ZAMBIANS ON THE RISE INTERNATIONALLY: A few more Zambians are stamping their names on the international stage

LAST month, Monde Muyangwa officially became the newest USAID assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa.

President Hakainde Hichilema was among the first to congratulate her following her confirmation.

“We wish her all the very best in her new role and look forward to our continued cooperation with the USA in our journey to building a better Zambia for our people,” President Hichilema said.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power administered the oath of office for Dr Muyangwa in front of her husband, Dr David Kaloustian, daughter Inonge, father-in-law Ara Kaloustian and mother Namukolo, including other friends and family members who followed the swearing-in ceremony virtually from Washington, US.

In her remarks, Ms Power shared how Dr Muyangwa, who holds a PhD in international relations and a BA in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Oxford as well as a BA in public administration and economics from the University of Zambia, has always exhibited a passion for education from a young age. In fact, this passion ran through the family.

“As Monde embarked on her own educational journey, it became clearer and clearer that she, like her family, wanted to give back to her country,” Ms Power said.

“Her passion for service kicked off when she moved to Lusaka. In Lusaka, she experienced an entirely new world. Every night, Monde and her family gathered around the TV and watched the news together. Each broadcast exposed her to the deep need in her own country and the need around the world.”

Ms Power said these nightly news updates cemented Dr Muyangwa’s passion for global affairs.

“I know Monde, as a globally respected thought leader on US-Africa relations with unmatched credentials, will tap into the opportunities throughout sub-Saharan Africa and will help create many more,” she said. 

“As assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa, Monde will take her turn outstretching her hand to others on behalf of the United States.”

Eight months before Dr Muyangwa took up her appointment, another Zambian, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, was in the news when United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed her as the United Nations resident coordinator in Lesotho.

Ms Mukwashi previously served under the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) in Germany as chief of Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation.

Among the many positions she has held include being chief executive officer of Christian Aid, an international development and humanitarian non-profit organisation working in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean , and the Middle East.

The confidence that international organisations and institutions have in Zambians has been oozing for years and goes back to even as far back as 2009 when Chingola-born lawyer Chisanga Puta-Chekwe was appointed deputy minister for citizenship and immigration in Canada.

He also served as secretary-general of the Order of Ontario. There is also the recent appointment of the Savenda Group of Companies chief executive officer Clever Mpoha to the advisory board of the Thembekile Mandela Foundation (TMF), another illustration of the confidence international organisations continue to have in the abilities of Zambians. 

Mr Mpoha was appointed to the TMF advisory board on September 1 for a period of five years.

The TMF is named after anti-apartheid icon and South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela’s son Madiba Thembekile Mandela, who died in a road traffic accident in 1969 at the age of 24.

In the latest appointment, TMF founder and chairperson Ndileka Mandela had the following to say to Mr Mpoha: “I am pleased to inform you that the Board on September 1, 2022, on the recommendation of its nomination committee and your exemplary services to the community, has appointed you as a member of the advisory board, effectively for a period of five years.”

Ms Mandela, who is the first granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, founded TMF with a view to ensuring that all learners in selected rural schools have access to education, infrastructure and the right to quality life in South Africa.

A key objective of TMF is to continue the legacy of Nelson Mandela by promoting health and education programmes in selected rural schools.

This objective is in line with that of Savenda Group’s own charity works which include the sponsorship of the Savenda Awards of Excellence at St Mary’s Secondary School in Lusaka.

The Savenda Awards recognise academic excellence from Grade Eight to 12 and are aimed at helping raise the level of competition among pupils at the Catholic Church-run school.

Ms Mandela said the appointment of Mr Mpoha to the TMF board was aimed at bringing African minds together to solve African problems, with the shared vision of developing Africa as one community.

Mr Mpoha heads Savenda Group, a Zambian procurement and logistics solution conglomerate which has business interests in mining, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, automotive, insurance, ICT, aviation, petro-chemical and medical fields.

Further, the group’s motto is Save Nations Develop Africa, which is a pan-African approach of ensuring that Africa is developed by Africans.

As a global supply chain management company established since 1997, significant synergies exist in Savenda due to a network of associations in the USA, Middle East, Africa, European Union and Asia pacific regions.

In her appointment letter to Mr Mpoha, Ms Mandela said she believed the Savenda Group CEO’s business acumen would add value to TMF.

“As a great pan-African businessman, we believe that your experience and leadership in [the course of the organisation] will be of great value to the mission and vision of our foundation. We wish you success in this new assignment and have confidence that you shall transform TMF to the next level.”

Mr Mpoha is a published author whose book, The business mind of Clever Mpoha: The Group MD who built Savenda Group of companies into an African conglomerate, has received international acclaim.

In its book review published in its June 26-July 2, 2021 edition, The Economist magazine describes the book as one of the most inspiring stories for any young Zambian.

“A touching book which could be taught in every school,” The Economist summed up.

Early last month, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR) honoured Muna Ndulo, a William Nelson Cromwell Professor of International and Comparative Law, for his influence as a legal scholar, constitutional advisor, academic leader and expert in international law.

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