South Africa Hosts Pan African Parliament

South Africa Hosts Pan African Parliament
Funke And Collins Atohengbe, Pretoria

The third ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament has opened in Midrand, South Africa on Monday.

The week-long session of the parliament is considering a number of issues, including how to resolve the political crises on the continent.

The sessions are also to discuss other issues of democracy and good governance in Africa.

Voice of Nigeria correspondent in South Africa, reports that the process of regulating the tenure of the African legislative body has begun.

On Tuesday , the Parliament will be celebrating the 50 th independence anniversary of seventeen African countries.

The Parliament's Senior Information, Communications and Media Relation Officer, Khalid Abdu Dahab told Voice of Nigeria that the anniversary of the  17 African countries was worth celebrating because the continent had gone a long way in achieving its dreams of development.

Abdu Dahab said the anniversaries of the 17 African countries were worth celebrating as the continent continued to witness appreciable democratic governance.

Dahab said the Parliament would join the African Union to monitor the referendum in South Sudan to ensure that the vote goes smoothly.

President Jacob Zuma and a former Tanzanian President, Ali Hassan Mwinyi are scheduled to attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the 17 nations.

Condemnation of terrorism

Meanwhile, t he South African government has said it will not accommodate any one found to be involved in terrorist activities in any part of the world, particularly Africa .

The minister for International Relations and cooperation, Mrs. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane told newsmen in Midrand South Africa that Pretoria had no room for people who destabilise their countries by throwing bombs.

Mrs. Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa would liaise with the country of political asylum seekers before such requests are granted.

The Minister was responding to the issue of African nations harbouring known dissidents who plunged their countries into chaos.

On the arrest of Henry Okah, an ex-leader of the Movement for The Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Mrs Nkoana-Mashabane said a South African court would do justice to the matter but that it was in the interest of both Nigeria and South Africa not to tolerate acts of terrorism.

Okah appeared in a Johannesburg court on Monday for complicity in the bomb explosions, which claimed innocent lives in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 1 during the country's 50 th independence anniversary celebrations.

The court has reserved ruling on the application for bail to the 14 th of this month.

Henry Okah was detained by the South African Police on Saturday.

Okah's warrant of arrest alleged that he contravened the protection of constitutional democracy against terrorists and related activities Act.

Yinka