12 Jul 2016

 Botswana’s aspirant of the African Union (AU) Commission’s chairpersonship, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi fancies her chances this month in Kigali Rwanda when the continent’s heads of state eventually cast their votes. 

In an interview, Dr Venson-Moitoi, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, voiced her worry that the campaign was laced with hurdles mostly emanating from politics. 

One of the obstacles, she said, was Botswana’s position on the International Criminal Court (ICC) that seems to be at variance with the rest of the continent. 

“We seem to be saying one thing whereas everybody else is saying the other,” she said, adding that however, Botswana only varied with the rest of the countries as regards the view that the continent should pull out of the Rome Statute. 

“Our argument is that having agreed, signed and ratified the Rome Statute as Africa. We shouldn’t drop the agreement just because it is not working for us. We should fix it and this is our position,’’ she said. 

She further explained that it was important to find out why the agreement was not working, including finding out whether it  was not forces from outside Africa such as the Security Council. 

“If we think the Security Council is not making the document work for us, as Botswana we feel we should engage the council, or review the Rome Statute so that it works for us and not dump it,” she argued, adding that dumping it would be inconsiderate. 

Dr Venson-Moitoi said during the January summit, she proposed that Botswana’s position was that the Rome Statute be amended to the continent’s liking, and everybody else agreed. 

“Right now Botswana and Kenya agree. So if anyone says Botswana is a single-voice on the ICC issue they are uninformed and being mischievous on this campaign,” she said. 

She said the other issue that is loaded with mischief was the accusation that President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama did not attend AU summits. 

While she agreed that ideally President Khama should attend AU summits, she countered that he was not the only culprit, and that there were valid reasons why sometimes he failed to attend such meetings. 

“President Khama shares duties with those he works with; thus often the Vice President has represented him perfectly well. Also, the July AU session usually coincides with the BDP’s July congress and the President’s Day holidays,” she clarified. 

Besides, she said Botswana paid her dues at the AU regularly, and that the country had a senior ambassador at the AU who attended meetings without fail. 

“So I don’t understand if Botswana is missing at the AU just because President Khama does not attend. This is why I am saying yes maybe they would love to see his face, but that should not make Botswana absent from AU. 

“And to top it all up, President Khama is not applying for the job at AU, I am, and that should not be used against me,” she reasoned. She said for anyone to say Botswana was not deserving of the opportunity it would be the most illogical statement ever.

 “Those are the main hurdles in the campaign, and if Africa is ever going to be serious about life, it should not use tricks like these to consider candidates,” she advised. 

Although the campaign journey has not been smooth sailing, Dr Venson-Moitoi sees herself as a serious competitor. After the endorsement by SADC, President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama immediately appointed the third President of Botswana, Dr Festus Mogae as the lead envoy and the campaign team captain across the continent. 

She said a full campaign committee had been set up and has consolidated the campaign within the region and amongst fellow country ministers who sell the campaign as they travel across the continent. 

She said President Khama wrote letters to other Presidents across the continent seeking support to her candidature. “All Botswana ministers were assigned the responsibility to be the envoys as they travel around the continent, which should continue until election day,” she said, adding that it had given the campaign an extra mileage. 

“I have also travelled wherever I could to seek support on the continent; At AU meetings I have sought support from foreign affairs ministers for them to seek support for me from their countries,” she said. 

The African Union gathers for its 27^th summit in Kigali, Rwanda this July. The required vote for the position of a chairperson for the 54 member-states alliance is two-thirds majority vote. Dr Venson-Moitoi will be contesting with two other competitors from Uganda and Equatorial Guinea. ENDS