CAPE TOWN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) on Saturday reiterated its call for South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) to elect its first woman president in December 2017.
African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma "is the only suitable candidate at this point in our history to lead the African National Congress in December 2017," the ANCWL said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.
The ANC will hold its elective conference in December this year.
The ANCWL made the statement after holding its National Executive Committee (NEC) conference from January 6-7 in Irene, Gauteng Province.
The NEC of the ANCWL met at a crucial time when the ANC marks its 105th birthday. This meeting preceded the much-anticipated ANC policy conference and ANC elective conference to be held later this year.
The call for the first female ANC president has gained relevance and necessary significance, the ANCWL said.
"We have successfully raised and achieved the call for equal representation of women both in public and private sectors of our society. In principle the ANCWL resolved to pursue the 50/50 representation not only in the ANC NEC but in the ANC officials," said the ANCWL.
After the end of apartheid, Dlamini-Zuma served as the country's health minister, foreign minister and minister of home affairs until her election to the AU Commission Chairperson in 2012.
"It is through her sterling work as the AU Chairperson that the ANCWL firmly believes that Dlamini-Zuma will and is able to lead South Africa in being a leader not only in the African continent but in global politics as well," said Meokgo Matuba, ANCWL Secretary General.
If elected as ANC President, Dlamini-Zuma will automatically become the President of South Africa.
Apart from the ANCWL, the ANC Youth League has also been actively campaigning for Dlamini-Zuma to become the party and the country's first woman president.
