South African minister becomes first woman to lead the AU

South African minister of home affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has been elected to head the African Union, the first woman to lead the continent-wide organisation.

Ms Dlamini-Zuma, 63, successfully challenged the incumbent, Jean Ping of Gabon, who held the post since 2008. Ms Dlamini-Zuma, who is also the former wife of South African President Jacob Zuma, secured the votes of 37 of the 54 African Union member nations late on Sunday to narrowly win the two-thirds majority required at a summit of leaders in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

Her election was seen as a major coup for South Africa as it tries to emerge as a political and economic powerhouse on the continent. The Women’s League of South Africa’s governing African National Congress party said it was “beaming with pride” and described it as a victory for women across Africa, for long the victims of poverty, prejudice and oppression.

“Her deep understanding of the dynamics of Africa will inspire unity and stability across the continent,” the group said.

The main ANC party said yesterday that Ms Dlamini-Zuma, a seasoned diplomat and politician, would be a loss to the nation’s government but now had answered “a higher calling” to serve the entire continent.

Ms Dlamini-Zuma, in a statement on Saturday, described herself as a citizen of Africa who wanted to make a “humble contribution” to the continent.

Asked what she would bring to the AU Commission she referred to her medical background. “Like a doctor, you first diagnose and then you treat. I will have to take it from there,” she said.