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The African National Congress is thrilled with the performance and victory
of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who was elected as the Chairperson of the African
Union yesterday (15 July 2012) following a tight contest from the incumbent
who has chaired the AU Commission since it was established. Her victory has
punctuated the need to reposition and refocus the African Union to ensure
that it responds to global challenges confronting the continent and to work
towards greater unity of the continent.

The ANC believes that Comrade Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has the potential and
the capacity to take the AU to new height owing to her accumulated
experience in the liberation movement led by the ANC both in exile and in
the country, women structures and as well as a Minister in government
including international relations. As a Minister of Foreign Affairs, she
championed a number of initiatives in the multi-lateral fora where she
argued consistently on the need to re-organise these fora to accommodate
developing nations as equal partners. In every position she has served, she
has done so with distinction owing to determination and visionary drive.
She is known for her views on issues of women empowerment and those on the
receiving end of poverty. We believe that in her hands, the AU is safe.

The ANC would also like to acknowledge and thank the leadership and people
of the region and the continent for having endorsed Comrade Nkosazana as the
regional and ultimately as a continental candidate. This is vindicated by
the voting patterns during the summit. This development augurs well for
revitalizing unity of the African continent and consolidation of governance
and economic integration.

The ANC wants to take this opportunity to thank the outgone Chairperson of
the AU Mr. Ping for having led the Commission and created an institution out
of the initiative. We believe that work done under him will assist as a
platform to take the work of the Commission forward.