Namibia takes helm at SASSCAL
Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Inge Zaamwani, was appointed chairperson of the SASSCAL Council of Ministers on 12 March in Gaborone, Botswana, taking over from Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi.
Accepting the two-year appointment, Zaamwani said it was “with a deep sense of humility and honour” that she assumed the role on behalf of Namibia.
She praised Mmolotsi’s outgoing leadership, saying his tenure provided “clear strategic direction to the governing board and management” and laid “a strong foundation upon which we are proud to build going forward”.
Zaamwani outlined several priorities for her tenure. She committed to advancing SASSCAL’s regional expansion, promoting treaty ratification among member states, and ensuring that financial obligations are met. “Institutional sustainability and credibility are anchored in the collective responsibility of its member states,” she said.
She also set her sights on securing continued German funding, pledging to engage with the Federal Republic of Germany “to secure its commitments through sustained financial support” for ongoing research and the implementation of SASSCAL Strategy 3.0.
Zaamwani was direct about the scale of the task ahead, acknowledging “the weight of responsibility expected from this role, particularly the mandate to provide leadership in guiding SASSCAL through its next phase of growth and impact”.
On treaty ratification, she was firm: “I will advocate for member states to ratify the SASSCAL Treaty and urge them to honour their financial obligations.”
She closed by reaffirming Namibia’s commitment, saying the country assumes the chairpersonship “with humility and commitment to serve the collective interests of the region”.
