S.Africa’s new ANC leader Ramaphosa aims to fight corruption

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) - Cyril Ramaphosa, the new leader of South Africa’s governing ANC party, said yesterday he aims to stamp out corruption and pursue a policy of “radical economic transformation” that will speed up expropriation of land without compensation.

Ramaphosa, a 65-year-old union leader who became a businessman and is now one of South Africa’s richest people, is likely to become the country’s next president after elections in 2019, because of his party’s electoral dominance.

His promise to fight rampant corruption and revitalise the economy has been hailed by foreign investors.

“This conference has resolved that corruption must be fought with the same intensity and purpose that we fight poverty, unemployment and inequality,” Ramaphosa said in his maiden speech at the close of a five-day party meeting where he was elected.

“We must also act fearlessly against alleged corruption and abuse of office within our ranks,” he said in the early hours of Thursday after a long delay.

Ramaphosa, who is South Africa’s deputy president, was elected the new leader of the African National Congress (ANC) on Monday, succeeding President Jacob Zuma as party head after Zuma’s presidency became tainted with corruption allegations.

Ramaphosa’s narrow victory over former cabinet minister and African Union Commission chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, 68, is seen as a pivotal moment for the ANC, which launched black-majority rule under Nelson Mandela’s leadership 23 years ago but is now deeply divided with its image tarnished.

Ramaphosa paid tribute to Zuma in his speech, saying the ANC would be “united” despite a fractious campaign. Zuma had backed his ex-wife DlaminiZuma for ANC’s top job.