Nkosazana fans push her bid for power

Supporters of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma showered her with praise yesterday at a church event in Ekurhuleni that they used to push her bid to succeed President Jacob Zuma.

Dlamini-Zuma, who stepped down as chairwoman of the African Union Commission last month after one term in the post, was the keynote speaker at the opening of the Brethren Mission Church in Thokoza.

Speaker after speaker hailed her achievements, describing her as the best choice for president.

Dlamini-Zuma arrived in Thokoza alongside Bathabile Dlamini, the minister of social development and president of the ANC Women's League who has led the campaign to elect her as Zuma's successor.

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With them were women's league deputy president Sisi Ntombela and its secretary-general, Meokgo Matuba.

The league, which has officially endorsed Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred candidate to take over from Zuma, her former husband, has held several similar events to provide Dlamini-Zuma with a platform to campaign ahead of the ANC's December elective conference.

Zuma's second and final term as party president will expire then.

Dlamini-Zuma held a private meeting with the church leadership and traditional leaders who pledged their support for her.

Church leader Shakes Nkosi said: "We are ready for you to lead us as president of South Africa."

Although the ANC has banned its structures from discussing the succession, Dlamini told the audience that the league's decision to back Dlamini-Zuma was correct.

"The decision we took is right ... The condition of the people of South Africa will change," Dlamini said.

"She doesn't talk loud ... she just does her work."

Dlamini-Zuma avoided politics when she took to the podium.

Instead, she spoke about issues of broader unity and social cohesion.

"You can go fast if you go alone but you can go far if you go together," she said.

Dlamini-Zuma, who has held three cabinet portfolios - health, foreign affairs and home affairs - also spoke about economic transformation, saying Africans should take economic control in their countries.

"There must be a skills revolution in Africa," she said. "We have all the resources. But the people who own the resources are not people from here."

The other leading contender to take over from Zuma is Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.