After an acrimonious but well-planned congress of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, ANC, the Vice President of the country, Cyril Ramaphosa, has been elected the new leader of the party.

Of the over 4800 delegates who voted in the congress, tainted by allegations of vote-buying and rigging, 2,440 voted for the 65-year-old businessman to edge out his closest rival, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, 68, an ex-wife of incumbent, Jacob Zuma.

With his emergence as the President of the ANC, Mr. Ramaphosa is expected to take over as the leader of the country from Mr. Zuma. The ANC dominates the country’s parliament.

Mr. Ramaphosa had campaigned on increasing investment in the country and growing the country’s economy. He is the favourite of urban, middle-class members of the party.

Other newly-elelcted members of the party’s top echelon, Top Six, as they are called are: Deputy President: David Mabuza; Chairperson: Gwede Mantashe; Secretary General: Ace Magashule; Deputy Secretary General: Jessie Duarte; and Treasurer General: Paul Mashatile.

More details later…