Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma\u2019s bid to lead South Africa\u2019s ruling African National Congress after her ex-husband, President Jacob Zuma, steps down as party leader in December received a boost when a majority of branches from one of the nation\u2019s nine provinces endorsed her.<\/p>\n
Dlamini-Zuma beat her main rival, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Tuesday in branch endorsements by a 209 to 44 margin at a meeting in Parys in the central Free State province, according to three people familiar with the results. Ramaphosa has already won the backing of two provinces, while the remaining six are due to announce their preferences over the next seven days.<\/p>\n
The victory by Dlamini-Zuma, the former chairwoman of the African Union Commission, was expected in Free State, one of three provinces in a rural bloc known as the Premier League that has helped her ex-husband thwart challenges sparked by multiple scandals that prompted calls from within the party for him to resign.<\/p>\n
The ANC will begin a five-day elective conference on Dec. 16 in the nation\u2019s economic hub, Johannesburg, to pick a new president and top party leaders. The winner of the leadership race will be its presidential candidate in a 2019 vote. The Free State\u2019s delegates account for about 8 percent of a total of 5,240 delegates that will cast ballots in December.<\/p>\n
Ramaphosa Boycott<\/strong><\/p>\n Ramaphosa\u2019s supporters largely boycotted the meeting and are challenging the province\u2019s nomination process in court.<\/p>\n David Mabuza, the ANC\u2019s chairman in Mpumalanga province, beat Lindiwe Sisulu in the nominations for the post of deputy president by a 204 to 28 margin, according to the people.<\/p>\n The leadership battle has opened a deep rift in the ANC and pitted Ramaphosa and party veterans against Zuma, who\u2019s been mired in allegations that the Gupta brothers have used their friendship with him to win state contracts. At stake at the conference is the choice of who will lead the party that\u2019s won every election in Africa\u2019s most-industrialized economy since Nelson Mandela led it to power after the end of apartheid in 1994.<\/p>\n The contest has paralyzed several government departments as officials delay decisions until they learn who the new leaders will be. Among the delays are a standoff on mining laws and telecommunications regulations.<\/p>\n Ramaphosa, 65, has called for a clampdown on corruption and is the clear favorite among investors, as well as labor unionists and the South African Communist Party. Dlamini-Zuma, 68, has echoed her ex-husband calls for \u201cradical economic transformation\u201d to give the black majority a bigger share of wealth in one of the world\u2019s most unequal countries and has won support from the ANC\u2019s women\u2019s, youth and military veterans leagues.<\/p>\n
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