AU head Dlamini-Zuma will not vie for second term

African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is set to leave her post after four years and make a return to South Africa, where she is likely to take up a top position within the ANC, the South African government has confirmed.

Department of International Relations Head of Public Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, told an international media on Tuesday in a text message: “It was never a secret. She’s not running for a second term. Definitely coming back.”

African Union commission chief, Dlamini-Zuma, will not run for a second term in office – Spokesmanhttps://t.co/hma11FtaQ4

— The Guardian Nigeria (@GuardianNigeria) April 1, 2016

Talk in the ANC is that Dlamini-Zuma is likely to return to South Africa to run for a top ANC leadership position, possibly for president to succeed her ex-husband, President Jacob Zuma.

So Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is not running for AU second term and is coming back home in July according to reports. And we brace ourselves

— Simon Nare (@simonphomo) March 29, 2016

Dlamini-Zuma, a former cabinet minister, would be defying general convention by not seeking out a second term. Already other countries in the south Africa region are discontented by the decision and others who felt that SADC was entitled to two terms in the chair and her stepping down this year could mean they are losing the chair.

There was fierce and divisive lobbying in 2012 when Zuma took over from former AU Commission chairperson, Jean Ping. The deadline for nomination is Thursday and new chairperson is set to be elected at the AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda in July.