02 Feb 2017

Vice- President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has expressed disappointment over the outcome of the election of the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the AU Commission.
Minister of International Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi contested and lost the election.
Other candidates included the winner Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea and Dr Amina Mohammed of Kenya, and Dr Abdoulaye Bathily Senegal.
 Speaking in an interview on arrival from the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, Mr Masisi said ahead of the elections, Botswana had embarked on an extensive campaign led by the country’s third President, Dr Festus Mogae.
He said the campaign seemed to have been going well hence he was surprised by the way things turned out.
Mr Masisi also said as part of the campaign, President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama made time to phone different heads of states soliciting votes.
He also noted that as promised, they expected a high number of votes from the SADC states, adding that even before the commencement of voting, the Botswana delegation met with other SADC representatives to campaign for Dr Venson-Moitoi.
The Vice President however noted that they were still to sit down and assess what could have gone wrong and map the way forward.
 Meanwhile, the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government focused on a number of key issues including the financing of the African Union, the Continental Free Trade Area, the state of peace and security in Africa, the African Peer Review Mechanism, gender equality and education, progress against malaria, climate change, the request by Morocco to become a member state of the AU and activities of the Commission in 2016.
 The theme for the summit was Harnessing the Demographic Divident through Investments in the Youth, taking into consideration that Africa is a young continent with more than 60 per cent of its citizens under the age of 30.
 The objective was to deliberate on appropriate actions to be taken in 2017 and beyond to address the various aspects of the demographic dividend, including the challenges and opportunities of Africa’s young generation. ENDS