BY MBONO MDLULI
BUHLENI – Former Minister Moses Vilakati says he is ready to serve as one of the commissioners of the AU Commission.
Vilakati said this on February 22, 2025 during the Buganu ceremony held at Buhleni Royal Residence. The former Minister of Agriculture said he was going to be based in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where he was going to start serving on March 10, 2025.
The former Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs said he was going to serve there for a period of four years. Vilakati did acknowledge that he was faced with a mammoth task because he was going be responsible for many different sectors.
Vilakati will be working to develop sectors such as agriculture and rural development. The former minister will also be responsible for blue economy.
Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. Its scope of interpretation varies among organizations.
However, the term is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources and ocean development. According to Vilakati, this can include a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism, or other traditional uses, to more emergent activities such as coastal renewable energy, marine ecosystem services (i.e. blue carbon), seabed mining, and bioprospecting.
The African Union Commission (AUC) acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the African Union (and is somewhat analogous to the European Commission). It is headed by a chairperson and consists of a number of Commissioners dealing with different areas of policy.
The African Union Commission (AUC) is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day to day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its functions, include: Representing the AU and defending its interests under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and the Executive Council.
