Mr Ramaphosa wins despite being dogged by allegations

• He is now in a strong position to head the ANC in the election of 2024.
• The president has filed a lawsuit to have the panel’s report thrown out.
• Vote-buying allegations were refuted by both sides.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as the head of the ruling ANC.

He outpolled his opponent Zweli Mkhize 2,476 to 1,897.

Despite accusations of money laundering and a last-minute surge in support for Mr. Mkhize, who has also been charged with corruption, Mr. Ramaphosa prevailed. Both contest the charges.

He is now in a strong position to head the ANC in the election of 2024 thanks to his victory.

He is still in danger, though, as he is under investigation by the police, the tax office, and the central bank for allegedly concealing the theft of at least $580,000 in a sofa at his private farm.

He may have infringed both the constitution and anti-corruption rules, according to a team of legal experts that the speaker of parliament appointed. They said that he had a case to answer.

In a victory that saw him win by a wider margin than when he first ran for the leadership of the ruling party, the African National Congress, in 2017, his supporters broke into song and dance after he was declared the victor.

The fact that the ANC used its legislative majority to vote down the panel’s recommendations helped Mr. Ramaphosa’s reelection campaign.

The president has filed a lawsuit to have the panel’s report thrown out and has denied any wrongdoing.

He claimed that the sale of buffalo was where the $580,000 came from, but the panel stated that there was “strong question” as to whether a transaction actually took place.

Prior to being forced to resign last year over claims of misusing funds set aside to address the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Mkhize served as the health minister in Mr. Ramaphosa’s administration.

His supporters believed the claims were an effort to undermine him, and he has also denied any wrongdoing.

Even though Mr. Ramaphosa was the overwhelming favourite to win, some of Mr. Mkhize’s supporters appeared shocked when the outcome was revealed.

After making deals with other influential leaders to provide them significant positions right before conference delegates cast their votes, they were sure of their success.

Vote-buying allegations were refuted by both sides.

Since the end of white minority rule in 1994, the ANC has been in power, and it plans to win a sixth term in the legislative elections of 2024. But according to polls, its support has significantly decreased as a result of pervasive government corruption, excessive unemployment, and subpar public services, which include frequent power outages.

Paul Mashatile was chosen by the ANC as the new deputy leader, unseating Mr. Ramaphosa’s favoured nominee for the second-most important position in the party.

Currently, Mr. Mashatile is the favourite to succeed Mr. Ramaphosa as president and vice president of South Africa, respectively.

Other significant party positions, such as secretary-general and national chairman, were gained by the president’s loyalists.

After a contentious meeting, the losers hugged the winners in a display of solidarity.

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