ANC gathers to score fresh leader

South Africa’s governing African Nationwide Congress (ANC) is making ready to score a fresh birthday party leader to succeed President Jacob Zuma.

The foremost candidates are essentially the most modern deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and in model cupboard minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President Zuma’s ex-wife.

Whoever wins is probably going to succeed Mr Zuma as South African president.

Nonetheless their bitter leadership battle has raised fears that the ANC would possibly per chance per chance additionally chop up sooner than nationwide elections in 2019.

President Zuma can remain head of suppose till those elections. He has been in plight of work since 2009 and South Africa limits the presidency to 2 5-year terms.

As delegates gathered for the four-day conference in Johannesburg, Mr Zuma, who faces multiple corruption allegations, has suggested the birthday party to unite at the support of the eventual winner.

The leadership contest is expected to be a shut one, with beautiful challenges a chance.

ANC makes university pledge

By Lebo Diseko, BBC Info, Johannesburg

President Zuma’s plight of work has supplied that students from around 90% of South African households will assemble assemble entry to to free university training.

There had been a bunch of protests over the discipline over the previous few years, with the #FeesMustFall plod worrying free university training for all.

Some would possibly per chance interrogate the timing of Mr Zuma’s announcement, at the starting build of a conference where a lot is at stake each and each for him and the birthday party.

Analysts bear also been discussing what would possibly per chance happen to Jacob Zuma after this conference, and whether or now not the ANC will power him to stand down as President of the nation.

Native media are reporting that he says he’ll most efficient agree to a option by the birthday party to steal him as head of suppose « if the transfer didn’t possibility extra dividing the ANC ».

President Zuma is backing his 68-year-in model in model wife, Ms Dlamini-Zuma, a in model baby-kisser in her have loyal who has been famous of the enduring vitality of white-owned businesses.

Mr Ramaphosa, sixty 5, has spoken out strongly in opposition to suppose corruption and has the backing of the enterprise community.

Most modern recordsdata that he had a modest lead in the polls became mercurial mirrored by a upward thrust in the financial markets.

President Zuma, 75, has been the level of interest of much controversy and he has survived several votes of no self perception in parliament.

He faces quite a lot of corruption allegations but denies any wrongdoing.

More than 5,000 delegates are taking share in the four-day ANC optionally available conference at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The first foremost engagement for the fresh leader would possibly per chance be the ANC anniversary celebrations on 8 January.

The ANC has dominated South Africa since the important thing democratic election more than twenty years previously.

The BBC’s Andrew Harding says a interrogate stays whether or now not the ANC is in terminal decline, and what that would imply for South Africa’s stability and its future.