The new leader of the ANC said on Thursday the country had entered a new era under his leadership, in a fresh sign that Jacob Zuma’s days as president are numbered.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration reflects the party’s desire to win back the trust of investors and convince voters ahead of next year’s election that it can boost the economy.
But above all it shows the ANC wants to overcome the taint of corruption it acquired since Zuma became president in 2009.
“We are in a new era. We had an old leadership of the ANC, we now have a new leadership of the ANC,” Ramaphosa said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was leading South Africa’s delegation.
“Many of the business leaders that I have met here have said they are buoyed by this new mood in the country,” he said.
Zuma, 75, has seen a reversal of fortune since deputy president Ramaphosa succeeded him as ANC leader last month.
Loyalists have deserted him in droves and the party is discussing whether to force him to resign as head of state before his second term ends next year.
ANC sources differ on the timing of Zuma’s exit, and estimates range from several weeks to months.
The ANC has held power under three different leaders since the end of apartheid in 1994, but the party’s electoral dominance is shrinking, making Ramaphosa’s task more urgent.
He now controls the party’s National Executive Committee, which can instruct Zuma to resign. If Zuma refuses, the ANC could threaten a no-confidence vote in parliament that Zuma would likely lose.
“This is the end of the Zuma era,” said Melanie Verwoerd, a political analyst and former ANC lawmaker. “Things are unravelling very quickly but the bottom line is that Ramaphosa is in charge.”
