the forum to describe domestic programmes it says support Agenda 2063 targets, including agricultural, education and governance initiatives.

The conference ended with the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration. In practical terms, the development gives Zimbabwe a visible leadership role within a continental parliamentary forum, while also underscoring ongoing efforts to link parliamentary cooperation with policy delivery across Africa.