07 Jul 2016

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi is poised to occupy Africa’s highest position of decision making come July end.

As chairperson, Dr Venson-Moitoi sees herself as key to shaping the African Union (AU) Commission and being instrumental in delivering on the aspirations of the continent.

Heads of state of the world’s second largest and second most populous continent after Asia, will decide the aspirant’s fate when they cast their votes to elect the commission’s new chair at their next summit this month.

Dr Vension also views her ambition as a strategic move to allow the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc to complete the tenure started by former chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa.

She says after the news broke that Dr Dlamini Zuma would not be serving as the AU chairperson for a second term, she fancied her chances and consulted President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

She says after impressing it upon him that Botswana stood a great chance of sharing its success stories with the continent by being inside than outside AU, he agreed.

“I was very happy that he agreed, and this is how the journey started,” she revealed in an interview, adding that when SADC later unanimously endorsed the Botswana candidate in Dr Venson–Moitoi in March, the crusade had started.

 SADC agreed mainly because they were convinced that the southern African bloc is in good stead to be allowed to finish the chairmanship term because traditionally AUC chairpersons served for two terms.

“As someone who has worked all her life in public administration, and mostly driving service delivery, the prospect immediately struck me as worth vying for,” she says optimistically, adding that AU is an organisation yearning and waiting for someone like her to get involved.

The 65-year-old go-getter believes it is time for Botswana to share her experiences in what she knows and does best with the rest of the continent and beyond, and that is nothing other than administration.

Having been a Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for two and half years, she has observed that AUC is where Africans express their aspirations; where African leaders talk about their wishes and what they would like to see happening on the continent.

“Great ideas and dreams about the continent are tossed around at AUC forums,” she says, adding that she is well vested in administration not only because she has trained as one, but she has worked as an administrator most of her public service life.

“I know administration because I have grown up in a country that has developed because we respect consultation, administration, and working with people and communities,” she says.

Dr Venson-Moitoi lauds and cites the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, as a document in need of implementation.

“The Agenda 2063 is Africa’s vision and blueprint for economic, human and social development, and it is very ambitious and most ideal for the continent. 

It touches on the development of people, inclusive of democracy, the rule of law and education, and these are the things that we believe in as Botswana,” she points out.

The aspirant also says she will ensure the development of an effective communication strategy to garner further understanding of and support for Agenda 2063, instilling a culture of ownership by citizens of the continent.

Dr Venson-Moitoi is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, a portfolio she has held since 2014.

She has served as Botswana’s representative to the Africa Union and United Nations charged with the responsibility to articulate and protect Botswana’s foreign policy positions, goals and achievements.

She has also led trade and investment missions, rallied strategic partners to provide development and technical assistance to the country.

From 2009-2014, Dr Venson-Moitoi was the Minister of Education and Skills Development and during that time, she led a difficult consultation and negotiation process with trade unions, student organisations, teachers, communities and the media to transform the education sector and enable government to monitor and improve the quality of the country’s education.

She has also held various cabinet portfolios in works, transport and communications, trade and industry, environment, wildlife and tourism and science and technology.

Prior to joining politics, Dr Venson-Moitoi served in the public service for more than two decades and held a variety of senior positions including as permanent secretary, and her career in the public service ranged from rural development, land management and labour relations.

During her term as permanent secretary, she became the hub for skills sharing with neighbouring countries as she was directly involved in the training of council employees for both Namibia and Zimbabwe

She also led the second Presidential Commission on the Local Government structure and championed what is commonly known as the Venson Report, a document that has become a reference book for local government structure and organisation in Botswana.

Some of her notable works include restructuring of the former institute of town clerks and the establishment of Institute of Municipal Management for South Africa, decentralisation and governance and the United Nations Development Project – a project to analyse the constitutions of 34 African countries to conduct a comparison on the role of traditional leaders in modern democracies.

She holds a master of science in administration from Central Michigan University, USA. She is a recipient of an honourary doctorate in human capital development from Linkokwing University of Creative Technology as well as an award in service excellence from the Institute of Local Government Management in South Africa.

Dr Venson-Moitoi will be contesting for the top continental post with two contenders from Uganda and Equatorial Guinea. Ends