Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has lobbied President Cyril Ramaphosa to support his country’s candidate Elias Magosi for the position of Southern African Development Community (SADC) executive secretary, APA learnt on Saturday.
Masisi kicked off his lobbying tour two weeks ago when he visited Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera in Lilongwe to sell Magosi’s candidacy.
The Botswana leader returned home smiling after Chakwera publicly endorsed his proposed candidate in what is expected to be a tough battle as other candidates are expected to emerge before the SADC summit in August.
Masisi and Ramaphosa confirmed that they discussed Magosi as Botswana’s candidacy for the SADC secretary-general position.
Ramaphosa, however, was non-committal in supporting his neighbour’s wish to fill the highly-prized SADC post with Magosi pending consultations with the South African cabinet on the issue.
“We discussed the positions that are going to become available in the SADC Secretariat and about Botswana’s desire in that regard on how those positions can be filled,” Ramaphosa told journalists.
Masisi said: “His Excellency the President, it being early because the position only becomes available in August, will obviously have to consult and engage his cabinet and those around him.”
Tanzania’s Stergomena Lawrence Tax is the current SADC executive secretary.
NM/jn/APA