Prof looks to SA for top AU job

04 December 2016 - 13:32 By Thanduxolo Jika
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Abdoulaye Bathily's attempt to lobby support in South Africa could put the Zuma administration in a difficult position because it announced two weeks ago that it supported Botswana's foreign minister

The man who hopes to succeed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as head of the African Union Commission is banking on southern African countries for support despite the region saying it wants a Botswana candidate to be the next chairman.

Senegalese-born Professor Abdoulaye Bathily met President Jacob Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki on separate occasions this week in his bid to get the region to back his campaign.

Bathily has also been to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Madagascar to rally them behind him as successor to Dlamini-Zuma when she vacates her post next month to return to local politics.

His attempt to lobby support in South Africa could put the Zuma administration in a difficult position because it announced two weeks ago that it supported Botswana's foreign minister, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, after a binational commission between the two countries.

Bathily said this week Dlamini-Zuma had done well as AU chairwoman and he was the right man to take over from her.

A former UN special representative in Central Africa, Bathily said he hoped not only for the support of Francophone countries but also that of regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community, as he wanted to unite the continent.

"I paid former president Thabo Mbeki a courtesy visit because he is one of the people I have worked with in the continent in his peace work.

"I have longtime friends in Mozambique; I have been to Madagascar to also present my vision for Africa," said Bathily.

"I think we must have revolutionary entrepreneurs in the continent to create trans-African corporations which will be assisted by governments."

Bathily said it was time that Africa utilised its natural resources to build its own industries instead of relying on foreign companies.

"Those foreign companies must work with local partners so that the skills remain here and we develop our own wealth," he said.

"I am not a candidate to serve one cause from one region, I am a citizen of Africa first and foremost. I am a pan-Africanist who doesn't represent one country.

"My vision is to unite Africa through economic development ... If you look at our problems such as security, instability, they are all caused by lack of economic opportunities."

The AU is due to elect a new commission chairperson next month. Dlamini-Zuma has opted not to stand for re-election after serving a four-year term.

Other candidates include Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, a former Ugandan vice-president, and Agapito Mba Mokuy, Equatorial Guinea's foreign minister.

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