Political situation in South Africa

Analyst: New leader stubborn to act against troublemakers

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged as a weak leader in the rounds surrounding former party leader Jacob Zuma. That assessment is made by Ongama Mtimka, a political analyst at Nelson Mandela University.

- He is perceived as someone who takes too long to take action against troublemakers, says Mtimka to the New York Times.

Now Zuma is finally being pushed out of the ANC, the party he led between 2009 and 2018.

Since the election in May, Zuma has been the leader of the opposition. In that role, he has accused Ramaphosa of corruption and other wrongdoing. Analysts and rivals believe that Zuma's return to politics has been driven by a desire for revenge against his former party and not least against Ramaphosa, who did not take his side when he was arrested in 2021. 

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South Africa's largest party ANC previously kicks the president

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is no longer a member of the country's largest party, the ANC. Now Zuma is described as a "traitor" who brings forward a dangerous and divisive political message.

Zuma was president between 2009 and 2018, but was forced to leave the post after a series of corruption allegations. There and then the conflict with his own party started.

In this year's elections he ran with his new party uMkhonto weSizwe. An unexpected electoral success saw the ANC plummet from 57.5 to 40.2 percent and for the first time since the end of apartheid lose its majority in parliament.

- You brought us under 50 percent. We are grappling with it, says ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula at a press conference.

Although Zuma has started a new party, he has fought to remain a member of the ANC, but is now being poked.