Disputes Delay Vote on African National Congress Leader
- 6 years ago
Disputes Delay Vote on African National Congress Leader
Ms. Mbete said that in discussing with him the challenges facing the party
and the country, "We have agreed a whole lot more." She said there was "never an opportunity" to hold similar discussions with Ms. Dlamini-Zuma.
17, 2017
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s ruling party moved slowly on Sunday to elect a leader to replace the
scandal-plagued President Jacob Zuma, as disputes over delegates’ credentials delayed the vote.
The two front-runners — Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mr. Zuma’s ex-wife — have been locked in a tight race, each representing starkly different visions for the party
that has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.
While Ms. Dlamini-Zuma has emphasized a populist message focusing on redistributing the country’s wealth from white to black residents, Mr. Ramaphosa,
who was also one of the country’s richest businessmen, has focused on growing the economy and making it more attractive to investors.
The party’s national chairwoman, Baleka Mbete, who had also been running for party leader, announced that she would endorse Mr. Ramaphosa.
Officials with the party, the African National Congress, said a new leader would emerge on Monday morning at the earliest.
Ms. Mbete said that in discussing with him the challenges facing the party
and the country, "We have agreed a whole lot more." She said there was "never an opportunity" to hold similar discussions with Ms. Dlamini-Zuma.
17, 2017
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s ruling party moved slowly on Sunday to elect a leader to replace the
scandal-plagued President Jacob Zuma, as disputes over delegates’ credentials delayed the vote.
The two front-runners — Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mr. Zuma’s ex-wife — have been locked in a tight race, each representing starkly different visions for the party
that has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.
While Ms. Dlamini-Zuma has emphasized a populist message focusing on redistributing the country’s wealth from white to black residents, Mr. Ramaphosa,
who was also one of the country’s richest businessmen, has focused on growing the economy and making it more attractive to investors.
The party’s national chairwoman, Baleka Mbete, who had also been running for party leader, announced that she would endorse Mr. Ramaphosa.
Officials with the party, the African National Congress, said a new leader would emerge on Monday morning at the earliest.