COTONOU, BENIN-Former firebrand Norton MP, Temba Mliswa, has made history after being elected Vice President of the African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC), in a landmark move that positions Zimbabwe at the heart of the continent’s legislative fight against corruption.
The decision was made unanimously during APNAC’s historic board meeting held from July 23 to 25, 2025, in Cotonou, Benin. Mliswa replaces Edouardo Namburete of Mozambique, who has recently been appointed as ambassador.
APNAC members gathered in Benin and resolved to vote for the outspoken former legislator, with formal confirmation coming in the network’s final communique issued Sunday night.
APNAC has since released a statement congratulating Mliswa for the milestone achievement.
“Honourable Peter Mliswa Temba (Zimbabwe) is elected as the Vice-president of the board to replace the Honourable Edouardo Namburete (Mozambique), who has been appointed as an ambassador.”
The board, comprised of delegates from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, deliberated on a number of institutional reforms and new anti-corruption strategies, including:
Formation of a Technical Committee to review the Constitution,
Proposal to make Speakers of Parliaments automatic Chairpersons of National Chapters,
Strengthening partnerships with bodies like the UN, IPU, Transparency International,
Establishing a new APNAC Secretariat in Ghana in partnership with the Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA),
Calling for an annual anticorruption reflection meeting every 11 July, marking African Anti-Corruption Day.
Mliswa’s appointment marks a rare international endorsement of a Zimbabwean parliamentarian, elevating the country’s role in continental anti-corruption efforts. Known for his fiery independence and past clashes with top political figures, Mliswa’s elevation could inject momentum into APNAC’s visibility drive.
Commenting shortly after his election, Mliswa said:
“I am very humbled… this is through my standing for the people of Zimbabwe… I am very excited about having been given this opportunity… “.
APNAC’s next biennial general meeting will be hosted in Ghana, November 2025, where further decisions on constitutional amendments and funding strategies will be tabled.
APNAC is a continental coalition of national parliamentary chapters, formed in Kampala 1999 to promote accountability, transparency, and the rule of law through coordinated legislative action. ONLINE
