ABSTRACT
Historiography in South Africa is marked by a high number of biographical and autobiographical books about/written by South African political personalities who have played a key role since independence in 1994. Too few, however, explore the role of female leaders in institutions of power. During the 54th ANC National Conference (16–20 December 2017), a South African female political figure took the lead in the ANC presidential election: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She was by no means new to politics, having started her political career at the end of the 1960s and being best known as the wife of President Jacob Zuma. After reviewing the difficulties surrounding the valorization of women’s history in a South African context, this chapter introduces and analyzes Dlamini-Zuma’s socio-political trajectory before 1990. It emphasizes her own ambitions, as well as the role her father played in pushing her career, thus hinting at the importance of patriarchal structures in South African politics. It then highlights her difficult political choices, as she was torn between her loyalty to the ANC and her personal political ambitions. Finally, the chapter explores how she used family and personal political connections to advance her political career. While her political career gave high hopes for women’s political role in South Africa, the conclusion advances a more nuanced picture, highlighting women’s difficulties in emancipating themselves from the political domination of their male comrades.
