Chaos In Pan-African Parliament Over Body’s Elections

Scuffles have broken out during a meeting of the African Union parliament, as a week-long debate over the election of their new president which saw lawmakers seen rushing to the floor and shouting at officials to express their discontent.

In scenes of mayhem broadcasted on South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC, members of Parliament wrestled over a white ballot box located at the front of the room that was meant to hold the votes for the election of the Pan-African Parliament President.

Two women first fought over the box, trying to rip it out of each other’s hands. Then, an enraged male lawmaker ripped off his suit jacket and aimed a kick in the direction of female member Pemmy Majodina of South Africa.

The unidentified lawmaker said he was not trying to kick Majodina but rather trying to kick a cellphone out of the hand of another lawmaker recording the chaos on his phone.

As the mayhem unfolded, other lawmakers shouted into their microphones that there were “armed men in the room” and called repeatedly for police and security.

They claimed that they were being threatened by a group of South Africans with guns but Majodina said there were no guns in the room.

The election had already been postponed last Thursday when a staff member working at the venue near Johannesburg tested positive for the coronavirus.

But that meeting last week also first revealed the tensions when South African lawmaker Julius Malema was heard threatening Malian lawmaker Ali Kone in the midst of the sitting.