Cyril Ramaphosa trounces Zweli Mkhize and his allies

In an overwhelming vote of confidence in his reform agenda, President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected ANC leader during a highly contested internal party election in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, on Monday morning.

Former health minister Zweli Mkhize received 1,897 votes, while Ramaphosa received more than 2,000 votes, winning by more than 500 votes.

Former treasurer-general Paul Mashatile was elected ANC deputy president, while mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe was re-elected as party chair.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula was elected secretary-general, beating close rivals public enterprises deputy minister and former Eastern Cape premier minister Phumulo Masualle and former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli.

Former Gauteng premier and erstwhile water and sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane was elected first deputy secretary-general, beating parliament’s chair of the police portfolio committee, Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

ANC Women’s League co-ordinator Maropene Ramokgopa was elected as second deputy secretary-general. Co-ordinator in the ANC secretary-general’s office, Gwen Ramokgopa, was elected treasurer-general. 

Prior to the announcement, the rand had firmed about 0.5% to the dollar. Once it was confirmed that Ramaphosa would indeed serve a second term as ANC president, the rand extended its gain to 1.8%, to R17.22/$. Against other hard currencies it had strengthened 0.91% to R21.08/£ and 1.28% to R18.36/€. The JSE all share was little moved but the banking index was up 2.8%.

His re-election bodes well for the struggling economy and financial markets as economic pundits warned in the build-up to the five-day elective conference that the economy risked collapsing if Ramaphosa were to lose the election to the radical economic transformation (RET) faction of the party.

Here is a list of all the candidates:

President:

• Cyril Ramaphosa: 2,476 
• Zweli Mkhize: 1,897

Deputy president:

• Paul Mashatile: 2,178
• Ronald Lamola: 315
• Oscar Mabuyane: 1,858

National chair:

• Stanley Mathabatha: 2,018
• Gwede Mantashe: 2,062
• David Masondo: 280

Secretary-general:

• Mdumiseni Ntuli: 1,080
• Phumulo Masualle: 1,590 
• Fikile Mbalula: 1,692

1st deputy secretary-general:

• Nomvula Mokonyane: 2,195
• Tina Joemat-Pettersson: 2,145

2nd deputy secretary-general:

• Maropene Ramokgopa:  2,373
• Ronalda Nalumango: 1,948

Treasurer-general:

• Bejani Chauke: 590
• Pule Mabe: 1,652
• Mzwandile Masina: 281
• Gwen Ramokgopa: 1,809
•  

Update: December 19 2022
This story has been updated with new information.

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za
maekot@businesslive.co.za