President Jacob Zuma may maintain his political clout well after he relinquishes office if his ex-wife and mother of four of his children, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, succeeds him. While Zuma, 75, hasn’t openly anointed an heir, his comments that the party is ready to be led by a woman have been widely seen as support for Dlamini-Zuma to replace him in December as leader the ruling African National Congress and as the nation’s president in 2019. She’s being guarded by the presidential protection unit even though she holds no official post. Since returning to South Africa last month following a five-year stint as head of the African Union Commission, Dlamini-Zuma has crisscrossed the country addressing ANC and church meetings echoing Zuma’s call for “radical economic transformation” to give the country’s black majority a bigger stake in the economy. Her bid to lead the ANC has been openly backed by key Zuma allies, including the party’s womens league and its youth wing in the eastern Kwa...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.