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FINANCE and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa has appealed to fellow African countries to support Mr Thomas Zondo Sakala for the African Development Bank presidency.
Elections to elect the new ADB leader are scheduled for May.
Mr Sakala, a former staffer at the bank, is the Sadc candidate for the presidency of the multi-lateral institution.
Mr Sakala, who is Zimbabwean, worked with the bank for 31 years and has received support from the Sadc countries.
Speaking at the unveiling of Mr Sakala as a candidate for the post, Minister Chinamasa said he has vast experience with the bank’s operations and targets for the next 10 years.
“I have invited different African country representatives here so that they relay the message to their capitals and we are appealing for your support despite the fact that some of you have your own candidates from your mother countries,” said Minister Chinamasa.
“There are about seven countries with candidates that will be contesting and I hope those countries will support us after the first or subsequent rounds.”
Minister Chinamasa said Africa should vote for Mr Sakala as he was the only candidate who knew the projects that were earmarked by the banking group which have not been accomplished.
The incumbent ADB president Mr Donald Kaberuka ends his second and final five-year term this year and a replacement is expected to be voted on May 28 at the bank’s annual general meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The other seven candidates are Mr Sufian Ahmed of Ethiopia, Dr Cristina Duarte of Cape Verde, Dr Samura Kamara of Sierra Leone, Dr Akinwunmi Adeshina of Nigeria, Mr Jalloul Ayed of Tunisia, Dr Kordjé Bédoumra of Chad and Mr Birama Boubacar Sidibe of Mali.
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