ANC leadership race: The spectre of Dlamini-Zuma

It’s looking like déjà vu when it comes to ANC politics: at the end-of-year elective conference, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will once again go up against Cyril Ramaphosa for the presidency of the party and, in turn, that of the country.

Again, as was the case in 2017 when Dlamini-Zuma lost out to Ramaphosa, in the background Lindiwe Sisulu will be hoping her struggle royalty credentials and her connection with Jacob Zuma might persuade delegates to her cause.

Additionally, ANC NEC member and human settlements minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, also wants women to finally be recognised by the party and for at least 50% of its top six to be women.

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A heritage expert we spoke to believes the “Dream Team” to run the country would be former deputy president and ex-director of United Nations Women, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The current deputy president, David Mabuza, should then be replaced by Dlamini-Zuma.

Dr George Tsibani hit the nail on the head when he said our male leaders Zuma and Ramaphosa had “messed up” the country.

Mlambo-Ngcuka is hardly likely to want to return to the back-stabbing politics of South Africa, having fled it rather rapidly. But to have someone of integrity and ability like her at the helm would be a breath of fresh air.

Less so Dlamini-Zuma, whose image was badly dented by the humourless way she implemented the Covid lockdown regulations, many of them patently inane. Her connection to her former husband Jacob Zuma is probably still there, meaning she would represent a puppet for Zuma’s “radical economic transformation” faction within the ANC.

Also, let’s not automatically assume women make good political leaders, even when their male counterparts are atrocious.

Look at new British Prime Minister Liz Truss who has developed putting foot in mouth into a fine art and will probably divide her nation even more…

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