South Africa has presented the candidature of Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the position of chairperson of the African Union Commission, dpa quoted the country's foreign minister as confirming on Wednesday. Dlamini-Zuma, the ex-wife of South African President Jacob Zuma, would vie against AU Chairman John Ping, a seasoned Gabonese diplomat who has held the post since 2008. If successful, she would be the first woman to hold the post. The 54 AU members will vote for their leader at a summit in Addis Ababa at the end of the month. The 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) backed her candidacy. "South Africa's candidature for the position also enjoys support from countries in other regions of the continent," said Minister of International Relations Maite Nkoana-Mashabane in a statement. Gabon, however, has said it is still supporting Ping for a second term and recently expressed "outrage" over reports that he was withdrawing his candidacy.
