Sirleaf a 'beacon of hope'
2005-11-24 19:10
Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday hailed Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for making history by becoming Africa's first elected woman president, saying she signalled a "new dawn for African women".
"Your election is indeed a victory not only for Liberian women in particular, but also represents a beacon of hope for women in Africa and the world in general," he said in a message.
"It most eloquently makes the unequivocal statement that, indeed, a new dawn has arrived for African women."
Sirleaf, a 67-year-old Harvard-educated technocrat, boasts a resume impressive for its scope and accomplishments at a time when African women were considered best-suited to tend to their homes.
A former finance minister, Sirleaf spent decades shuttling in and out of exile, laying the groundwork for an eventual return to Africa's oldest independent republic.
Sirleaf was officially proclaimed on Wednesday the winner of the west African country's election beating football legend George Weah.
She now faces the daunting task of reviving an economy brought to its knees by 14 years of civil war.