The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Minister Ronald Lamola, has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, leading the South African delegation to the 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU on 12 and 13 February 2025.
The Council will convene under the agreed AU theme for 2025, Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations, which will be officially launched by the Assembly. Throughout 2025, all AU Member States will review and assess the achievements made by the Continent towards the attainment of long overdue justice and reparations following decades of colonialism, apartheid, slavery, the slave trade, and the transatlantic slave trade.
One of the most highly anticipated responsibilities and key features of the forthcoming Executive Council is the election of six commissioners for the AU Commission. The six commissioners to be elected will oversee the following portfolios: Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE); Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM); Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI); Infrastructure and Energy (I&E); Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS); and Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS).
South Africa, for its part, has put forward two candidates, Dr Molapo Qhobela and Mr Lerato Mataboge, for the roles of Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) and Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, respectively. After a thorough interview, both candidates were shortlisted for the next stage of the elections. The Council is anticipated to conduct elections on 12 February 2025.
Furthermore, the forthcoming Executive Council will take place in a few months since South Africa assumed its Presidency of the G20 in December 2024. The Council will inevitably have to reflect on what South Africa’s G20 Presidency presents in terms of the opportunity to place the interests of the Continent right at the centre of the G20 agenda. In this regard, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Minister Lamola, will brief the Council on some of the key priorities of South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 and how they align with Agenda 2063.
The Executive Council is expected to consider the reports on the organisation’s financial state in terms of implementing its key priorities, including maintaining peace and security on the Continent, implementing Agenda 2063, improving Africa’s socio-economic status, addressing the devastating impact of climate change in Africa, and advocating for human rights and good governance across the Continent.
In addition, the Executive Council will receive a briefing on the progress made in implementing the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP) of Agenda 2063, the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the annual activities of the various AU Organs and Agencies.
The 46th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council takes place against the backdrop of an African Continent that is facing a myriad of challenges, including threats to democratic governance, peace and security through unconstitutional changes of government and post-election violence. Of key concern to South Africa is the ongoing raging war in the Eastern DRC, which led to the recent attacks, and 14 South African soldiers lost their lives.
The Council meets amid the Continent that is bedevilled by inter and intra-state conflicts, terrorism and violent extremism, poverty, food and energy insecurity, the impact of climate change, inadequate infrastructure, low productivity, trade barriers and continued dependence on external aid and markets. The ongoing debt crisis by African countries and the consequent default on their debt repayments remains an issue of serious concern for the continent. According to the World Bank Report, as of July 2024, 22 African countries were either in or at a high risk of debt distress that required debt restructuring.
Most African countries are unable to meet citizens’ basic needs, such as health, education, and employment, due to their debt burden. As one of the leading Member States of the AU, South Africa’s participation in the Executive Council will be critical to advancing the organisation’s agenda and priorities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
