Mmasekgoa hosts international commonwealth day
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday March 9, 2015 17:48
The daughter of the former President Sir Ketumile Masire is the government of Botswana’s candidate for the post of the Commonwealth Secretary General.
If elected Mmasekgoa will be the first woman to hold the post. She will also be the first person from the southern African region to be elected into the post which has in the past been occupied once by an African.
She has been the deputy secretary General of the Commonwealth for two terms since 2008. Her second term ended in May 2014.
The international Commonwealth Day Commemorations this year have been reserved for her star to shine, as Botswana attempts to raise Mmasekgoa’s profile among the diplomatic missions of the Commonwealth that are expected to grace the occasion to celebrate the international day today at the three Dikgosi Monument, from 830am.
According to a government release, this is the first public event at which Mmasekgoa will share her insights and reflect on her experiences as the former deputy secretary General of the Commonwealth.
Mmasekgoa has been made the host of this year’s commemorations, a platform that enables her to sell her credentials to the representatives of the various Commonwealth member countries.
According to a release from Kunda Neil, head of external relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event is intended to bea public event to visibly demonstrate Botswana’s intention to campaign for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Botswana believes that as deputy secretary General its candidate gained a wealth of experience as she provided leadership and support for the work of the Commonwealth on political, Human Rights, Legal and Youth Development.
Mmasekgoa’s vision, according to the Botswana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is to initiate and promote initiatives which will enhance the relevance of the Commonwealth and ensure support and effective engagement with Member States.
She believes that even as the Commonwealth pursues its political values, it should lend a credible voice in the discourse of global development issues and play a special role in championing the issues affecting small states and vulnerable communities.