By FELIX OLICK @olickfelix
Thursday, October 13, 2016
South African President Jacob Zuma and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta talk at State House, Nairobi. ey are with South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation minister Maite Nkoana- Mashabane (L) and Kenya’s Foreign Aff airs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed /PSCU
South African President Jacob Zuma remained tight-lipped about his country’s commitment to back Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed as the next African Union Commission chairperson.
Neither Zuma nor President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly raised the issue in their communique, despite earlier announcement by State House that Uhuru had spoken to the South African head of state about the matter. It is unclear whether South Africa will back Mohamed for the job.
Current SADC head
But Zuma is the current vice chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, which is backing Botswana’s Foreign minister Pelonomi Moitoi for the plum continental job.
“South Africa is bound by the decision of the countries of the south who have endorsed the candidature of Dr Pelonomi Venson Motoi, the Foreign minister of Botswana to succeed Dr Dlamini-Zuma,” South Africa’s International Relations minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in July.
“In this regard, the region is campaigning for her and South Africa is fully behind our SADC candidate for the position of the chairperson.”
Unfortunately for Kenya, Tanzania, a member of the East African Community, is also a member of SADC.
Contacted several presidents
In a press briefing on Sunday, State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu said Uhuru has reached out to several presidents, including Zuma.
“President Kenyatta reached out to a number of his colleagues, including President Zuma, before and after the candidature of CS Mohamed was made public,” he said.
Apart from Botswana’s candidate, Mohamed would be battling it out with Specioza Kazibwe of Uganda and Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea.
Other than Mohamed, the three candidates failed to get the requisite two-thirds majority vote during the AU meeting in July. This led to postponement of the polls by six months.
During a State banquet in honour of Zuma on Tuesday night, Uhuru only said Kenya is counting on the support of South Africa to retain and strengthen UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi.