Veteran of struggle

Leader negotiated end of white rule

Cyril Ramaphosa, 65, was born in Johannesburg and is a veteran of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle. He was detained in 1976 after the Soweto student uprising and was later the head of the ANC negotiation team that helped bring an end to the country’s white rule.

A former union leader and trained lawyer, he is one of the country’s richest citizens and has a known interest in the country’s wild game industry. In 2012, he was a non-executive director of the mining firm Lonmin when police shot and killed 34 striking miners. Some South Africans think he did not do enough to intervene. Mr Ramaphosa has been passed over for the top job until now. Nelson Mandela reportedly wanted Mr Ramaphosa to follow him as president, but Thabo Mbeki was chosen. He became deputy president in May 2014.