09 Jan 2022

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who has been declared  African Leadership Magazine African peace and security leader of 2021, will be presented with a trophy and formally decorated with instruments of the honour next month.

The  award is in recognition of the role President  Masisi played in  promoting peace and security within the SADC region during his tenure SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security chairperson.

As the organ’s chairperson, President Masisi was instrumental in facilitating the regional response to support Mozambique to combat terrorism and acts of violence as well as restoring law and order in the country’s Cabo Delgado Province.

President Masisi played a key role in the deployment of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) following approval by an extraordinary heads of state and government meeting.

Since its deployment, SAMIM has registered a number of milestones, including recapturing villages, dislodging terrorists from their bases and seizing weapons and warfare material which has contributed to creating a relatively secure environment for safer passage of humanitarian support.

Following the escalation of civil unrest in Eswatini last year, President Masisi, also in his  capacity as the organ’s chairperson, established an organ troika ministerial fact finding mission to  the country..

The mission was tasked with   analysing the country’s political and security situation with a view to support its citizens to find a durable solution.

President Masisi’s award could also be attributed to his contribution, together with other organ members, in resolving the security incidents which occurred  along the Zambia and  Democratic  Republic  of  Congo  (DRC)  border in Lake Tanganyika and the Mweru/Mwero area.

Other African Leadership magazine award recipients are Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta as the political leader of 2021. President Dr Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi as African of the year, and Egyptian footballer Mo Salah as young person of the year.

In the 10th edition of the African Leadership Magazine Persons of the year.

First published in 2008 by African Leadership (UK) Limited, the magazine “focuses on bringing the best of Africa to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective while evolving solutions to peculiar challenges being faced by the continent today”.  Ends