Johannesburg: Voting to elect a new leader of South Africa’s ruling party was to get underway on Sunday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa squaring off against his former health minister Zweli Mkhize. But observers said the race looked closer than expected, with local media reporting party delegates from several provinces had shifted support to Mkhize. More than 4,000 delegates are to cast their ballot to appoint seven top leadership roles, including party president, deputy president, chair and secretary general, at a conference near Johannesburg. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends the nomination process of the top African National Congress (ANC) officials in the 55th National Conference of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 18, 2022. Mkhize, hails from the same province as Zuma, the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of party delegates.

Source: Ethiopian News December 18, 2022 19:21 UTC