Women Rule Provinces, Men Dominate Politics

While women will rule five of the nine provinces, men still dominate national politics.

The ANC has appointed businessman Max Sisulu as the first male Speaker of the National Assembly since the country became a democracy 15 years ago.

The first Speaker was Frene Ginwala, succeeded by Deputy President Baleka Mbete and now Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, who will be replaced by Sisulu this week.

The party has also retained another man, M J Mahlangu, as chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

The ANC continued its succession of male chief whips after the party's national executive committee appointed former Gauteng premier Mathole Motshekga to take over from Nyami Booi.

If President Kgalema Motlanthe agrees to become Jacob Zuma's deputy, when the latter is elected president on Wednesday, the country could kiss women deputy presidents goodbye.

The male dominance in Parliament is not confined to the ANC.

The DA, the official opposition, is likely to elect party strategist Ryan Coetzee as its parliamentary leader to replace the former leader, Sandra Botha, who was appointed ambassador to Prague.

Another man, Eastern Cape DA leader Athol Trollip, is also in the running for the position.

A man is also likely to lead the third-largest party in Parliament, COPE.

The breakaway party is due to decide on its parliamentary leader at a meeting of its national committee today after the party spokesman Phillip Dexter insisted in The Sunday Independent that the organisation's working committee preferred party president Mosiuoa Lekota.

But the party's presidential candidate, Mvume Dandala, told the same newspaper that he would lead the party in Parliament.

Secretary to the National Assembly Kamal Mansura confirmed that Lekota had informed him of his decision to resign in a letter last week.

Of the 13 parties with seats in the National Assembly, only one - Patricia de Lille's Independent Democrats - will be led by a woman.

IFP will be led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Freedom Front Plus by Pieter Mulder. However, South Africa is expected to increase women's share in the National Assembly largely because of the ANC's 50:50 gender equity policy, according to the pressure group Gender Links.

The fourth democratic Parliament will formally open on Wednesday when parliamentary leaders and the country's president will be elected under the stewardship of Chief Justice Pius Langa.

The National Council of Provinces is due to have its first sitting on Thursday.