South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has selected Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed President Jacob Zuma as the party’s leader.
The country’s deputy president defeated former cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mr. Zuma’s ex-wife, after a marathon voting process.
Mr. Ramaphosa is in a strong position to become president in 2019 polls.
He defeated Ms. Dlamini-Zuma by 2,440 votes to 2,261, an ANC spokesperson announced, according to a BBC News report.
The result triggered celebrations among party members.
The 65 year old Mr. Ramaphosa has spoken out strongly against state corruption and has the backing of the business community.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma, age 68, had been critical of the enduring power of white-owned businesses and had pledged to tackle what she said was continued racial inequality.
