Destiny Magazine profiles Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Madam President? Written by Sheena Adams. She's a clear contender for President of the ANC, a position that virtually guarantees the Presidency of South Africa. But given her many detractors, she's defending her leadership strategy with vigour. Portrait photography by Michelle Wastie.
What sparked your interest in and passion for photography?
My love for and fascination with people.
What is your favourite subject matter and why?
People, without a doubt! I find tremendous gratification in capturing people as I see them, especially when I'm able to share the image with them and experience their response to seeing themselves through my lens. I also really enjoy shooting food. It is a creative expression that has its own life and energy, which makes it a fun challenge to shoot.
In your commercial work, who are some of the most interesting or memorable people you have photographed?
One of the aspects of my profession that I most enjoy is the opportunity to interact with a wide array of varied individuals. I work with politicians, high-powered business people, sportsmen and women, musicians, artists, actors, deejays, personalities, comedians, etc. I recently shot the Auditor General Thembekile Kimi Makwetu, Former Politician Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, and Mbuyeseni Ndlozi, spokesperson for the EFF, to mention a few. I had the pleasure of shooting a portrait of Michael Campbell for Golfing Digest USA. It's always fun working with comedians! Tumi Morake is one of my favourite women on the planet. She's phenomenally talented and an inspiration to be around. I also recently collaborated with Culoe De Song, local music producer and DJ, and was blown away by him.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of the work you do?
My job constantly presents problems that need split-second solutions. I enjoy having to think on my feet and making a plan on the fly. There's so much gratification in coming up with a winning solution.
Can you share some of the secret tricks of the trade?
I'm afraid they are the oldest tricks in the book: Never give up and be yourself. Both clichés for good reason!
How do you think you have evolved as a photographer through your own body of work?
Each piece and project changes who I am as a person and as a photographer. It's the perfect career for me exactly for that reason. I live in a state of dynamic flow and for the opportunity to change and transform. In my photography, colour is my language. I go through stages where my eye is drawn to certain tones. I love the post-production process! It's a journey that never leads to the same place.
Any words of wisdom for the up-and-comers?
Decide what lifestyle you want before you decide which genre of photography to delve into. There are many different ways to go about creating a career out of photography, so start with the end goal in mind.
What have been some of your proudest moments as a photographer?
During my eight-year journey into the exploration of photography, one of many proud moments was being recognised internationally, and published in a book called NEON by Hong Kong publisher Viction:ary, who specialises in visual art and design, connecting visions and inspirations from the East and the West. As a commercial photographer, I have also worked on landmark international campaigns such as Dulux Colour Prohibition and Guinness Made of Black, featuring Nigerian rap superstar Phyno. Also, the stills I shot for the Guinness #MadeOfBlack campaign scooped a gold at the Cannes Advertising Awards earlier this year!
Where has your photography career taken you in terms of experience?
I have worked on huge international commercial sets with unbelievably talented cast and crew. I have contributed to sizeable campaigns for noteworthy publications, and I work with local celebrities and personalities across various platforms. With a background in styling, and a firm grasp of the entire process of stills production from start to finish, it has been a natural progression for me to produce campaigns in their entirety, including set-up, photography and post-production.
Dlamini-Zuma could be forgiven for not yet wanting to publicly enter the leadership fray, even as her name is liberally bandied about in the run-up to the ANC electoral conference. But there is still much to study within her references to her successes as a political leader.
Asked what she plans to do when her term as Chairperson of the African Union ends, she smiles. "SA is my country and of course I'll come back. I mean, I'm not banned! Neither am I in exile. I went into this job at the AU with a very defined time span."
A politician of wide-ranging experience, Dlamini-Zuma has served under every ANC President, from being Nelson Mandela's Health Minister to Jacob Zuma's Home Affairs Minister, with a decade as Foreign Affairs Minister for Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. She is also keenly aware of the tightrope one walks when lobbying for the top job and has wisely refrained from making any statements about her political ambitions at home.
Dousing Fires
She believes her four years at the African Union in Addis Ababa were marked by several successes, including her handling of the crisis in Burundi. "If you look at Africa generally, when there are problems, we attend to them. It's one continent that manages its conflicts. You won't find a four-year-old war unattended, with destruction every day and millions of refugees," she says.
She adds that even in countries where there is relative stability and peace, if youngsters are increasingly unemployed and people are poor and hungry, "they'll rebel and that peace will be shattered. It's very important to pay attention to issues of development, education, health, job creation, infrastructural development and inclusive growth so that people feel they have a stake in the future of that country."
Tactical Savvy
Dlamini-Zuma says she has grown significantly as a leader at the AU, highlighting the importance of negotiation tactics. "When we go into situations like the Malta conference, it's important to know exactly what we want as a continent and therefore what positions we're going to defend. If you go there without knowing what you want to get out of the meeting, you won't be able to make much progress. You're simply reacting to what those who are prepared are saying, rather than putting forward your own position. And, of course, you need to know what your bottom line is, below which you will not go. That's also something you have to decide beforehand. That's what I've learnt over a long period. To be prepared."
Overall, she believes she has managed to raise the profile of the AU globally. "We have many more people consulting us on African and global issues, wanting to know what our view is." She has also been lobbying hard to prioritise issues of domestic resources. "Africa has had to debate that issue seriously because no continent has ever been developed by donor funds. We can have investors, yes, but we need some level of self-reliance, too."
Written by Sheena Adams for Destiny Magazine. Portrait photography by Michelle Wastie.