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The election of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission had come and gone after series of local and international politickings from the two contenders, Ms. Dlamini Zuma who is the Home Affairs Minister of South Africa and Jean Ping, who was seeking a re-election.
Our Correspondent, OLUWASEUN OLUWAROTIMI who was part of the media crew writes on how the election was decided in favour of Dlamini Zuma, a former wife to President Jacob Zuma.
Dlamini Zuma, one of South Africa's longest serving cabinet ministers, managed to garner the required 60 percent and was named the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the powerful executive arm of the African Union.
Four rounds of voting and 37 votes from 51 countries in the end sealed Dlamini Zuma's position with which she defeated Jean Ping of Gabon who was seeking reelection.
Everyone had already concluded that it was going to be another stalemate after news emerged from the first round indicating that Dlamini Zuma received 27 votes against Ping's 24.
It was then down to the second round - which Dlamini also won by 29 votes to Ping's 22. But in a dramatic turn of events, the third round saw the South African minister snatching an extra four votes giving her 33 in total.
Her opponent, Jean Ping, who at that stage had been out of the race for failing in three rounds, received 18 votes.
It was then down to the wire and in the final and last round, the voting Heads of State gave Dlamini Zuma 37 votes, effectively placing her at the helm of the African Union Commission.
Shortly after the vote, Dlamini Zuma was sneaked away with the rest the South African delegation that included President Jacob Zuma for a celebration.
Opening the 19th African Union Summit earlier in the day, AU Chairperson and President of Benin, Yayi Boni, called on delegates to finalise the election of the new commission and its chairperson, saying the continent could not afford to go forward without a properly elected leader at the AU.
"We have to have a chairperson, we need to show the people of Africa and the world that our union has the ability to take decisions. Failure to do that may undermine our credibility," he said.
In her speech, Dlamini Zuma, said that strengthening African unity and advancing the transformation of the continent would be among the things she would strive for if as the chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Dlamini Zuma said all regions of the continent had the right to compete for any position within the AU, emphasising the fact that southern Africa had never occupied a senior post within the bloc. "Every country and region must be given a fair chance to contribute to our organisation."
"I would like to make a contribution like any African citizen. I would like to make a contribution to our organisation, that's what has motivated me to come back," she added.
It has not been an easy journey for Ms. Dlamini Zuma as the election ended in a deadlock in January 2012 after the two contenders failed to garner two thirds of the total votes cast by delegates.
The deadlock forced the African Union to postpone the polls to its next summit which was initially scheduled for Malawi.
Determined not to back down, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has spent the last six months rallying support for Dlamini Zuma, consolidating their case by pointing out that the region had not been afforded the opportunity to occupy the top position of the AUC chairperson.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) also reasoned that a woman had never occupied the position and that it was a fitting time as the African Union had declared it a Decade of Women.
In a statement late last week, South African government said with its campaigning that, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was driven by the objective of transforming the African Union into an efficient and effective continental body.
