South Africa

It is “highly likely” a woman will challenge Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in the race to replace President Jacob Zuma in 2017.

This is the view of ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga, who told The Mercury at the weekend there were several women in the league who were ready to take over the party’s and country’s presidencies.

Motshekga and Zuma were in Durban for Women’s Day celebrations at King Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi.

All too often, we measure our progress in the process of gender empowerment by counting the number of woman politicians in Parliament and Cabinet. There is also now a new dynamic in ANC politics with talk of the prospect of a woman leading the organisation and the country next. At first it looked as if President Jacob Zuma was merely being politically correct by saying South Africa could have a woman as president sooner than we think. He repeated the sentiment last week during a briefing with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

Many lessons can be learned from South African women who rose as leaders even when it was dangerous to do so, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said on Thursday.

In a speech prepared for delivery at a women's leadership conference in Cape Town, she said the lessons were on how to lead with courage and integrity.

Madonsela said leading examples were the lives of anti-apartheid activists Victoria Mxenge, Helen Joseph, and Helen Suzman.

It is a South African political match made in heaven: a revered black academic, international activist and former freedom fighter – Dr Mamphela Ramphele - joins the rising, but still largely white, main opposition party in South Africa to lead it in polls this year.

If women are not at the centre of the fight against poverty, we won't achieve what we want to, warns new head of UN Women.