South African President admits citizens 'not happy' with ruling ANC party

pulse

December 16, 2017 4:49 PM

South African President Jacob Zuma admitted Saturday that voters were "not happy" with the ruling ANC party as it began a five-day conference to elect his successor as party leader.

South African President

Zuma said in his keynote conference address that the African National Congress's poor local election results last year "were a stark reminder that our people are not happy with the state of the ANC".

Zuma, who has led the ANC since 2007, detailed problems afflicting the party, which has lost much popularity since Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the 1994 election that ended decades of white-minority rule.

"Petty squabbling that takes us nowhere needs to take back seat, our people are frustrated when we spend more time fighting among ourselves instead of solving the daily challenges they experience," he said.

"Factionalism has become the biggest threat to our movement."

Zuma, whose reign has been marred by graft scandals, will step down as ANC chief at the conference but will remain head of state until general elections in 2019.

The two front-runners for the party leadership are his ex-wife and former African Union Commission head Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman.

The battle could split the ANC and the conference looks set to be acrimonious.

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