Ramaphosa bids for party’s leadership amid corruption scandal

Johannesburg, Dec 16 (EFE).- South Africa’s president is seeking reelection this weekend as leader of his party after he was spared from an impeachment process over accusations of corruption.

Delegates of the African National Congress (ANC) are expected to reelect Cyril Ramaphosa as head of the party on Saturday during its annual convention in Johannesburg, which began on Friday and is set to end on Tuesday.

Securing reelection would boost his chances of running in the next presidential race in 2024.

The ANC, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, traditionally presents its party leader in the presidential vote.

On Tuesday, Ramaphosa dodged an impeachment process after a report that accused him of violating corruption laws was rejected by parliament.

The document threatened the political future of Ramaphosa as head of state and president of the ANC by claiming he had covered up the theft of $4.25 million from his Phala Phala farm in the northeast of the country back in 2020.

Ramaphosa succeeded Jacob Zuma as president in 2018, pledging to tackle the corruption and economic crisis unleashed during his predecessor’s nine years in office. EFE jhb-pa/aef/jt