By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for women, youth and persons with disabilities Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has informed the ANC she has taken a decision to retire from the South African parliament in the next term.
Dlamini-Zuma sent the letter to ANC electoral committee head Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday informing the party of her decision.
The letter, dated January 12 and directed to Motlanthe, copying in the party’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and provincial secretaries, comes on the eve of the ANC 112th birthday celebrations, known as the January 8 statement, taking place in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
She said she appreciated the “confidence” the ANC branches have shown in her by nominating her for parliament.
“My sincere gratitude to the entire leadership of the African National Congress from national, provincial, regional and branch levels for affording me the opportunity and support to serve the country and the people of South Africa as a public representative and as a member of Cabinet since 1994.
“I also thank all the ANC presidents under whose leadership and guidance I served as a member of the executive. I am eternally grateful for making it possible for me to serve the continent as the first woman at the helm of the African Union Commission and the first chairperson of the commission from the South African Development Community.
“It will not be necessary to schedule the interview for the 2024 national list because I have taken the decision to retire from being a member of the South African Parliament.”
Dlamini-Zuma is one of the longest serving ANC MPs. She has been a member of the National Assembly since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
She has also been in cabinet since 1994 having served under all five presidents since Nelson Mandela’s tenure.
Dlamini-Zuma has defied ANC instructions last year, in the vote on whether to adopt the Parliamentary panel’s findings on the Phala Phala saga.
In that case, she stood up during the voting session and said, “As a disciplined member of the ANC, I vote yes”, when ANC MPs had been instructed to vote “no”.
She was joined by a few other ANC MPs, including Mosebenzi Zwane and Supra Mahumapelo.
This time, both Zwane and Mahumapelo voted according to instructions, when National Assembly voted to remove former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, making Dlamini Zuma the sole outlier.
Immediately after the vote, ‘Dlamini-Zuma was expected to explain to the NDC why she voted in December last year for the adoption of the section 89 report recommending an impeachment process for Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal, when the party had instructed its MPs to vote against it.s Chief Whip, Pemmy Majodina, could not hide her frustration.