South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the new party leader today following a fierce contest.
The scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has finally stepped down as party leader, opening the way for Cyril Ramaphosa to spearhead the ANC’s campaign for the 2019 General Election and possibly recalling the current President of South Africa.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and former African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma were both vying for the top job, with 4 776 voting delegates thought to be split down the middle.
Ramaphosa received 2440 nominations from six provinces for president, while Dlamini Zuma received 2261 nominations.
The mood at the party conclave, held once every five years, was jubilant on Saturday as delegates arrived at a conference centre in luxury buses, clad in the ANC’s yellow and green colours. However, disagreements quickly erupted over the legitimacy of some delegate groups. By midday Sunday, the credential process was resolved.
The ANC’s reputation has taken a beating during Zuma’s scandal-ridden tenure, causing rifts that threaten to split Africa’s oldest liberation party. Keeping the ANC together has been a key talking point at the gathering.
“In all its manifestations, factionalism has become the biggest threat to the organization,” Zuma said in a tepidly received speech at the opening of the conference. “Unity is what will make the ANC and South Africa succeed.”
On Saturday, Zuma made a surprise announcement that the government would fully subsidize tertiary education for “poor and working class” students, despite findings of a government commission that South Africa cannot afford it. Some observers read the move as a last-minute push to help the campaign of Dlamini-Zuma.
But Ramaphosa has officially been selected as the new party leader which could see him being the next President of South Africa.
A trained lawyer with an easygoing manner, Ramaphosa has vowed to fight corruption and revitalize an economy which has slowed to a near-standstill under President Jacob Zuma.
That message has gone down well with foreign investors and ANC members who think Zuma’s handling of the economy could cost the party dearly in 2019 parliamentary elections. Just this weekend, the South African Rand has hit a 3 month high with the news that he was in line to take the position.
With him at the helm, there is the possibility of avoiding a Moody’s downgrade at the end of February. But more important than that, there is the possibility of a decisive break with the Zuma years. If he wins, he will be able to take advantage of the immediate dividend that change will bring and swiftly change the Cabinet, set about repairing key institutions and put state-owned entities back on track.
It could even mean recalling Zuma from his current position, which is what the majority of the country have all been asking for.
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