A first for South Africa

Jet, July 11, 2005

* A FIRST FOR SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa's first woman deputy president, Phumzile Gloria Mlambo-Ngcuka, is congratulated by President Thabo Mbeki after her swearing-in ceremony in Cape Town South Africa. Women's rights activists have hailed her appointment as a major breakthrough for gender equality and democracy.

MlamboNgcuka, 49, the new mining minister, won support from business and trade unions alike. She replaces Jacob Zuma. A former school-teacher, Mlambo-Ngcuka was elected to Parliament for the governing African National Congress in the country's first all-race elections in 1994 and joined the Cabinet two years later as deputy trade and industry minister. In 1999 she was promoted to minister of mineral and energy affairs. Mlambo-Ngcuka is among a number of governing African National Congress members now seen as possible successors to Mbeki when he steps down at the end of his second term in 2009.