— South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party, the African National Congress, must work to regain popular support after being embroiled in corruption scandals and divided by bitter factional rivalries. Marking the ANC's 110th anniversary Saturday, Ramaphosa struck a somber note, emphasizing that the party of Nelson Mandela which helped South Africa to achieve democracy, has lost voter backing. “We must be forthright in recognizing, and deal decisively with, the reality that ANC structures are in a poor state," Ramaphosa said. “Many citizens demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the ANC and its performance by staying away from the polls,” he said Saturday. The African National Congress was founded in 1912 to oppose white minority rule and to campaign for Black South Africans to have full democratic rights.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 08, 2022 16:34 UTC