Comesa hunts for Ngwenya successor
THE Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) has started hunting for a candidate to replace the secretary general, Mr Sindiso Ngwenya, whose tenure expires later this year.
Mr Ngwenya, a Zimbabwean national has been at the helm of the regional economic bloc since 2008 and is the 5th secretary general of Comesa after its transformation from the Preferential Trade Area in 1994.
“The Comesa authority would like to announce that the following post (secretary general) will fall vacant in June 2018 and therefore candidates are being sought to submit their candidature,” it said.
Comesa comprises 19 African countries including Zimbabwe that have agreed to consolidate and converge their economies through full market integration.
The economic bloc’s director of Trade and Customs Dr Francis Mangeni is on record saying his organisation would be appointing a new secretary this year through a competitive process.
It is envisaged that the Comesa authority shall appoint a new secretary general whose duties among others include servicing and assisting the organs of the bloc in the performance of their functions.
The Comesa secretariat, which is based in Lusaka, Zambia is headed by the secretary general assisted by two assistant secretaries general, one for programmes and the other for administration and finance. Comesa said that prospective candidates should have a post graduate degree in economics, management, social sciences or related disciplines. Furthermore, the incumbent should have 15 years in management with a strong leadership role and experience in managing a large organisation being significant. And as part of the secretary general’s duties, he or she shall be responsible for keeping the functions of the common market under continuous examination as well as ensuring the objectives set out in the Comesa Treaty are attained. “On his own initiative or as may be assigned to him by the authority or council, undertake such work and studies and perform such services as relate to the aims of the common market and to the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty. “Experience with regional organisations is an added advantage,” said Comesa, adding that the ideal candidate should also be fluent in English and/or French and/or Arabic (speaking and writing). With 19 countries, a geographical size of 11.6 million kilometres, a combined Gross Domestic Product of $755 billion and a population of 520 million, Comesa makes up a third of Africa. The bloc is the largest regional economic body in Africa and has enormous potential. — @okazunga