{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02456499488229273, 'fraction_numerical': 0.012282497441146366, 'mean_word_length': 5.887323943661972, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Candidature diplomacy: South Africa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s candidature to chair the AU Commission, 2011–2012

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.