The South African African National Congress re-elected Ramaphosa as leader

Despite allegations of corruption, the 70-year-old has now cleared the way for a second term as president.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has way ahead for its president, Cyril, despite allegations of corruption Ramaphosa He was approved for a second term as president of the country. In an internal party leadership poll on Monday, Ramaphosa won by a wide margin of 2,476 votes to 1,897 for his rival, Zweli Mkhize.

As party leader, Ramaphosa, 70, could serve a second term as president if the ANC wins the 2024 elections, as is expected. Ramaphosa recently escaped accountability over alleged corruption. The majority of ANC MPs blocked this. After 28 years in power, the ANC recently lost votes. However, it remains the largest party with 230 out of 400 seats in the National Assembly South Africa. ANC Treasurer Paul Machattel was elected as the party’s deputy.

Ramaphosa has faced allegations of corruption and fraud since the publication of an investigative report into an alleged theft on his farm. The president has always denied these allegations.

Serious allegations from a former intelligence chief

A former intelligence chief accused Ramaphosa in June of hiding $4 million in cash in his luxurious mansion. After a robbery on his farm, Ramaphosa is said to have organized the kidnapping and bribery of the robbers so that it would remain a secret that he had stored a lot of money there.

Ramaphosa, on the other hand, said that the equivalent of 560,000 euros was stolen, which was hidden under the sofa cushions. This amount was paid by a Sudanese man who bought a buffalo from his farm. He did not see any misconduct on his part as noted in the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee.

Ramaphosa’s only competitor in the ANC party leadership election was former health minister Mkhize, who himself was embroiled in a corruption scandal. More than 4,300 delegates are attending the five-day party conference near Johannesburg.

At the start of Friday’s conference, ANC members loudly interrupted Ramaphosa’s inaugural address, banging on tables demanding change. Uncertainty over Ramaphosa’s re-election loomed in the long hours before Sunday’s election. His once comfortable lead over Mkhize seemed to be shrinking. In the end, however, the president prevailed and now leads the ANC for another five years.

The ANC is known worldwide for its decades-long struggle against apartheid, led by Nelson Mandela. The 110-year-old party rules South Africa Since democratization in the nineties. But the party was hit hard by bribery, nepotism, internal strife, and a frozen economy. A report released at the party conference shows that the ANC has lost a third of its party membership in the past five years.

(APA / AFP)