ANC hopes to turn page on years of scandal as it votes for Zuma’s successor
Ex-wife of president hit by corruption claims is a front-runner to head South Africa’s ruling party
SOUTH AFRICA’S ruling party meets today to decide the successor to the scandal-hit president Jacob Zuma, as it seeks to restore the legacy of Nelson Mandela’s great liberation movement.
Seven candidates have raised their hand to bid for the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC). The winner will most likely become president after elections in 2019.
The choice is likely to come down to two people: Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s deputy president and one of the nation’s wealthiest citizens, and Nkosazana Dlamini-zuma, the former chairman of the African Union commission, who is Mr Zuma’s ex-wife.
Both have promised to unite and revive the ANC, the 105-year-old party whose reputation has taken a beating under Mr Zuma’s tenure.
Mr Ramaphosa, 65, leads the faction calling for reform. He has blamed “state capture” – the wresting control of state resources for private profit – for the nation’s ailing economy, and has promised to weed out corruption.
Mrs Dlamini-zuma, who is 68 and the mother of four of Mr Zuma’s children, has pushed for an economic agenda to put more power in the hands of black South Africans who were disfranchised under apartheid and remain excluded from the economy.
Though some warn it is too early to make a call, Mr Ramaphosa has a slight edge going into the five-day congress after ANC branches across the country reported their nominations.
“Dlamini-zuma’s reputation as a puppet of her ex-husband would hurt the ANC in 2019, even though this perception is somewhat unfair,” said Ben Payton, head of Africa research for Verisk Maplecroft.
Observers are expecting a tumultuous five days for the battle to fill the party’s top post amid a nationwide reckoning over corruption and the
Mr Gupta is said to have asked if he had a bag with him big enough to take R600,000 in cash
plundering of the state coffers. The allegations against Mr Zuma and the Guptas, a wealthy business family, are so brazen as to be almost unbelievable.
Mcebisi Jonas, former deputy finance minister, last year told South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog that in 2015 one of the Gupta brothers, Ajay, offered him R600 million (£33million) to take over as finance minister and help the family secure more business with state enterprises.
Mr Jonas said he declined, and as he walked out of the meeting, Mr Gupta asked if he had a bag with him big enough to take R600,000 in cash.
A raft of emails was also leaked to the South African media detailing a series of alleged acts of collusion between the Guptas and Mr Zuma and other government officials.
Mr Gupta has denied meeting with Mr Jonas or offering him the finance minister post. Atul Gupta, Ajay’s brother, has separately said that the leaked emails were fake.
This week’s conference could potentially mark the end of the road for Mr Zuma as South Africa’s president, no matter who wins, as both front-runners are likely to ask him to step down before 2019 to let someone else campaign.