Tokelo Khausela
THE government has rallied behind former Trade and Industry Minister, Joshua Setipa, who is currently vying for the position of secretary general of the Commonwealth.
Mr Setipa will be the first Southern African to hold the top post if he is successful.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 mostly former British colonies including Lesotho.
The secretary general is responsible for managing the organisation’s secretariat while promoting and protecting its values.
Foreign Affairs and International Relations Principal Secretary, Thabang Lekhela, this week said Lesotho would persuade all Commonwealth countries intending to field candidates to back Mr Setipa instead.
Mr Lekhetla said in a statement Mr Setipa was currently contending against two other candidates, both from the West African region. Others are still expected to join the bid.
The first and only African holder of the post, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, was from Nigeria and held the position from 1990 to 2000. Mr Lekhela says the Southern African region deserves a chance to lead the important organisation.
Mr Setipa is poised to succeed Patricia Scotland KC who has held the position from 2016.
“In the spirit of regional rotation and equity, we believe it is the turn of Southern Africa or the SADC region to occupy that high post,” Mr Lekhela said.
He added his ministry had launched the country’s campaign to lobby other Commonwealth member states to support Mr Setipa through the Lesotho High Commission in London.
“The ministry is now concluding its comprehensive campaign strategy that will begin with the Prime Minister sending envoys to confirm support from heads of state and governments of the SADC region,” he said.
He said Lesotho would lobby other nations at the Non-Aligned Movement and The Group of 77 summits at which Lesotho will participate.
“There will be events to promote the candidature of Mr Setipa for the high office of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.”
Mr Setipa is currently the Senior Director for Strategy, Portfolio, Partnerships and Digital Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He is also secretary to the governing board of the Commonwealth.
He was previously the Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank and held positions including Senior Advisor to the Director General of the World Trade Organization.
He served as the Minister of Trade and Industry in Lesotho from 2015 to 2017. He had also served as the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC)’s chief executive officer before then.
In the October 2022 general elections, he contested for the Semena constituency under the ruling Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) banner but lost to Democratic Congress (DC)’s Tṧepo Mosotho.
“Lesotho says Setipa’s service of over 25 years in senior roles of diverse complexity qualifies him as an outstanding candidate for the position,” Mr Lekhela said.
