Pretoria - Newly elected African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma met with seven former Heads of State and Government in Pretoria on Wednesday morning as part of consultations before she takes up her seat at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dlamini Zuma, dressed in a colourful long dress, greeted former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano, who chairs the Forum for Former Heads of State and Government, dubbed the Africa Forum.
Chissano was joined by his counterparts from Zambia, Cape Verde, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Ghana.
The former President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan, sent a last minute apology, while former South African President Thabo Mbeki is in Sudan as part of mediation efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution to the political conflict in that country.
Dlamini Zuma, who was elected the first woman to lead the AUC, has up to three months to prepare for her new role.
Government has reiterated that until Dlamini Zuma leaves for Addis Ababa, she remains the Minister of Home Affairs.
The meeting at the International Relations and Cooperation diplomatic guest house is expected to discuss Dlamini Zuma's preparations for the AU job while she will also brief the former presidents on plans to tackle some of the pressing issues currently facing the continental body.
