Ramaphosa of South Africa severely damaged by ANC electoral defeat

After overseeing the worst election outcome for the African National Congress (ANC) party since the end of apartheid, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be severely damaged.

Results from around 71% of polling places in Wednesday’s election revealed that the African National Congress (ANC) received less than 42% of the vote, a significant decrease from the 57.5% it received in the previous election in 2019 and, for the first time in 30 years, fell short of a majority.

Due to the electoral setback, the former Nelson Mandela liberation movement will need to work with one or more minor parties to establish a coalition agreement or other arrangement in order to take power. It might have to give up important cabinet seats or make policy concessions.

Opposition parties and members of his severely split party will likely call on the former union leader turned businessman Ramaphosa to step down, but a key ANC official has urged him to stay in office, and analysts believe there isn’t a clear replacement.

Anthony Butler, a politics professor at the University of Cape Town and author of a book on Ramaphosa, stated that “there isn’t a clear unifying candidate who could take over from Ramaphosa.”

Ramaphosa has the greatest approval rating among the major candidates in this election, according to a March opinion poll. Any attempt to mobilize against him may be hampered by internal ANC disputes.

Regarding the ANC’s electoral performance, Ramaphosa has not yet made any remarks. His spokesperson stated that he would make remarks when the whole preliminary results are expected to be made public on Sunday.

HARDY EXAM

Ramaphosa’s tenure as president was previously in jeopardy following the discovery in 2022 by a panel investigation that he might have engaged in misbehavior related to a cache of cash concealed within furniture at his game farm.

He won a five-year term as ANC leader later that year and denied any culpability over the “Farmgate” incident.

Voters’ ire over issues including high unemployment, crime, and chronic power outages made Wednesday’s vote seem like the ANC’s biggest test to date.

With the promise to restore the party’s reputation and stimulate the economy following nine years of scandal, corruption, and economic downturn under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader in late 2017.

But the initial excitement he felt upon becoming president in 2018 soon subsided.

After more than six years, there has been little improvement in the economy, and ANC officials are continually embroiled in scandals.

His opponent, Jacob Zuma, delivered the crushing blow in this week’s elections by endorsing the new party uMkhonto we Sizwe, which exceeded projections and significantly weakened ANC support, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Zuma’s home province.

“The ANC and Ramaphosa were checkmated by Jacob Zuma. He was aware of their vulnerability in KZN, according to political expert Ralph Mathekga. “Ramaphosa’s project has come to an end… Election losses are not acceptable if you want things to return to normal.

BUILDER OF CONSENSUS OR INDECISIVE?

Ramaphosa has come under fire for seeming to waver on important changes in order to prevent further divisions within his party; this is a far cry from the resolve he displayed when leading the union in the 1980s.

On the other side, many who support him commend him for his ability to forge agreement and his contribution to enhancing South Africa’s standing as a leader of the “Global South,” a colloquial term for a collection of low- and middle-income nations.

Ramaphosa was one of the most well-known voices in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocating for more equitable vaccination distribution.

Judges ruled last month that Israel must cease its military attack on the Gaza city of Rafah after South Africa launched a genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice more recently. Israel has vigorously denied the accusations and continued its attack in Rafah.

Ramaphosa attempted to highlight the ANC’s accomplishments over the last 30 years while on the campaign trail, but detractors claim he hasn’t provided many fresh ideas for addressing the most pressing issues facing South Africa.

He made the pledge to “do better” in front of tens of thousands of supporters at the ANC’s last campaign rally held at a soccer stadium in Soweto before the election. Many left before his speech was even half over.