Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23 July 2015: The African Union Commission Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will on Friday 24 July lead an African Union (AU) delegation to the funeral ceremony of Late Mandla Madonsela, AU Commission Director for Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Resource Mobilization. He died on 15 July 2015 in Johannesburg South Africa, where he had been evacuated for treatment.

“News of Mandla’s death was a big shock to me. In fact, it is a serious blow to us.” The AU Commission Chairperson said, after receiving news of the death of the Commission’s Director of Planning.

As the AU Commission prepares to send off the departed Director, the AU Commission Chairperson pays him tribute:

“He was a very dedicated and hardworking person. He gave his best to his work. The Agenda 2063 framework document and the 10-year Implementation Plan, as we have them today are to his credit, in how he deployed himself to lead a team of very competent and visionary planners. We will miss him. I send my heartfelt condolences to his wife, children and his entire family.”

As Director of Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Resource Mobilization until his death, Mr Madonsela assumed very important responsibilities in the activities of the AU Commission. Among others, he played a pivotal role in the conception and design of the Commission’s Strategic Plan for 2014-2017 being implemented, Africa’s Agenda 2063 Framework Document, and its 10-year Implementation Plan, which were respectively adopted in January and June 2015 by the AU Heads of State and Government.

Taking the lead in policy planning, colleagues in the Commission will remember him for upholding the need for full implementation of Plans. “A policy document is only as good as its implementation.” The Late Mandla is remembered saying.

While Mr. Madonsela will be missed by his family and people from his home country of Swaziland, he will also be very much be missed by colleagues in the AU Commission as well as very many others with whom he worked in and out of the continent, as and particularly in the Commission.

Describing his Supervisor as a man of very rare leadership qualities, Christopher Kachiza, Head of Division under the Late Madonsela, remarked: “He was able to positively guide everybody in the Directorate and never complained about anybody. He was very fair, easily accessible and assisted staff both professionally and personally.”

His last assignment with the Directorate was a Retreat held in Hawassa three weeks earlier, where he outlined his vision for the Directorate in the light of the Implementation of the Agenda 2063 and the role of the Commission in this regard.

On his part Rodney Kiwah, a colleague and very close friend of Mr. Madonsela said Mandla knew exactly what he wanted whether at personal or professional level. “What you saw was what you got, and what he said was what he thought. He was very close to his family, we spoke a lot about our families, particularly our daughters.” Rodney recalled.

In a condolence message to his family and colleagues, the General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Rev. Dr. Andre Karamaga wrote: “Even though we will miss this great person around us, he will continue to be with us and the coming generation, in spirit as we Africans continue to interpret the Agenda 2063 into action for Africa’s unity, prosperity and peace.”

Following the funeral that takes place on Saturday 25 July 2015, the AU Commission will organise another memorial service at its Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at a date to be announced soon.

Bio of the Late Mandla Madonsela

Late Mandla Mduduzi Zakes Madonsela was born on 16 December 1959 in Swaziland. He obtained a B.A. in Economics and Accountancy from the University of Botswana and Swaziland in 1981; an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Development from the University of Manchester; and an MSc. in National Development and Project Planning at the University.

Mandla began his professional career at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development in Swaziland (1981-1991), from where he moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Economist (1991-1993). He worked with United Nations Development Programme (1993-1997) as Senior Economist; and later Southern African Development Community, SADC (1997-2005).

He joined the AU Commission in 2005, and occupied different positions, including being Head of International Cooperation and Resource Mobilization (2005-2009); Head of Policy Analysis and Research Division (2009-2010); Principal Coordinator of the New Economic Partnership for African Development, NEPAD (2010-2011). He was the Director for Strategic Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Resource Mobilization, from 2013 until his death.

He leaves behind a wife and three children.