Topnews, Südafrika
13. April 2020
RAMAPHOSA APPOINTS AU ENVOYS, INCLUDING TREVOR MANUEL, TO SECURE ECONOMIC AID FOR AFRICA
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Union (AU), has appointed former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, among others, to garner international support to address the economic challenges that Africa faces because of Covid-19. In a statement on Sunday, Ramaphosa announced the special envoy of the AU would be tasked with soliciting rapid and concrete support as pledged by the G20, European Union and other international financial institutions. He said the special envoys would expedite the process of securing economic support to enable countries on the continent to respond swiftly to the "grave public health emergency" it faced because of the virus. The special envoys will consist of Manuel, former Rwandan Finance Minister Dr Donald Kaberuka, former Nigerian Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Tidjane Thiam who is a banker and businessman who served as the Chief Financial Officer and CEO of Prudential.