“This brief considers the hard-won victory
of Dr Dlamini-Zuma, its implication for
the global image of African states and the
prospect of the new AU Commission leadership
being able to promote a more effective AU. This brief highlights three main challenges:
first, the priority of promoting the
implementation of, and adherence to, the
numerous policies formulated by the AU
and its predecessor, the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU) during the last half- century. Second, there is a need to
address the difficulty of increasing the
number and quality of the AU Commission
staff. Third, the AU must revisit its reliance on external funding and the location
of power among the ‘Friends of the AU’
instead of with the Commission itself. In
summary, the election of Dr Dlamini-Zuma
provides an additional opportunity to
promote cooperation between African states,
move towards the greater relevance of the
AU globally, and improve stability and economic development in Africa through an
invigorated top management at the helm of
the AU Commission. “
