Muluzi, ex African leaders meet AU chair Dhlamini-Zuma
Malawi’s former president Bakili Muluzi and other former African heads of state on Wednesday met newly elected African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa.
Muluzi was joined at the meeting with Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, , John Kufuor of Ghana and Karl Auguste Offman of Mauritius .
The Malawi former president told Nyasa Timesthat the African former leaders who are members of the Africa Forum wanted to inform her about their “availability” for any role they would be asked to play.
Chairman of the forum of past leaders and former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano told reporters the ex-presidents were encouraged by Dlamini-Zuma’s election.
“Our mission was to express our readiness to co-operate with her and the whole commission in whatever way they find it necessary for us to be utilised,” he said.
Dlamini-Zuma will assume her new duties as head of the AU Commission at the body’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, later this year.
She said she felt honoured by the endorsement of the delegation of the respected former leaders, some of whom founded the Organisation of African Unity, which evolved into the AU.
“With their support there is lot we can do. There is a lot they can do to make sure that we move this continent forward,” she said.
“As founders, they emphasised on unity, because if we move away from that anchor, we are very weak.”
Muluzi is expected to return home on August 4.