South Africa has not won the two positions at the African Union Commission leadership it had targeted. The AU summit has concluded with the virtual swearing in of the new commissioners of the Union.
They will take on leadership for the next four years.
President Cyril Ramaphosa hands over AU chairpersonship to DRC President Felix Tshisekedi:
South Africa had submitted Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo for the position of AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Peace and Security and Dr. Molapo Qhobela for the position of Commissioner for Education, Science Technology and Innovation, but neither of them has been given the posts.
South African has, however, been chosen to be the rapporteur of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government.
Chad has retained the position of the African Union Chairperson with the current chairperson Mahamat Mousa Faki re-elected by heads of state with more than two-thirds of the votes of the assembly required to keep him in office for another term.
DRC takes over AU chairship from South Africa, Faki Mahamat to continue leading the AU Commission:
Rwanda receives the position of the deputy chair of the commission, while Egypt, Zambia and Angola have retained their positions in the commission.
Nigeria has taken over from Algeria to lead the continent’s Peace and Security Commission, which has now been merged with Political Affairs.
This time, positions have taken into account gender and region; unlike before. These are parts of the institutional reforms recommended by a report on how to make the Union more effective.
The research on institutional reforms was led by Rwanda President Paul Kagame.
President Kagame noted that reforms need to be sped up, including reforms of the judicial organs, the Pan-African Parliament and effecting division of labour with regional economic communities.
The summit has also highlighted the need for promoting domestic health financing agenda to enable member states to equip their national health systems.
