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| The newly appointed South African Deputy
President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is seen in this undated file photo. The former Mineral and Energy
Affairs Minister replaced Jacob Zuma on Wednesday June 22, 2005
to become South Africa's first woman deputy
president.(AP) |
South African President Thabo Mbeki named Minerals and Energy
Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as his deputy in a cabinet shuffle on
Wednesday following the sacking of graft-tainted former Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
Mlambo-Ngcuka, 49, becomes the highest ranking woman in South Africa's
government after playing a key role in developing the country's Black
Economic Empowerment strategy designed to give blacks a greater share in
the post-apartheid economy.
"As you know we have to appoint a new deputy president and therefore we
have appointed the minister of minerals and energy as our new deputy,"
Mbeki told a Cape Town news conference that was broadcast live on national
television.
Mbeki appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Lindiwe Hendricks
to take over the important minerals and energy portfolio.
"We thought that this gave us an opportunity further to strengthen the
participation of women in the executive," Mbeki said.
Mlambo-Ngcuka was seen as a leading contender to replace Zuma, a
popular politician who was long regarded as Mbeki's heir apparent but who
was fired last week after being implicated in a graft case involving his
financial adviser.
Zuma's dismissal has sparked internal pressures within Mbeki's ruling
African National Congress, where the former deputy continues to have
strong support among the rank-and-file.
Mlambo-Ngcuka is married to former chief prosecutor Bulelani Ngcuka,
who launched the case against Zuma when he announced in 2003 that there
was a "prima facie" corruption
case against the deputy president.
Ngcuka did not bring charges at the time, saying the case would be
unwinnable in court.
But following the conviction
of former Zuma financial adviser Schabir Shaik this month, prosecutors announced they would be bringing
formal charges against Zuma.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-06-23 10:39
