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

This policy brief discusses the election of Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, noting its significance for gender equality and the overcoming of linguistic divisions, while outlining three primary institutional challenges for the new leadership.

• The election of Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as AU Commission Chairperson resolved a deadlock from the January 2012 AU Summit and indicates that member states can move past colonially inherited linguistic divisions and demonstrate a commitment to gender equality.
• The new AU Commission leadership faces three primary challenges: ensuring the implementation of policies created by the AU and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), improving the quantity and quality of Commission staff, and reducing the AU's dependence 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} }