Zimbabwean economist lands top Sadc post

RENOWNED Zimbabwean economist with an extensive career in various Government roles, Dr Judith Kateera, has been appointed as the Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs at the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Her appointment received unanimous approval at the 43rd Sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Luanda, Republic of Angola.

Sadc, in an official statement, lauded Dr Kateera as a strategic leader ready to take on this pivotal role.

“Dr Kateera takes over from Ambassador Joseph Nourrice, a citizen of the Republic of Seychelles, who will be leaving the Sadc Secretariat at the end of his tenure in October 2023. As the Sadc Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs, Dr Kateera will provide strategic leadership and oversight on the provision of support functions to the Sadc Secretariat, including adoption of information and communication technologies to drive organisational effectiveness,” read the statement.

Dr Kateera’s mandate includes directing Sadc Secretariat’s human and financial resources towards achieving the organisational objectives, aligning with the priorities outlined in the Sadc Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 and the Sadc Vision 2050.

Sadc highlighted Dr Kateera’s impressive track record, spanning over 35 years in public service, where she seamlessly collaborated with the private sector and diplomatic corps.

Southern African Development countries

“Among her key roles, Dr Kateera, served as a Principal Director in charge of Finance and National Budget in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Zimbabwe and served as Permanent Secretary in various portfolios covering Ministries of Economic Planning and Development; Office of the Vice-President; Secretary for Economic Planning and Investment Promotion.

“During her career in public service, Dr Kateera was twice in the Office of the President and Cabinet with responsibility over Economic Research and Policy Analysis and also served as the first Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs, Monitoring and Implementation of Government Programmes and Permanent Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, before returning to Treasury as Policy Secretary.”

Additionally, Dr Kateera took on the role of economic advisor within the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The Government also seconded her to the African Development Bank (AfDB), where she served as an Executive Director responsible for the Africa Group II constituency, comprising Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, from 2019 to 2023.

“Most recently before her appointment at the Sadc Deputy Executive Secretary, she served as a Policy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development,” read the statement.

Dr Kateera’s academic qualifications are equally impressive, with a PhD in Economics from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Master of Arts degree in Development Economics from the Centre for Development Economics (CDE) at Williams College in Massachusetts, United States of America, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (Honours) from the University of Zimbabwe. — chronicle