S’Africa, others position candidate to take over Akinwumi Adesina’s job at AfDB

Maureen Aguta

Samuel Munzele Maimbo, candidate for the presidency of the AfDB. (© World Bank Group)

South Africa’s Swazi Tshabalala and Tanzania’s Frannie Léautier are out of the running for the presidency of the African Development Bank, as the influential Southern African Development Community chooses Zambian economist Samuel Munzele Maimbo as its sole candidate.

On 17 August, during its 44th summit of heads of state and government in Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to support Samuel Munzele Maimbo as its sole candidate to succeed Akinwumi Adesina as president of African Development Bank (AfDB).

“Dr Maimbo was selected through a competitive process and stood out from seven other candidates [of the SADC countries],” the Zambian ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation announced in a statement dated 18 August.