The election of Dr. Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission chairperson

The election of Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission Chairperson ended a 2012 electoral deadlock and signaled a potential move beyond colonial linguistic divisions and toward gender equality. However, the new leadership faces significant hurdles, including the need to implement existing AU and OAU policies, improve the quality and quantity of Commission staff, and reduce the organization's dependence on external funding from the 'Friends of the AU'.

• Dr. Dlamini-Zuma's election is viewed as a sign that African Union member states can overcome colonial-era divisions, particularly those based on language, and demonstrates a commitment to gender equality.
• The new AU Commission leadership faces three critical challenges: ensuring the implementation of policies from the AU and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), improving the staffing of the Commission, and addressing the reliance on external funding and the influence of the 'Friends of the AU'.

APA

Cilliers, J., & Okeke, J. M. (n.d.). The election of Dr. Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission chairperson. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-election-of-dr-dlamini-zuma-as-au-commission-chairperson

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie, and Jide Martyns Okeke. The election of Dr. Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission chairperson. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-election-of-dr-dlamini-zuma-as-au-commission-chairperson.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |last2=Okeke |first2=Jide Martyns |title=The election of Dr. Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission chairperson |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-election-of-dr-dlamini-zuma-as-au-commission-chairperson |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliersndelection, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie and Okeke, Jide Martyns}, title = {{The election of Dr. Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission chairperson}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/the-election-of-dr-dlamini-zuma-as-au-commission-chairperson}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }