SADC REFUTES THE MISINFORMATION ON ADOPTION AND ENDORSEMENT OF ZAMBIAN CANDIDATE FOR AfDB PRESIDENCY
PRESS RELEASE
Correcting misinformation on the adoption and endorsement of SADC’s candidate for the position of the President of the AfDB Group
11th October 2024, Gaborone, Botswana: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has noted with concern the misinformation in a recent news article published by the Sunday Times of South Africa, which makes allegations about the process that led to the adoption and endorsement of the SADC candidate for the position of the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
The news article titled: South Africa defies SADC on African Development Bank nomination, published by The Sunday Times of South Africa on 6th October 2024, alleges that SADC followed a new process in coming up with the regional candidate for the AfDB President.
The SADC Secretariat wishes to clarify that the allegations outlined in the news article are unfounded and false. We wish to inform that the discussion for the process used in coming up with the SADC candidate for the AfDB Presidency started back in 2022, during the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government, which was held in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On 17 August 2024, during its 44th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Zimbabwe, the SADC Heads of State and Government endorsed Dr. Samuel M. Maimbo, a national of the Republic of Zambia, as the region’s sole candidate for the position of the Office of the President of the AfDB Group and urged SADC Member States to campaign for him and support him.
Seven nominated candidates from Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia were interviewed and Dr. Samuel M. Maimbo, was ranked first in position, and Ms. Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala, a national of South Africa was in the second position.
The following represents the facts on this matter in summary:
• In August 2023 in Luanda, Angola, the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government adopted the recommendation from the SADC Council of Ministers, to implement a strategy which was proposed and adopted by the SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment, to SADC in its bid for the Office of the President of the AfDB Group, and directed the SADC Executive Secretary to coordinate the implementation of the Strategy. The Strategy included the development of the selection and evaluation criteria for the candidate and the establishment of an Independent Technical Committee to be approved by the SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment.
• In February 2024 the selection and evaluation criteria was approved by Member States through a round robin process. Member States also approved a Guidance Note on the establishment of the Independent Technical Committee for the selection and evaluation of SADC candidates for the office of the President of the African Development Bank.
• In March 2024 the SADC Executive Secretary invited Member States to nominate their candidates from the Southern Africa region of the AfDB for the office of the President of the African Development Bank.
• In June 2024 the SADC Executive Secretary constituted the Independent Technical Committee to assist the SADC Ministers of Finance in screening and evaluating the candidates based on the approved Selection and Evaluation criteria. The Technical Committee comprised Member States who did not submit nominees, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. The Independent Technical Committee met in July 2024 to screen, evaluate and rank the candidates, and its report was submitted to the SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment on 6 August 2024.
• On 15 August 2024 the SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment interviewed the seven nominated candidates to identify a suitable candidate for the Office of the President of the AfDB Group.
• On 16 August 2024 an extraordinary SADC Council of Ministers met and considered the Report of the SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment on the selection of a SADC candidate for the Office of the President of the AfDB Group. This included the interview report that was also presented to the SADC Council of Ministers for consideration. Council accordingly recommended the top candidate to the SADC Summit for endorsement.
• On 17 August, during its 44th Summit of Heads of State and Government, Summit endorsed Dr. Samuel M. Maimbo, as the region’s sole candidate for the position of the Office of the President of the AfDB Group and urged Member States to campaign for him and support him. Dr Maimbo is currently the Vice President for Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning at the World Bank Group since July 1, 2023 and his brief profile can be accessed from the SADC website:https://www.sadc.int/latest-news/sadc-endorse-dr-samuel-maimbo-candidate-afdb-presidency.
The allegations in The Sunday Times of South Africa are unfounded, misplaced and therefore refuted.
For further enquiries contact:
The Communication and Public Relations Unit at the SADC Secretariat on email prinfo@sadc.int
