President Cyril Ramaphosa was on Monday re-elected leader of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), seeing of the stiff challenge of former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
Announcing the results during the ongoing 55th ANC national elective conference in Johannesburg, the party’s elections chief Kgalema Motlanthe said Ramaphosa had secured 2,476 votes against 1,897 for Mkhize.
Ramaphosa survived an onslaught by an ANC faction aligned to former president Jacob Zuma that wanted the president to be replaced by Mkhize because of the “Farmgate” scandal that came to light in June and involved large sums of foreign currency found hidden at his private game farm.
The scandal has raised questions about how Ramaphosa got the money and whether he should face criminal charges after failing to declare the money to financial authorities. The president denied wrongdoing.
The conference elected 60-year-old Paul Mashatile as ANC deputy president, paving the way for him to take over as president of the country in the event that Ramaphosa is eventually convicted and removed from office.
Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe was re-elected chairperson of the party for another five-year-term.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was elected secretary general of the party while Nomvula Mokonyane and Maropene Ramokgopa were elected first and second secretary general, respectively.
The position of treasurer general went to Gwen Ramokgopa.
JN/APA