SADC is confident its candidate, South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will be elected to lead the AU Commission. She will be up against incumbent chairperson Jean Ping in the heated elections to be held later this month, when the AU meets in Addis Abba.

Although the election is seen by some analysts as a face-off between Francophone countries and the rest of the continent, South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane is upbeat about SADC’s candidate.

Also speaking at the opening of double troika meeting, the minister said the 15-nation bloc had drummed up support by sending its ministers to all five regions in the continent.

Nkoana Mashabane said SADC believed that in keeping with the rotational principle, all regions should be given an opportunity to lead the AU Commission.

Since the formation of the Organisation of African Union (OAU), the southern and the northern regions have not had an opportunity to lead the AU at the level of chairperson.

Nkoana Mashabane highlighted that the AU had not had a woman leader in its 49 years, in spite of its 2010 declaration of the African Women’s Decade.

SADC’s candidature, she said, was guided and inspired by the goal of building a strong and united AU.

The Double Trioka meeting will also look into the political situation in the region such as the recent elections in Lesotho and developments in Madagascar.