SA confirms support for Venson-Moitoi

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pelonomi Venson- Moitoi’s candidacy for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission received a boost this week as neighbouring South Africa declared its support for her. 

This is a welcome development as there has been damning reports linking the outgoing Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a South African diplomat, to an alleged plot to “sabotage’ the candidacy of Venson–Moitoi.

This Monday South Africa moved swiftly to end the speculation through a press brief addressed by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. The Minister is quoted by Business Day’s BDlive as having said that South Africa would back the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC’s) choice to replace Dlamini-Zuma.

BDlive states that Nkoana-Mashabane was briefing the media on South Africa’s forthcoming international engagements including the AU midyear summit. “South Africa would lobby for Botswana’s foreign minister, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi when the AU meets in Rwanda from July 10,” the minister is quoted as saying. Dlamini-Zuma confirmed in June she would not seek a second term at the commission, fuelling speculation  that she would return to SA in time for the ANC’s 2017 elective congress.

Speaking to The Midweek Sun and in response to the latest revelation, Venson-Moitoi said, “I have continued to express my gratitude to the various members of the region throughout the journey of the campaign.  And I continue to get even more strength with the increase in the number of individual pronouncements by the regional members as they declare their support.  SADC as a region is known for its team work. And we will continue to demonstrate this in Kigali. Even though I did not see the story, I know that the minister speaks the word of the region”.

The Midweek Sun has reliably learnt that Venson Moitoi continues to lobby for support to both respective governments and influential individuals who will make it for the Kigali, Rwanda meeting. She is expected to fly out of the country in order to continue with her appeal. Venson-Moitoi and two other candidates –Uganda’s former vice president Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, 60, and Agapito Mba Mokuy, 51, the foreign minister of Equatorial Guinea - are vying to replace South Africa’s Dlamini-Zuma at the helm of the Addis-Ababa based Secretariat of the pan African body.