Elias Mpedi Magosi has started from September his top-level regional job as the new Executive Secretary of Southern African Development Community (SADC). Magosi, a national of the Republic of Botswana, was sworn in as the Seventh SADC Executive Secretary at the 41st SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Lilongwe, Republic of Malawi on 18th August, 2021.
He replaces Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, whose term ended August 31. She served two 4-year terms from 2013 to 2021 at SADC Secretariat. Some of her key responsibilities, included engaging all the members as an economic bloc, overseeing, and implementing various programmes and projects in the southern African region. There were several achievements and milestones during the past eight years. The region remains stable and peaceful, notwithstanding the isolated challenges, though.
According to biographical reports from the Secretariat, Magosi, after graduating from the University of Botswana, went on to study at the University of Bolton in the United Kingdom and the Bowling Green State University in the United States.
From April 2021 to the time of his appointment as SADC Executive Secretary, he served as Acting Ambassador-at-large under the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Botswana. Before that, Magosi was the Permanent Secretary to the President of the Republic of Botswana. As Permanent Secretary to the President, he was reporting to His Excellency, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana.
Magosi has sound understanding and coordination of the workings of governments, and effective linkages with political levels, private sector and academic institutions, including regional cooperation and coordination.
He has over 28 years of experience in large-scale performance and process improvement, strategic management, human resource management and change management in public, private and parastatal (quasi-government) sector organizations.
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who campaigned vigorously for Magosi’s election, told journalists during his working visit to Lesotho in May that Botswana was bringing to the table the best candidate for the SADC secretariat post.
“We do not bring a fluke to the table, he is no pushover. The man has impeccable credentials. He is a top-rated technocrat by our standards in Botswana,” Masisi said during his campaign trail.
Magosi was competing for the post against economist Faustin Luanga Mukela of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Magosi holds a Master of Organisation Development degree from Bowling Green State University in the US, a graduate diploma in management services from the University of Bolton in the UK and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics/statistics from the University of Botswana.
Source: Reuters
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