ASSESSMENTS

South Africa: A Battle Brews in the African National Congress

Apr 11, 2017 | 09:15 GMT

Protests in South Africa
South African President Jacob Zuma's decision to dismiss Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on March 30 caused uproar among leaders of the ruling African National Congress, its supporters and the other parties in its Tripartite Alliance.

(RODGER BOSCH/AFP/Getty Images)

South African President Jacob Zuma's time in office may be winding down, but the contest to replace him as head of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is just heating up. The ANC, which has ruled South Africa since apartheid ended in 1994, will hold its next leadership congress in December, when Zuma will relinquish his post as party leader. As the all-important event approaches, Zuma is working to ensure that he leaves the office in good hands -- and in good standing. On March 30, he dismissed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan as part of a Cabinet reshuffle that swept 10 posts. The move caused uproar in the ANC top ranks, among the party's coalition partners in the Tripartite Alliance and in international financial markets. But it's just the latest episode in a succession saga that has pitted the ruling party's diverging factions against each other and threatens to widen...

Keep Reading

Register to read three free articles

Proceed to sign up

Register Now

Already have an account?

Sign In