By Bongiwe Dlamini

TANZANIA:Timothy Matsebula, the eSwatini Auditor General(AG) has assumed the position of Chairperson of the African Union Board of External Auditors(AUBoEA) for a period 2025-2026, Government online platforms reported on Thursday.

The AUBoEA is an authority for Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions from AU Member States responsible for the Audit of the AU, Matsebula was unanimously elected into the position by members of the AUBoEA on 22 January 2025, a historic occurrence since the SAI is the first non-permanent member of the Board to be elected Chair since 2015. 

“SAI Eswatini takes over the reins from the President of the Accountability State Authority of Egypt at the BoEA Meeting held at the African Court for Human and People\'s Rights in Arusha, Tanzania.SAI Eswatini represents the Southern Region in the AU BoEA and was elected into the Board for the second consecutive term of 2024 to 2026. During the meeting, AU BoEA members expressed confidence in the leadership of SAI Eswatini, affirming their confidence in that the election did not go to vote, but the SAI was given the chair unopposed.SAIs that were represented physically were South Africa, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco and Egypt. Permanent members of the Board are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Morocco. With Eswatini as Non- permanent members are Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius and Côte d’Ivoire representing various regions of the AU membership”, reads the Government online report.

It has been reported that, when accepting the nomination, Matsebula stressed the importance of collaboration and professional partnerships in ensuring that, the SAIs deliver to its mandate of bring accountability and transparency to the body they are responsible for. 

“I am a firm believer that engagement, collaboration and transparency are critical to our success. So, I really look forward to the continuous and meaningful engagement with every member of this Board over the years in office. I invite each of you to engage actively in our discussions, share your insights, and contribute to the development of our strategies.Let us forge a path that reflects our shared vision and values, one that prioritises excellence and cooperation. Your voices will be invaluable in shaping the direction we take and the impact we make,” he said. 

Matsebula was elected at the BoEA Meeting held at the African Court for Human and People's Rights in Arusha, Tanzania.