South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says the burden of the funding for the African Union — including the Pan African Parliament — will fall on the biggest economy in Africa, South Africa.
Asked about funding problems for the Pan African Parliament — which is scheduled to meet in Midrand, Gauteng, in South Africa next month — she said there is “always a shortage of funds”.
She stated that the funding formula of the AU needs to be altered because its predecessor body, the Organisation of African Unity, had placed an undue burden of funding on smaller Southern African states — but the AU now includes more institutions.
It is “impossible” for the AU to run on its current budget, she said.
Asking the media for understanding of South Africa’s key role, she noted that it is ahead of Nigeria as the biggest economy on the continent.
South Africa, she said, “has a slightly higher capacity to pay”. — I-Net Bridge