Forty-one years later and despite hosting the Secretariat of the regional economic bloc, Southern African Development Community -Botswana is finally making the bold step to decisively bid for Executive Secretary.

Incumbent ES, the Tanzanian national, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, has served her two consecutive four-year terms and must in accord with Article 15 of the economic bloc’s Treaty, make way for a successor.

Two names have already been thrown into the hat – that of Botswana’s Permanent Secretary to the President, Elias Magosi and the other being a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Faustin Luanga Mukela, currently a Senior Official at the World Trade Organization (WTO), where he has been working since 1996.

Tax is the sixth Executive Secretary of SADC. She was appointed in August 2013. Other Executive Secretaries have included Zimbabwean nationals, Arthur Blumeries and Simbarashe Makoni; the Namibian Kaire Mbuende, Prega Ramsamy of Mauritius and the Mozambican Dr Tomaz Salomao.

Botswana’s candidate, Elias Magosi boasts a Masters Degree in Organisational Development from Bowling Green State University in USA and a Graduate Diploma in Management Services from Bolton University as well as years of service both in the civil service and private sector.

Magosi has also worked as head of Human Resources at SADC Secretariat.

Andrew Sesinyi, Permanent Secretary- Government Communications, said Botswana decided to field such a high-profile candidate to denote the country’s profound commitment to the values and principles for which SADC was established.

Magosi holds a Master of Organisation Development Degree from the Bowling Green State University in the United States of America, Graduate Diploma in Management Services from the University of Bolton in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics/Statistics from the University of Botswana. 

“Botswana strongly holds the conviction that SADC is and will remain increasingly instrumental in the socio-economic and political development of the region. 

“The Government of the Republic of Botswana is confident that, with his wealth of experience and leadership competencies acquired from both the public and private sectors, Magosi is well equipped to strengthen and play a pivotal role in the positive transformation of the regional body towards greater values of corporate governance, acceleration of regional integration and rapid development”, said Sesinyi. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo Marie Tumba Nzeza also revealed in a statement that the Congolese Government decided to present the candidacy of Faustin Luanga Mukela for the post of Executive Secretary of SADC.

“One of its rights is to nominate a candidate for the position of Executive Secretary. Therefore, the Democratic Republic of Congo recalls that, according to the principle of rotation, it is the only member country that still has its quota intact to propose candidates for this position.

From 2001 to 2003, Mukela was Economic and Development Advisor to the Congolese Head of State, with the rank of Minister of State. From 2004 to 2006, he served as Administrator of the National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of the Democratic Republic of Congo”, said the minister in a statement.

 From 2008 to 2013, Mukela was Head of Department and Regional Coordinator for the Departments of Africa (a portfolio of 54 countries), Asia and the Pacific (a portfolio of 47 countries), within the World Trade Organization.

Nzeza explained that as an international researcher on trade, finance and development issues, Mukela advises WTO member countries and Regional Communities such as SADC on trade and economic governance, integrating trade and industrial policies into their development policies and taking better advantage of global and regional value chains and regional integration processes such as SADC, WAEMU, AfCFTA.

“Through this candidacy, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo maintains that with more than 25 years of national and international experience on issues related to the economic development of countries and their integration into the multilateral trade system, Mukela has all the necessary assets to make SADC an integration community capable of promoting sustainable and equitable economic growth as well as socio-economic development through efficient production systems, greater cooperation and integration, good governance, lasting peace and security”, explained Nzeza.