New leadership promises to move ESAFF to the next level

27/06/2014

The ESAFF Triennial General Summit (TGS) that met in Dar es salaam at the end of June 2014 has elected new officer bearers. The elected new executive committee of the board (exco) is made of three female and one male, all from different regions in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The elected chairperson is Mr. SERGE BENSTRONG of Seychelles, have served in the ESAFF Board since 2010. He is a small scale farmer leader from Seychelles.

Speaking after Elections, Mr. Benstrong says he hope the new leadership will do more to make ESAFF a greater organisationation. Speaking in his acceptance speech the new chairman said   “The past two leaderships under the chairmanship of Ms. Elizabeth Mpofu 2007 to 2011 and Mr. Moses Shaha 2011 to 2014, both have done a lot to make ESAFF where it is today… However, we as new elected leaders we have the duty to take our organisation into the next level”.

According to the ESAFF constitution, the elected chairman is the chief spokesperson and representative of the Organisation. He also oversees the projects undertaken by ESAFF and supervise and make follow-ups on all activities undertaken by the Organisation.

Other elected new farmer leaders are Ms. VICKY LOKWIYA of Uganda as Vice Chairperson, General Secretary Ms. MAMALEFETSANE PHAKOE of Lesotho and Ms. RACHEL MUYOBOKE of Rwanda she is a new treasurer.

The new board members elected in their countries and who will serve in the new leadership has six (6) female and nine (9) male. The new board is made of Ms. FLORA MASWANGANYI of ESAFF South Africa, and Mr. ACHILLE MBUSA LUMALISA of Democratic Republic of Congo– Fédération des Organisations de Producteurs Agricoles du Congo – FOPAC.

Other members are Mr. BHEVA HLOPE from Swaziland – Coalition of Informal Economy Association of Swaziland (CIEAS); Mr. Richard Rabetrano of Madagascar, Confédération des Agriculteurs Malagas (CPM), Ms. Odette Nzeyimana of ESAFF Burundi, Mr. Haji Usi Haji of Tanzania – MVIWATA, Mr. Thomas Kasache of NASFAM, Malawi, Mr. Mubanga Kasakula of ESAFF Zambia and Ms. Elizabeth Mpofu of Zimbabwe Smallhoder Organic Farmers Forum (ZIMSOFF)