Why the ANC may split if Ramaphosa loses
'It would be inconceivable for Ramaphosa to unite behind the vision of the people who are backing Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma'
As African National Congress delegates gather this week to pick a new leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma, they face a challenge that is threatening to overshadow the contest: to stop the party from splitting. The likelihood of a break-up is probably the biggest in the ANC's 105-year-old history, especially if Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the president's ex-wife and favoured contestant, beats his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the vote for party leader, according to analysts. The winner will also be the ANC's presidential candidate in national elections in 2019. While both candidates have called for the ANC to remain united after the conference, which runs from this weekend to next week, they differ on what needs to be done to halt the slide in its support. Ramaphosa, 65, has pledged to revive the economy and stamp out corruption, while Dlamini-Zuma, 68, has echoed Zuma's calls for "radical economic transformation". "If a split were to happen, it would be led by people who support Ramaph...
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