On September 20, 2018, the CEO of the NEPAD Agency Dr. Ibrahim A. Mayaki led a delegation from NPCA to hold a bilateral discussion with the South African Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Hon. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and her team at her official residence in Pretoria. The discussions with Minister Dlamini Zuma focussed on South Africa’s role as Chair of the NEPAD HSGOC subcommittee on infrastructure and the particular role South Africa plays in the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PICI).

Dr. Mayaki summarized recent developments with respect to the updated status of PICI projects, and expressed his hope that Dr. Dlamini Zuma would continue to advance the championing of selected infrastructure projects on the continent. The CEO also stated that he was looking forward to South Africa playing an even more robust role in the monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 as coordinated in an integrated fashion by the NEPAD Agency. Dr. Mayaki also reiterated his invitation for Dr. Dlamini Zuma to attend the PIDA/AU/Continental Business Network (CBN) event to be held on the margins of the UN General Assembly next week.

As former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Dlamini Zuma outlined her familiarity with this portfolio, and expressed her appreciation of the role South Africa plays and will continue to with respect to both PICI and the monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063. The Minister noted that the monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 serves the same purpose for reporting on the UN SDGs, so this conversation was particularly pertinent given the forthcoming General Assembly debate. Although Dr. Dlamini Zuma will not be in New York for the CBN event, she hopes to deploy a Cabinet colleague or a representative given the importance of the invitation.

The discussions concluded with Minister Dlamini Zuma and Dr. Mayaki agreeing on a set of milestones in the coming months, including the proposal that South Africa host a Ministerial meeting on PICI in preparation for the 2019 AU Summit. The Minister also committed to a briefing for President Cyril Ramaphosa on South Africa’s role as Chair of PICI, at which the NEPAD Agency may be requested to participate.