By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the opening of the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament at Gallagher Estate in Midrand on Monday, 27 July 2026.
The president said the institution carries the hopes of more than 1.5 billion Africans at a time when the continent is grappling with conflict, economic uncertainty, climate change and geopolitical tensions.
“The Pan-African Parliament carries the hopes and aspirations of more than 1.5 billion Africans for peace, progress and prosperity across our beloved continent.”
“It is an enduring symbol of unity in diversity, a unity anchored in the conviction that Africa’s future must be shaped not only by its governments, but by its peoples,” he said.
Ramaphosa said recent wildfires in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, together with other global challenges, underscored the importance of African solidarity.
“These developments make it even more important that Africa is able to stand together to advance its own development,” he said.
He congratulated Dr Fateh Boutbig and the newly elected leadership of the Pan-African Parliament, expressing confidence that they would advance the mandate of African unity with integrity and purpose.
Reflecting on South Africa’s democratic journey, Ramaphosa said the country remained committed to repaying the solidarity shown by African nations during the struggle against apartheid through contributions to peace, development and institution building.
He highlighted South Africa’s role in hosting the inaugural African Union Summit in 2002, helping establish the African Peer Review Mechanism and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), as well as supporting democracy, mediation and reconstruction efforts across the continent through the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund.
He also reflected on Africa’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic, describing it as a powerful example of continental cooperation.
“At a time when vaccine nationalism was taking hold and poorer countries were being pushed to the back of the queue, Africa did not only call for international solidarity. Africa practised solidarity,” he said.
He said the continent had extended its vaccine procurement mechanisms to Caribbean countries, demonstrating that African integration could deliver practical benefits beyond the continent.
Ramaphosa also commended the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) for leading the response to Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
He said PAP remained a pillar of Africa’s democratic architecture and had a responsibility to ensure African Union aspirations translated into better lives for citizens.
“This Parliament must itself exemplify the democratic values it seeks to advance across the continent.”
“It must be a model of integrity, transparency, accountability, responsible stewardship and fidelity to its own rules,” he said.
He welcomed the Parliament’s oversight of African Union flagship projects, saying it played an important role in monitoring the implementation of policies critical to Africa’s development and integration.