ByBobWekesa
Despitehersuccess,NkosazanaDlamini-ZumaleavesbehindunfinishedbusinessesaswellNkosazanaDlamini-ZumaarrivedattheAfricanUnion(AU)underacloudofcontroversyasherelectionhadtornthecontinentdowntheAnglophoneandFrancophoneAfricadivide.Anglophonecountries,especiallyfromSouthernAfrica,hadsupportedherbid,whileFrancophonecountriessupportedJeanPing,anativeofGabon.However,thesedivisionsfizzledoutonceshetookofficeinOctober2012,provingtobeamoreunifyingthandivisivefigure.
Legaciesleft
AkeyanddefiningdevelopmentforDlamini-Zuma鈥檚legacywillbeAgenda2063,conceptualizedasaparadigmshiftinhowAfricaconductsitsaffairs.LaunchedinMay2013underhertosimultaneouslycommemoratethegoldenjubileeoftheAU,ithasbecometherallyingcallforAfrica鈥檚developmentwiththevisionof鈥渁nintegrated,prosperousandpeacefulAfricaandadynamicforceintheglobalarena鈥漛y2063.
ApartfromtheambitiouseconomictargetsthathavegeneratedgreatpolicyandacademicinterestinAfricaandglobally,Agenda2063hasrevivedoptimismforPan-Africanpatriotismandrenaissance.ItisnotonlytheframeworkcurrentlyguidingcontinentalAfrica鈥檚engagementwithinAfrica,butalsowithothernationsandinternationalorganizations.Asfatewouldhaveit,Dlamini-Zumasteeredtheinitiationoftheoverarchinglong-termvisiononlytwoyearsbeforetheinaugurationoftheUnitedNations鈥橲ustainableDevelopmentGoals,alsoknownasAgenda2030,withinnumerablelinkages.
OneofthequickwinsofAgenda2063wastheseriesofinitiativesaddressingthecultural,politicalandeconomicchallengesfacedbyAfricanwomen.AtestamenttothefirstwomanchairpersonplacinggenderissueshighupintheAU鈥檚listofpriorities,theinitiativeentailedthedesignationof2015astheYearofWomen鈥檚Empowerment,givingtheissuetheprominenceitdeserved.
Dlamini-ZumawillalsoberememberedformanagingemergentAfricanchallenges.SheledthesuccessfulwaragainstthedeadlyEboladiseasethataffectedLiberia,GuineaandSierraLeone.DlaminiZumaoversawthemobilizationofhumanandfinancialresourcestowardcombatingtheEbolaoutbreakfromAfricancountriesonascalelastseenduringthestruggleforfreedomfromcolonialism.
CommentatorshavepointedoutthatincidentsofarmedconflictshavegreatlyreducedinAfrica,althoughthereremainflashpointsacrossthecontinent.Itisunderherwatchthatsomeoftheconflictswereresolved.Thereturnofamodicumofpeaceandtranquilityinhithertowar-tornplacessuchastheCentralAfricanRepublic,MaliandSouthSudanstandoutasaccoladestoherstewardship.Somecountriesstillremainrestive,suchasSomalia,butthefactthattheyhavenotdegeneratedintoall-outcivilwarconstitutesamixedbagofachievementsforDlamini-Zuma.AnimportantammunitioninherarsenalhasbeenrelianceonherhomecountrySouthAfricatobuttresstheAU鈥檚peaceandsecurityinitiatives.
Challengesfaced
Dlamini-ZumaleavestheAUsafeintheknowledgethatsheoversawthechartingofanewpathforAfrica鈥檚progress.However,sheleavesbehindaretinueofunfinishedbusinessesthathersuccessorwillhavetograpplewith.AmajorchallengeisthatwhileAgenda2063isbigoncontinentalpoliticalandeconomicintegration,virtuallyallAfricancountriesarewaryofcedingtheirsovereigntytotheAU.Thisisindeedtheelephantintheroomthatmilitatesagainstthemuch-vauntedAfricanunity,renderingcontinentalinstitutionsineffective.
