Cyril Ramaphosa is the new President of the governing African National Congress party, having beaten off the challenge of former AU Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The Electoral Commission, in an announcement delayed by more than an hour on Monday, said that Ramaphosa had garnered 2440 votes compared to 2261 for Dlamini Zuma.
David Mabuza was elected ANC Deputy President, seeing off Lindiwe Sisulu.
The ANC national chairperson to take over Baleka Mbete is former secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe who ousted Nathi Mthetwa by 2419 votes to 2269.
The ANC’s new Secretary-General is Ace Magashule from the Free State who ousted Senzo Mchuno for the position vacated by Gwede Mantashe.
The position of Deputy Secretary-General went to Jesse Duarte, who retains her position in the top six.
The position of Treasurer-General went to Paul Mashatile from Gauteng.
DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, said in a statement that "the election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC President is too little too late for the ANC, and means very little for the people of South Africa who have been left behind in poverty and joblessness.
"The ANC is dead and cannot self-correct, no matter who is at the helm. This is because the party itself is held together only by the glue of patronage and corruption, and Cyril Ramaphosa is just a new face to the same old ANC.," said Maimane.
"The future of South Africa lies outside of the ANC. It is up to the voters to bring about total change by removing the ANC in 2019 and ushering a new beginning for our country."
Maimane said that Ramaphosa now leads a deeply divided organisation, which has evolved into a self-serving party that has forgotten the poor and the jobless.
"The truth is, no matter who leads the ANC, cabinet and policy direction is determined by the party, and it has been these ANC policies that have sought to withdraw South Africa from the International Criminal Court (ICC), kept poor people locked out of the economy, captured the mining sector, chased after an unaffordable Nuclear Deal, and increased unemployment with now over 9 million South Africans without a job.
