The modern political development in the Republic of South Africa, in particular the institution of the presidency and the prospects for top gender changes are discussed. Chances for the appearance of a woman at the top of the power pyramid in South Africa were first examined in the mid-2000s during the preparations for the next African National Congress convention. According to some claims, the then President of South Africa and ANC President Thabo Mbeki in the event of his victory at the congress in 2007 planned to put forward Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, ex-wife of the current president of South Africa Jacob Zuma for presidency.
The struggle of female politicians for the presidency and increased chances of gender changes in connection with the strengthening in the end of 2000s of the opposition party Democratic Alliance led by Helen Zille are shown. In the parliamentary elections held on May 7, 2014 the DA party was the main rival of the ruling ANC while Ms Zille became the first female candidate for presidency and the leading rival of the incumbent president J. Zuma.
Recently in South Africa sentiment in favor of the election of a woman as leader of the ruling ANC has increased. President J. Zuma said in August 2014 that he admits election of a woman as president of South Africa as a possibility for near future. The article analyzes the situation in the ruling party, the ANC on the eve of its congress where the leader of the ANC (the next president of the country in the case of the party’s victory at the parliamentary elections in 2019) will be elected. A political portrait of one of the real candidates for the post, a prominent member of the ANC, the chairperson of the African Union Commission N. Dlamini Zuma is presented.
read in PDF>>>