AnotheristhatwhiletheAUboastsawell-meaningcharterratifiedbyallmemberstates,fullimplementationofitsprinciplesremainsahugechallenge.Thiscametotheforespectacularlyin2015,whenBurundi鈥檚PresidentPierreNkurunzizacametopowerforathirdtermthoughtheconstitutionsaysnoonemayserveformorethantwopresidentialterms.TheresulthasbeenacrisisinthesmallEasternAfricannationmarkedbyafesteringcivilwar.TheAUhasblownhotandcoldoverthecrisis,forinstancethreateningtosendamilitaryforceintothecountryonlytobacktrackinduecourse.Indeed,theBurundisituationisanexemplarofthedilemmathattheAUfaces:well-intentionedprinciplesatthePan-Africanlevelthatmeetintransigenceinspecificcountrysituationsontheground.
Someofthechallengesthatthecontinentfaceswouldbeperhapsbeyondasingleperson鈥檚intervention.Forinstance,theglobalterrorismphenomenoncanbeseeninAfricaintheformofthedeadlyactivitiesofgroupssuchasAlShabaabinEasternAfricaandBokoHarminWestAfrica,aswellasAlQaedaandISISintheArabMaghrebregionsofNorthwestAfrica.AnotherchallengethatDlamini-Zumaleavesbehindistheglobaleconomicslowdownthathasafflictedcommoditiesonthecontinent.CA
(TheauthorisapostdoctoralfellowattheUniversityoftheWitwatersrand,Johannesburg)
COVERReport
TheChina-AUConnection
OutgoingAUCommission(AUC)ChairpersonNkosazanaDlamini-ZumaleavestheAfricanUnion(AU)havingadvancedrelationsbetweenAfricaandChina.Underherwatchshemaintainedastrongpresenceinthisrelationship,visitingChinainherofficialcapacityaswellasholdingmeetingswithbothChinesePresidentXiJinpingandPremierLiKeqiang,atalltimesstressingthattheAUCwillcontinuetoplayapositiveroleinboostingChina-AUrelations.
DuringhertermChinaestablishedapermanentdiplomaticmissionattheAUheadquartersinAddisAbaba,atrailblazingdevelopmentthathassincebeenemulatedbyotherglobalpowers.ChinabecamethefirstcountrytodosowhenAmbassadorKuangWeilinwasappointedthefirstheadofChina鈥檚permanentmissiontotheAUin2015.Inareciprocalarrangement,theAUwillsendapermanentambassadortoChina.
AnotherimportantmilestoneisDlamini-Zumasigningamemorandumofunderstandingoncontinentaltransport,high-speedrailways,aviation,highwaysandindustrializationwithZhangMing,SpecialEnvoyandViceForeignMinisterofChina,inJanuary2015.TheagreementfolloweddiscussionsbetweenDlamini-ZumaandChinesePremierLiduringthelatter鈥檚visittotheAUHeadquartersin2014.
鈥淭hiswouldbethefirstcontinentalprojectthatAfricaandChinawillbeundertakinginalltheseareas.Therelationship,particularlythecooperation,istakingadifferentheight,adifferentlevel,andadifferentdimension,鈥滵lamini-Zumasaidatthetime.
AccordingtotheAU,thelandmarkagreementfallswithintheframeworkofAgenda2063,withaviewtoacceleratingcontinentalandregionalintegrationofAfrica,somethingwhichisvitaltoAfrica鈥檚sustainabledevelopment.
Consciousoftheneedtoeradicatepovertyonthecontinent,Dlamini-ZumaplacedmuchemphasisonthewayChinaachievedrapideconomicgrowthandindustrialization,whichdemonstratestoAfricancountrieshowthiscouldbedone.
TakingthehelmaftertheupgradingoftheAUCfromhavingobserverstatusattheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)tobecomingafullmemberin2011,shewasinstrumentalinensuringthemovereinforcedtheAU鈥檚transformationtoamajorplayerinChina-Africaaffairs.ItalsoheraldedtheevolvementofamechanismforengagementthatlinksAgenda2063andtheFOCACactionplans.Lastyear鈥檚FOCACSummitinJohannesburg,SouthAfricawasawatershedeventinChina-Africarelations,mappingoutablueprintforChina鈥檚long-termcooperationwithAfrica.
NkosazanaDlamini-ZumawithZimbabweanPresidentRobertMugabeatAUSummit2015FRANCISCOLITTLE