Jacob Zumah’s ex-wife opens campaign to succeed him

….As opposition springs from within
Nkosazana Dlamini Zumah, ex-wife of South African president Jacob Zuma, has reinforced her interest to succeed her erstwhile husband as the country’s president in its forth coming election, even as opposition to her bid, has risen from within the African National Congress (ANC).

Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has held three important ministerial portfolios from 1994 to 2012: Health, Foreign and Domestic Affairs.

Agency report said that, Dlamini is billed to return to South Africa’s political spotlight as she prepares to the lead the African National Congress (ANC) in December. And to emerge as the country’s flag bearer in 2019 elections.

At 68, Dlamini Zuma, who returned to the benches of Parliament on Thursday, is said to have secured the support of the president.

According to the agency report, the president’s support has been perceived as a maneuver, hence by installing him, the president wants to guarantee his immunity in the judicial files where he has been accused.

He is not “convinced of his leadership qualities,” said Ranjeni Munusamy, political commentator, he wants above all to “ensure his own survival”.

A sort of “remarriage” of interests, therefore, between two personalities with very different styles.

In public, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is as serious and discreet as her ex-husband is jovial and demonstrative.

She presents herself as a feminist, Jacob Zuma is polygamous. It is perceived as relatively honest, when the current head of state is entangled in a long series of scandals.

Since leaving the AU in early 2017, she has been conducting a regular field campaign with ANC militants.
It can boast of having played a key role in the peace talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

But she failed in the crisis in Zimbabwe, kept silent on South African president Thabo Mbeki’s mistakes in the fight against AIDS, and was caught up in the first big corruption scandal of democratic South Africa.

In her candidacy for the presidential election, she highlights her past years as head of the AU commission (2012-2017).

Meanwhile, her supporters in KwaZulu-Natal face the chop and her staunch backer Ace Magashule have revealed they may not support her.