The United States President, Mr. Barrack Obama, has joined well-wishers worldwide in congratulating South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on her election as African Union Chairperson.

In a statement made available to journalists in Washington DC on Monday morning, the US government wished Dlamini Zuma success in her new role and said it looked forward to working closely with her and maintaining a productive relationship with the AU.

The United States also thanked the former Chairman, Jean Ping, for his contributions to the African Union and wished him success in his future endeavours.

It would be recalled that the African Union announced on Sunday that Dlamini Zuma, as the winner on the election which involved fifty one countries.