It’s an embarrassment for her husband, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe and brother-in-law President Cyril Ramaphosa.

ends intro

Botswana’s decision to slap travel restrictions on Bridgette Radebe comes despite the personal intervention of President Cyril Ramaphosa who sent his Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu to Gaborone to smooth things over with President Mokwetsi Masisi.

Radebe is understood to have bankrolled former foreign minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi’s battle with Masisi for leadership of the Botswana Democratic Party.

The travel restriction is understood to have been imposed against Radebe even before Sisulu’s meeting with Masisi.

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This will give potential candidates for the position time to canvass for votes after she opted to step down.

Dlamini-Zuma’s spokesman Jacob Enoh Eben, says elections have been postponed until the next summit in January.

ends intro.

Botswana’s foreign minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, polled most votes from leaders on the final day of their summit in Kigali.

But she didn’t reach the requisite two-thirds majority.

Leaders apparently decided against applying the AU provisions for a second round run off between the two top contenders.

The summit agenda was topped with defusing  the crisis in South Sudan sliding back into civil war as ceasefire between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar unravels.

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The  ECOWAS bloc of west African states is be said to unhappy with the choice of candidates offered to succeed outgoing AU commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

ends intro

There are three candidates contesting for the chair of  the AU Commission.

Former Uganda vice president Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Botswana’s Foreign Minister Pelonomi Venson Moitoi, and Equatorial Guinea’s Foreign Minister Agapito Mba Mokuy all have their hats in the ring.

AU legal counsel Vincent Nmehielle says no more names are entering the list before today’s election.

The winner has to get the support of two thirds of member states.

If no-one achieves this majority, the weaker contender falls away and a run-off is  held.

If a two thirds majority is still not obtained, an interim chairperson appointed.

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