Candidature diplomacy: South Africa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s candidature to chair the AU Commission, 2011–2012

Abstract

ABSTRACT South Africa’s nomination of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for election as the chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) in 2011 remains controversial. In the absence of scholarship on South Africa’s candidature diplomacy and on the Dlamini-Zuma candidature, the article explains the allure for states of leadership in intergovernmental organisations before outlining the South African rationale for, and campaign for, the Dlamini-Zuma candidature, a quest that was successful only after multiple rounds of voting over a six-month period. The article shows South Africa’s extensive use of diplomatic lobbying and vote-trading as key instruments during the election campaign before outlining how the country’s institutional practice and policies were refined, allowing South Africa to achieve its leadership aspirations utilising candidature diplomacy.