Eastern Cape Conference| Ramaphosa’s re-election prospects buoyed by ANC vote

SOUTH Africa’s ruling party elected a close ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa as its chairman in a key region, further bolstering his prospects of winning a second term.

Oscar Mabuyane secured the top African National Congress post in the Eastern Cape province, where he serves as premier, at a conference on Monday. He won 812 of the votes cast by party delegates, while his main rival Babalo Madikizela secured 662.

The region has the third-biggest contingent of ANC members of the nine provinces after KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

Ramaphosa, 69, has led the ANC since late 2017 and is widely expected to seek re-election in December, ensuring that he’ll be the party’s presidential candidate in a national vote scheduled for 2024. Mabuyane has publicly stated that he wants Ramaphosa to retain his post, as have the ANC chairs in the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo — although that’s no guarantee that