Bayendi ascends to African Union Commission
One of the country’s finest lady strategists, Botho Bayendi, has escalated to serve at continental level following her appointment to the African Union Commission (AUC) as Director of Strategic Planning and Delivery-Agenda 2063 with effect from 1st May, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Bayendi is the current Chief Executive Officer of Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), a position she held since April 2022.
Part of her specific responsibilities at AUC is to oversee the development implementation and delivery of AU-wide long term and medium term strategic plan, or other continental frameworks of the commission, consistent with the African Union Agenda 2063.
She will also coordinate and follow up the implementation of Agenda 2063's 10-year development plans, provide strategic guidance to the AUC and other organs of the Union, promote AUC’s role as an African Think Tank through evidence-based policy research.
She previously worked for Botswana Investment and Trade Centre as Executive Director, business intelligence (2019 –2022), Botswana Qualifications Authority as Manager, Strategy & Research (2016 – 2018), Botswana Housing Corporation as Corporate Planning Manager and Board Secretary (2012 – 2016).
She is armed with MSC Strategic Management and BA (Social Sciences), Dip (Statistics), Cert (statistics) from University of Botswana (1997-2002), Executive Masters in Managing Sports Organisations 2022 (Ongoing) (Oxford 2020), Executive Leadership Development Programme (Stellenbosch 2018), and Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) University of Derby (07/09). Confirming the appointment, Minister of Youth Sports and
Culture, Tumiso Rakgare said it is a big loss for Botswana sport. “She came to fill up a position and within a very short space of time, she demonstrated great leadership qualities – an indication that women deserve the chance to lead.
“She is one woman who is very firm. I have seen outmost professionalism from her. The lady is extremely good. I feel she is one example of those of our exports that we must be proud of and we should never think where ever she is, she will disappoint Botswana.
“She is a great export of Botswana not different from the diamonds or the beef we export to the foreign markets. We can only wish her well; she is going to sell this country when serving the AUC.”
Rakgare could not be drawn to say who is likely to replace Bayenda save to say “that one is the preserve of the BNOC, I think they will do the needful. The recruitment process will be followed.”
BNOC President Colonel Botsang Tshenyego said: “We are currently engaged in the process to engage a caretaker CEO so that the handover is smooth and there are no gaps created as well as ensuring that we get the right calibre to process the initiatives of transformation that we want completed
“So we are hard pressed to find a person of that calibre to fit in that position while we give recruitment process a chance for a substantive CEO”.
As the Director, Bayenda will be holding the level office in the Commission before reaching the political level. The purpose of her job is to provide strategic direction and leadership in managing the operations of the Strategic
Planning and Delivery a Directorate in order to achieve the AU strategic objectives and goals.