SANF 25 no 21 by Clarkson Mambo
Elias Mpedi Magosi has been re-appointed as SADC Executive Secretary for a second term, and is expected to lead the regional organisation until 2029.
The decision was made at the 45th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Madagascar, the first time the island nation has hosted the summit since joining the regional organisation two decades ago.
In a communique issued at the end of the summit, SADC leaders lauded Magosi for “his leadership and dedication to advance the regional integration and development aspirations of SADC.”
The reappointment gives Magosi an opportunity to further steer the region towards the attainment of goals set in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 and SADC Vision 2050.
The two strategic plans were approved by the 40th Ordinary SADC Summit in Maputo, Mozambique in 2020 and are both based on a firm foundation of peace, security and democratic governance, and premised on industrial development and market integration; infrastructure development in support of regional integration and social and human capital development.
The RISDP 2020-2030 operationalises SADC Vision 2050, which sets out the long-term aspirations of the region.
The Executive Secretary is the head of the SADC Secretariat and is responsible for strategic planning, coordination and management of programmes.
Following his reappointment, Magosi took the oath of office in the presence of the Heads of State and Government, pledging to “perform my duties and exercise my powers as Executive Secretary honourably, faithfully, impartially and independently according to the best of my knowledge and ability.”
The Head of the High Constitutional Court of Madagascar, Justice Florent Rakotoarisoa, administered the oath.
In his first tenure as Executive Secretary, Magosi prioritised regional stability, economic growth, and sustainable development in line with SADC’s long-term goals. The establishment and reinforcement of critical SADC institutions, particularly in security, disaster response, digital economy and energy, have been some of his main achievements.
One key institution established during his first tenure is the SADC Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre in Tanzania, launched in March 2022, whose objective is to advance counter-terrorism prevention.
Magosi has taken steps to ensure inclusive participation in the growth and development of the region by fostering engagement between SADC, the private sector and non-state actors.
Guided by the theme of the 45th SADC Summit which is, “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”, Magosi says the Secretariat will during the period 2025/26, prioritise three areas focusing on advancing the regional industrialisation agenda, transforming the agriculture sector for food and nutrition security and redoubling efforts to attain universal energy access with a focus on renewable energy.
Magosi was initially appointed to lead the SADC Secretariat in August 2021, succeeding the history-making, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax from the United Republic of Tanzania, who had served since August 2013.
Dr Tax was the first woman elected to the post of SADC Executive Secretary since establishment of the organisation, then known as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), in 1980.
Among her long list of accomplishments was the development and rollout of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063, and recalibration of the regional development plan, the
Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020, the RISDP 2020-2030, and SADC Vision 2050.
Prior to his appointment, Magosi was the Head of the Botswana Public Service and Permanent Secretary to then President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi.
Magosi, who has previously worked for Standard Chartered Bank Botswana and Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited, is a holder of a Master’s degree in Organisation Development from Bowling Green State University in the United States of America. He also holds a 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. sardc.net