Cape Town, South Africa – 20 May 2015: The Council of the recently launched African Union (AU) Foundation has appointed an Executive Director, lined up key events and made critical decisions to allow for the immediate functioning of the Foundation. In its second Council Member meeting held on Wednesday 20 May 2015, in Cape Town, South Africa, the Council decided to appoint Mr. Louis Napo Gnagbe, as the Executive Director, for a maximum period of two years.
Chaired by the Foundation’s Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who also is the Chairperson of the AU Commission, the Council approved the hosting of three high-profile awareness and fundraising events in the next few months.
The Foundation will host the “African Union Summit Presidential Golf Day” on Friday 12 June 2015 at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, and a Gala Dinner, hosted by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, on Saturday 13 June 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. Both will take place during the 25th AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in South Africa.
The third in this series of events, the “African Economic Platform”, will be held from 14-16 August 2015, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and hosted by the Government of Tanzania. The latter event is expected to bring together Governments, Private Sector and the Academia to discuss how to progress the economic development of the continent.
The Council approved its internal working methods and appointed Mr. Dumisana Mngadi and Ms. Margaret Canca as appointed Director of Operations and Director of Fundraising respectively.
Created by the AU Heads of State and Government in January 2014, the AU Foundation was established as part of promoting domestic resource mobilisation for African development.