The Summit was held mostly in a virtual format as the new norm that the world has come to adapt.
Decorum and predictability characterize the annual constitutional tradition. In his speech, President Ramaphosa wished the new African Union Chairperson a successful chairmanship and thanked the Heads of State of African Union Member States, the outgoing African Union Bureau, as well as the African Union Commission for their resolute support during his tenure. He described his year at the helm of the African Union as one marked by the prevailing sanitary crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic.
In his farewell message, President Ramaphosa highlighted some of the achievements under his chairmanship. These include efforts to reduce conflict in the continent under the theme of silencing the guns; the economic empowerment of the women and youths, the enhancement of democracy and good governance, among other development programs under Agenda 2063. You may read a list of accomplishments, especially on the COVID-19 pandemic, at the end of this mail.
The composition of the new Bureau of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union for 2021 is made up of the:
1. Chair of the African Union - Democratic Republic of Congo, (Central African region).
2. First Vice President - Republic of Senegal, (West Region).
3. Second Vice President – Union of Comoros, (Eastern Region).
4. Third Vice President – Arab Republic of Egypt, (Northern Region).
5. Rapporteur – Republic of South Africa, (Southern Region).
The President of Senegal will be the next Chairperson of the African Union.
The Summit came to an auspicious close today, February 7, 2021. Just as COVID-19 issues were on the front burner so was choosing the leaders of the African Union Commission that serves as the Secretariat in coordinating the affairs of the Union and working with other organs.
In choosing the head of the African Union Commission after every four years, sheer discord was normalized since Jean Ping of Gabon vs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma of South Africa in 2012. Such has been the divide that ballot suspension, due to no winner who got two-thirds of the votes, became the expectation, not an exception. The voting moved to the next Summit. The moments were pregnant with multiple ways suspicions and not the least came the colonial languages. It happened in 2012 and 2016.
The election of 2021 was within its timetable with results. In this mail, you can read the full election results of the newly restructured leadership of the African Union Commission. The candidates were shortlisted based on criterion-referenced and merit-based system of assessments. Elections for two commissioner positions were postponed due to additional consideration for gender and regional balance.
