South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, whose second term depends on negotiations between his African National Congress and other parties, in Centurion, north of Johannesburg, on May 14.South Africa’s ruling party, fighting for its political life after its worst-ever election performance, says it will keep President Cyril Ramaphosa as its leader despite a disastrous plunge in the party’s vote total last week.
As coalition negotiations get under way, the ANC’s decisions in the coming weeks will determine its political and ideological future. Instead, some of the ANC’s most influential members are believed to prefer Mr. Zuma’s party or the EFF, both of which are led by former ANC politicians who broke away to form their own parties after disputes with the ANC’s leadership.
Mr. Zuma, who was forced to resign as president in 2018 after mounting corruption scandals, has feuded bitterly with Mr. Ramaphosa for years. In recent days, he has alleged, without evidence, that the latest election was “rigged” against his party. Mr. Ramaphosa, for his part, praised the commission for its “professionalism and integrity” and described the election as “free, fair and peaceful.”