Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 8 February 2016 – Professor Eddy Maloka, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Secretariat of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), has held his first meeting with Staff Members of the Secretariat in the presence of Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) and former Interim CEO of the APRM Secretariat.

The meeting was held on 8 February 2016 on the new premises with adequate conference facilities offered by the Government of the Republic of South Africa. The Secretariat has been occupying the new premises since November 2015.

In his introductory speech, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki congratulated Prof. Eddy Maloka on his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the APRM Secretariat. He urged the Staff to show team spirit and work enthusiastically together to enable the Mechanism to fulfil the mandate conferred on it by the Founding Fathers of the Continental Mechanism.

He also advised the Staff to work sincerely with the new CEO, adding that it is necessary for the Staff to maintain the spirit of teamwork and discipline in the Secretariat.

Dr. Mayaki opined that the new CEO has come at the opportune time to make his contribution to the on-going APRM revitalization process. He referred to Prof. Maloka as an expert with vast knowledge of the APRM who boasts a bigger invaluable network. Above all, Prof. Maloka has made an impressive career not only as an academic but also as an activist who has been promoting values similar to those targeted within the APRM framework.

Dr. Mayaki recalled the strong political determination of the Heads of State and Government of the APRM to make the Mechanism a success. He observed that Prof. Eddy Maloka, the fully-fledged CEO, meets the prerequisites for a promising future for the APRM Secretariat. Dr. Mayaki pledged support from NEPAD in its capacity as a sister organization. He finally called on the Staff to respect the Office of the CEO, the final decision-making organ of the Secretariat.

For his part, Prof. Eddy Maloka expressed his willingness to work together with the APRM Stakeholders and Staff of the Secretariat to reinvigorate the Mechanism. He thanked Dr. Mayaki for his leadership and continued support to the Continental Mechanism.

Prior to his current appointment, Prof. Eddy Maloka, a national of South Africa, served as an adviser to International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and South Africa’s special adviser to the Great Lakes region.