The South African Customs Union (SACU) council of ministers has recently appointed a Namibian national, Paulina Mbala Elago, to the position of SACU Executive Secretary.

SACU Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Leketekete Ketso said Elago’s appointment came at the end of Tswelopele Moremi’s term as executive secretary in January this year after holding the position since January 2004.

Ketso is also Lesotho Minister of Finance.

“Elago started working in this portfolio recently and has been given a five year contract. She previously served as Country Director for Tanzania, for Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA).

“She was responsible for designing, managing and implementation of the TMEA Tanzania’s country programme designed to support implementation of East African Community (EAC) regional integration frameworks, improving intra-regional trade and trade competitiveness through improved trade facilitation, streamlined procedures and infrastructure development,” he said in a press release.

Ketso noted that Elago has over twenty years of professional experience in international trade, primarily trade policy, regional integration and trade related capacity building.

He said the new executive secretary also boasts of 10 years experience in managing and delivering multi country and multi-year programmes.

She was involved in the development of programmes to support regional integration, primarily in Africa, Pacific and Caribbean (ACP) states and regional organisations across ACP regions and served as a chief trade negotiator for the government of Namibia.

“She has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the trade and socio–economic context of the SACU and SADC regions as well as the global arena.

“SACU is a Customs Union which comprises five countries, namely Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland with its Headquarters being in Windhoek, Namibia. It has been in existence since 1910.”