South Africa’s governing ANC starts its national conference on Friday morning to elect its new leadership.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is hoping to be re-elected as party leader after escaping an impeachment inquiry earlier this week.
This after ANC MPs voted against the adoption of a report which found that he may have breached the country’s anti-corruption legislation following the theft of a large sum of foreign currency at his private game farm.
Mr Ramaphosa will face off against former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize for the top post.
It is widely expected that the party’s integrity committee will table its report on the “Farmgate” scandal that almost cost Mr Ramaphosa his job as well as a corruption scandal that entangled his competitor.
It’s alleged Dr Mkhize benefited from a Covid-19 government tender in which communication contracts were awarded to his allies.
This will be followed by the adoption of credentials – a process that could take hours and is usually contested by various factions because that determines which delegates are eligible to take part and vote.
Mr Ramaphosa is likely to retain his position despite recent the setbacks.
