SA’s Mdwaba confident of landing top job at ILO

● South African businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba is pushing to secure the top job at the International Labour Organisation (ILO). If he succeeds, he will become the first African to head the organisation.

The ILO held interviews with five shortlisted candidates this week. Mdwaba said he was confident of his chances, and that feedback from delegates and supporters during the first round of public interviews in Geneva on Thursday had been “overwhelmingly positive”.

Mdwaba, who has held various positions at the ILO for the past 13 years, including vice-chair of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), said he had received many messages of support from delegates and the public after his interview. The IOE is part of the ILO, a tripartite UN agency whose constituents include governments, labour unions and business.

Mdwaba, who chairs Productivity SA and heads Tzoro IBC, an investment and business consultancy, said the feedback seemed to indicate he was “the candidate to beat”.

“I said in my interview I don’t expect to win [just] because I’m an African. That would be a happy coincidence. I want to win because I’m the most competent, the most experienced and have the highest level of expertise.”

Asked whether his business background could work against him being elected as director-general, Mdwaba said it would not, adding that if he “became DG, I would have a tripartite mandate”, working for governments, labour and business.

“The only way to create sustainable social justice and lasting peace in terms of the mission of the ILO is by acting for all three. If any of the constituencies believe you are biased, you are likely to cause a lot of upheaval in the house.”

Mdwaba, the only candidate who is funding their own campaign after the South African government withdrew its support from him, said he wanted to raise as much money as possible so he could travel to a host of countries to gain support ahead of the final interviews with the ILO’s governing body on March 14 and 15. The election will be held on March 25.

The ILO’s governing body normally holds a single round of interviews but this year there were two. The first was held on Thursday and Friday and was “open to all constituents, governments, trade unions and employer organisations” that make up the ILO, which has 187 member states. Mdwaba said he had been expecting to receive about R8m in support for his campaign from the South African government, especially after being endorsed in July 2020 by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), which includes government, business and labour representation.

But just days before the October 1 2021 deadline for the submission of candidates, Mdwaba heard rumours that the government was withdrawing its support for him.

He said he has not received an official explanation, but that he and his team had secured supporting submissions from African countries such as Lesotho and Malawi, as well as employer organisations affiliated to the ILO.

Mdwaba admitted that he “felt hurt” when the government pulled its support, describing it as “the highest form of treachery”.

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

I want to win because I’m the most competent, the most experienced and have the highest level of expertise