The KwaZulu-Natal ANC Women’s League’s (ANCWL) provincial executive committee has paid tribute to Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma for her decision to step down from Parliament, acknowledging her exemplary service in various portfolios.
The veteran government official wrote to her party, saying she will not be returning to Parliament after the 2024 general elections.
Dlamini Zuma was nominated for the ANC’s 2024 national list but wrote to the party’s electoral committee head Kgalema Motlanthe thanking him for the interview opportunity but indicated that she would not be participating in their upcoming interviews.
“Thank you so much for the invitation to attend the interview for the 2024 national list on 16 January at 09:30. I appreciate the vote of confidence by the branches who have once again nominated me for the ANC 2024 list.
“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,” she said.
She thanked the party for the number of opportunities she had been given throughout her career.
“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,” she said.
The Minister in the Presidency responsible for women, youth and persons with disabilities remains one of the few politicians who served in Parliament under former President Nelson Mandela 1994 – the country’s first democratic administration.
The KZN Women’s League said it appreciated Dlamini Zuma’s “leadership in advocating for women’s issues and we celebrate her after thanking the ANC for deploying her since the dawn of democracy and after her nomination for the ANC’s 2024 parliamentary lists opted to take a back seat as she retires”.
“We are very proud of the work done by Cde Dlamini Zuma since her first deployment to Parliament soon after the dawn of democracy.
“We notice the changes she made in the public health sector, where she was deployed in the Department of Health, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of International Relations, the first woman to lead the African Union Commission and the first chairperson of the commission from the Southern African Development Community, Cogta Minister and the last one as the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities that she retired from,” the league said in a statement.
They said Dlamini Zuma served with distinction under all democratically elected presidents of the country.
The Mercury