South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki picked the mines minister and a woman who has championed black capitalism as his new deputy, replacing Jacob Zuma who was sacked last week over corruption allegations.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at 49 one of the youngest members of the cabinet, was appointed to the number two post, considered a stepping stone to the presidency.

In announcing his choice at a news conference following a cabinet meeting, Mbeki said he was keen to promote women in the top echelons of government.

"We thought that this would give us an opportunity further to strengthen the participation of women in the executive. That's part of what influenced the decision that we took," he said.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, who held the minerals and energy portfolio since 1999, rose to prominence for promoting black ownership in the white-dominated mining sector under a mining charter launched in 2002.

A former teacher, Mlambo-Ngcuka once famously told a gathering of businessmen that "blacks should not be ashamed to be filthy rich".

With a strong reputation as a competent administrator, Mlambo-Ngcuka was expected to rally support within the rank-and-file of the ruling party, although it remained unclear whether she harbored presidential ambitions.

Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999, is to step down from the presidency when his second and final term ends in 2009 but the race for the top post has heated up as the ANC prepares for a nomination congress to be held in two years.

Mbeki's decision to sack Zuma caused rumblings within the African National Congress (ANC), where he enjoyed huge grassroots support, in particular with the left wing of the ruling party.

An ethnic Zulu like Zuma, Mlambo-Ngcuka is married to Bulelani Ngcuka, a Xhosa and former director of the National Prosecuting Authority which launched an inconclusive investigation into allegations of corruption against Zuma.

But after a Durban court earlier this month convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail Zuma's financial adviser for paying bribes to the number two, Mbeki decided to fire his deputy.

He said the conviction of businessman Schabir Shaik for paying some 1.3 million rand (US$200,000 dollars) to the deputy president and for arranging a 500,000-rand annual bribe payment from a French arms firm "raised questions of conduct."

Zuma is to appear in court next week to answer charges of corruption and could face 15 years in jail if convicted.

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon described Mlambo-Ngcuka as "a woman of ability and charm" but cautioned that a cloud hung over her appointment from a brewing scandal involving payments allegedly made by a state-owned oil company to the ANC.

"There are a number of questions -- some of them serious and all of them unanswered -- which hang over the head of the new deputy president," said Leon.

That view was echoed by a senior ANC lawmaker who said: "Mlambo-Ngcuka is a capable minister but the timing of her appointment is not right in light of the Oilgate scandal. We would have liked somebody who is beyond reproach."

Another woman, Lindiwe Hendricks, was named to succeed Mlambo-Ngcuka as mines minister.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, who was traveling home from the United States when her appointment was announced, is to be sworn in as deputy president in Cape Town on Thursday.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies June 23, 2005)