SA and Nigeria are set to lock horns today during the selection of the new secretariat to oversee implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The two countries will each lobby for their preferred candidates for the position, along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
There has been intense lobbying and a meeting of ministers on Friday could not reach agreement on who should be appointed to the position process. It could come down to a vote of heads of state during the summit today if the Nigeria, SA rivalry is not resolved .
SA's contender for the new top job appears to be leading the field ahead of the summit, according to sources with knowledge of the process.
The sources said the South African candidate Wamkele Mene had emerged as the best of three contenders in a competency test.
The DRC's Faustin Luanga was second and Nigeria's Cecilia Akintomide was third.
The successful candidate will head the secretariat to oversee the AfCFTA, which is to be established at the AU summit that begins today. The AfCFTA will be headquartered in Ghana.
Mene is from SA's department of trade & industry and was the country's chief negotiator during discussions on the AfCFTA.
There were tensions between SA and Nigeria ahead of the summit over the appointment of the secretariat.
This came after a meeting of ministers ahead of the summit.
The meeting could not agree on a candidate, a task that will now be left to the heads of state. If there is no consensus, it will come down to a vote.
Sources who spoke to the Sunday Times said the commission that decided on the competencies of the three candidates was standing by its report.
Nigeria has also been accused of politicising a decision that "should be settled on the basis of competence".
The rivalry comes as SA moves to reassert its political muscle in Africa, with President Cyril Ramaphosa taking over as chair of the AU today. Ramaphosa will begin his tenure after meeting Rwandan President Paul Kagame yesterday.
Yesterday, Ramaphosa said SA assumed the chair of the AU "at an immensely exciting time for the continent" with the AfCFTA.
"This is a milestone in the continental integration project, with Africa destined to become the biggest common market in the world," said Ramaphosa.
"The implementation of this seminal agreement will boost intra-Africa trade, re-ignite industrialisation, and pave the way for the meaningful integration of Africa into global value chains and the global economy."
Ramaphosa has set out four priority areas for his year as the head of the AU, with economic integration at the forefront.
SA also wants to prioritise the liberalisation of Western Sahara from Morocco.
The empowerment of women and good governance have also been outlined as Ramaphosa's focus areas.
"This is a milestone in the continental integration project, with Africa destined to become the biggest common market in the world" .
— President Cyril Ramaphosa
SA was also elected as chair of the African Peer Review Mechanism, Africa's self-assessment instrument for good governance.
The theme of this year's summit is Silencing the Guns, with the goal of ending conflict on the continent - something the AU had set out to achieve by 2020.
Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko said Ramaphosa was being advised by the president of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been leading the talks on finding lasting solutions to the Libyan conflict.
"On Libya, the meeting in Brazzaville convened by President Nguesso called for a ceasefire to give space for an intra-Libyan dialogue towards lasting peace," she said.
In a meeting on the sidelines of the AU summit, Kagame and Ramaphosa pledged to normalise the relationship between the two countries after years of rivalry.
Kagame is said to have complained to Ramaphosa about SA's strict visa regime.
Rwandans have found it especially difficult to comply with the requirements.
It is understood that Kagame cited examples of how Rwandan citizens who needed to travel urgently to SA for medical attention had failed to secure travel documents because of the strict visa regime.
SA has in the past accused Kagame's government of fighting its political battles on South African soil.
Ramaphosa used his meeting with his Rwandan counterpart to assure Kagame that he was committed to normalising relations.
Diko said the president assured Kagame that Mandisi Mpahlwa had been appointed ambassador to Kigali as a way to rekindle diplomatic relations.
"The foreign ministers of our countries are also set to meet soon to look at resolving the concerns that have been raised about visas and other consular matters. Issues falling within the ambit of justice and security will also be addressed by the relevant ministers as part of ongoing engagement between our two countries," Diko said.
Kagame has, in turn, pledged to support Ramaphosa's efforts to fast-track the implementation of the AfCFTA.
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