Mbeki appoints woman as new deputy president

Minerals and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was appointed on Wednesday as South Africa's second-in-command after the sacking of former deputy president Jacob Zuma last week. Mlambo-Ngcuka is the country's first female vice-president and has been a member of parliament since 1994. Her appointment is not without controversy. She is married to former head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Bulelani Ngcuka, who announced publicly two years ago that although there was a "prima facie case of corruption" against Zuma, the NPA could not go ahead and prosecute him, as it did not have a "winnable case". However, on Monday the NPA announced that they were ready to charge Zuma with two counts of corruption after his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was convicted of two counts of corruption and one of fraud, and sentenced to 15 years in jail. The judge described the relationship between Shaik and Zuma as "generally corrupt". Political commentator Jackie Cilliers told IRIN that Mlambo-Ngcuka's appointment would continue to fuel speculation that Zuma's axing was part of a broader political conspiracy, but the accusations would soon die down. "Mlambo-Ngcuka must be recognised for her own contribution. When her husband went public two years ago with accusations against Zuma, it was not part of a political campaign to get rid of Zuma - these accusations are made within Zuma's camp of supporters, who are still smarting after he was fired," Cilliers said. Women's rights groups have welcomed the announcement, saying it would help to promote the visibility of females in positions of power. "Mlambo-Ngcuka has shown that she is a talented politician and can handle the position she has been thrust into. It sends a positive signal to other women in South Africa who intend entering politics. We can only hope that the private sector follows Mbeki's lead by appointing more women to senior positions in their companies," commented Themba Kgasi of the Commission on Gender Equality. Deputy trade and industry minister Lindiwe Hendricks is to succeed Mlambo-Ngcuka as minerals and energy minister.