Rustenburg - Newly-appointed Southern African Development Community (SADC) executive secretary Elias Magosi started his work at the organisation’s headquarters in Botswana on Wednesday, the SADC said.
Botswana’s Magosi was sworn in as the seventh SADC executive secretary at the 41st SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lilongwe, Malawi, on August 18.
He replaced Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, from Tanzania, who completed her term of office on August 31.
"Magosi has a sound understanding and co-ordination of the workings of governments, and effective linkages with political levels, private sector and academic institutions, including regional co-operation and co-ordination," the SADC said in a statement posted on its website.
According to his profile, Magosi has over 28 years of experience in large-scale performance and process improvement, strategic management, human resource management and change management in public, private and parastatal sector organisations.
He has a strong background in restructuring, organisational redesign, planning and budgeting, and project management.
"He has very good skills in communication, facilitation, team development and management, strategic thinking, negotiation, advocacy and high-level advisory.
“In addition to these attributes, H.E. Magosi possesses very strong skills in resourcing, coaching, performance tracking and management, and reporting," read the statement.
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who campaigned vigorously for Magosi's election, told journalists during his working visit to Lesotho in May that Botswana was bringing to the table the best candidate for the SADC secretariat post.
"We do not bring a fluke to the table, he is no pushover. The man has impeccable credentials. He is a top-rated technocrat by our standards in Botswana," Masisi said during his campaign trail.
Magosi was competing for the post against economist Faustin Luanga Mukela of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Magosi holds a Master of Organisation Development degree from Bowling Green State University in the US, a graduate diploma in management services from the University of Bolton in the UK and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics/statistics from the University of Botswana.
African News Agency (ANA)