SACU executive secretary pays courtesy call to His Majesty

MANZINI – The Southern African Customs Union’s ( SACU) newly- appointed Executive Secretary, Thabo David Khasipe, paid a courtesy call to His Majesty King Mswati III.

The executive secretary was appointed by the SA CU Council of Ministers from February 1, 2023. His appointment came at a time when the Kingdom of Eswatini is chairing all SACU institutions.

Integration

The purpose of SACU is to promote economic regional integration in SACU member States which are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

The term of the executive secretary is five years in office and he visited the Kingdom of Eswatini to introduce himself and also to discuss key priority areas of the SACU agenda for effective and strategic implementation of the SACU Strategic Plan.

The executive secretary was accompanied by SACU Communications Manager Kungo Mabogo and SACU Senior Office Manager Abed Iyambo. The delegation met the Chairperson of the SACU Summit, His Majesty King Ms wat iII I, Prime Minister

( PM) Cleopas Dlamini, Deputy Prime Minister ( DPM) Themba Masuku, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg and other key stakeholders.

The Communications Officer in t he Ministry of Finance, Setsabile Dlamini, said the key message of the meetings was to ensure that SACU’s vision, which is an economic community with equitable and sustainable development, dedicated to the welfare of its people for a common future, was reinforced and prioritised.

It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Eswatini assumed the Chairmanship of SACU Summit, Council of Ministers and Commission, effective from July 15, 2022 and this term shall lapse on July 14, 2023.

Eswatini took over from the Republ i c of Botswana. The SACU chairmanship rotates among the member States for a period of 12 months, in alphabetical order.

Assumed

When t his happened, Rijkenberg assumed the role of Chairperson of the SACU Council of Ministers, taking over from the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Botswana, Peggy O. Serame.

On the other hand, the Principal Secretary( PS) in the Ministry of Finance, Sizakele Dlamini, took over as the Chairperson of the SA CU Commission, from the Secretary for Economic and Financial Policy in the Ministry of Finance of Botswana, Kelapile Ndobano.

Meanwhile, the PS in the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Nthoateng Lebona, is the Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee.

( Courtesy pics) The Chairperson of the Southern African Customs Union Summit, His Majesty King Mswati III posing with t he newly- appointed Executive Secretary, Thabo David Khasipe ( R), SACU Communications Manager Kungo Mabogo ( 2nd L) and SACU Senior Office Manager Abed Iyambo during a courtesy visit by the delegation.

Southern African Customs Union Executive Secretary Khasipe posing with the Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku, yesterday during the former’s visit to the country.