{"id":383784,"date":"2017-12-16T08:32:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-16T08:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=383784"},"modified":"2017-12-16T08:32:34","modified_gmt":"2017-12-16T08:32:34","slug":"anc-gathers-choose-leader-replace-jacob-zuma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/12\/anc-gathers-choose-leader-replace-jacob-zuma\/","title":{"rendered":"ANC gathers to choose leader to replace Jacob Zuma"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) is preparing to choose a new party leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma.<\/p>\n
The main candidates are the current deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and former cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President Zuma’s ex-wife.<\/p>\n
Whoever wins is likely to succeed Mr Zuma as South African president.<\/p>\n
But their bitter leadership battle has raised fears that the ANC could split before national elections in 2019.<\/p>\n
President Zuma can remain head of state until those elections. He has been in office since 2009 and South Africa limits the presidency to two five-year terms.<\/p>\n
As delegates gathered for the four-day conference in Johannesburg, Mr Zuma, who faces multiple corruption allegations, has urged the party to unite behind the eventual winner.<\/p>\n
The leadership contest is expected to be a close one, with legal challenges a possibility.<\/p>\n
President Zuma is backing his 68-year-old former wife, Ms Dlamini-Zuma, a veteran politician in her own right who has been critical of the enduring power of white-owned businesses.<\/p>\n
Mr Ramaphosa, 65, has spoken out strongly against state corruption and has the backing of the business community.<\/p>\n
Recent news that he had a modest lead in the polls was quickly reflected by a rise in the financial markets.<\/p>\n
President Zuma, 75, has been the focus of much controversy and he has survived several votes of no confidence in parliament.<\/p>\n
He faces numerous corruption allegations but denies any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
More than 5,000 delegates are taking part in the four-day ANC elective conference at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
The first major engagement for the new leader will be the ANC anniversary celebrations on 8 January.<\/p>\n
The ANC has governed South Africa since the first democratic election more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) is preparing to choose a new party leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma. The main candidates are the current deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and former cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President Zuma’s ex-wife. Whoever wins is likely to succeed Mr Zuma as South African president. But their bitter leadership […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[5284,3908,481],"yoast_head":"\n