No prize for African leadership

2010-10-04 17:26

Johannesburg - No African leader qualified this year for an exceptional leadership award, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation said at the release of its annual governance report on Monday.

For the second consecutive year, the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership was not awarded.

"We are always disappointed when we can't award the prize," said Foundation board director Mamphela Ramphele.

"It is for exceptional leadership. We are not going to say because someone did a reasonable job we are going to award."

Ramphele said the foundation's prize committee decided that it would undermine its cause, which is to promote excellence, by handing out the award this year.

"The prize committee... decided none of them (the candidates) displayed exceptional leadership," said Ramphele.

The prize was not awarded in 2009 either, for the same reason.

Previous laureates included former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, former Botswana President Festus Mogae and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

- SAPA